Colonial Era

The term colonial history of the United States refers to the history of the land that would become the United States from the start of European settlement to the time of independence from Europe, and especially to the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain which declared themselves independent in 1776.

European Enlightenment

Refers particularly to the intellectual and philosophical developments of the colonial era and it's impact in moral and social reform, advocated as the primary source and basis of authority.

Prominent Enlightenment Philosophers

 Mayflower Compact

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The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth County. It was drafted by the Pilgrims who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower seeking the freedom to practice Christianity according to their own determination. It was signed on November 11, 1620 by 41 of the ship's more than one hundred passengers.

New England Town Meetings[image]

The form of local government (direct democracy) practiced in the U.S. region of New England since colonial times for politcal, administrative, or legislative purposes. At this time only white, male, landowning citizens were allowed to participate in the government.

Columbian Exchange

One of the most significant events in the history of world ecology, agriculture, and culture. The term is used to describe the enormous widespread exchange of plants, animals, foods, human populations (including slaves), diseases, and ideas between Europse, Africa, and Asia to the Americas. It began a new revolution in the Americas and in Europe. In 1492, Chistopher Columbus' first voyage launched the era that resulted in this revolution: hence the name "Columbian" Exchange.

 House of Burgesses

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The first elected two housed (bicameral) legislative assembly of a represtetative democracy in the New World established in the in 1619 in the Colony of Virginia. Over time, the name came to represent the entire official legislative body which was made up of chosen representatives.

Meeting of representatives of the colonies in 1754 led by Benjamin Franklin in Albany, Ny. in an early attempt to unite all 13 of the colonies. Here they discussed better relations with the Indian tribes and common defensive measures against the French. Part of the Albany Plan was also used in writing the Articles of Confederation, which kept the States together from 1781 until the Constitution.

 Sugar Act

Passed on April 5th 1764, was the 1st imposed revenue-rasing act passed by the Parliament of Great Britian. This law placed a tax on sugar, molasses, and other products shipped to the colonies.

 3/5 Compromise

A compromise between Southern and Northern States reached in 1787 in which three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted for enumeration (counting) purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the determination of the number of members of the U.S. House of Representatives according to the proportion of the population of each state to the total population of the U.S.

 Federalism

A form of governemnt in which a group of members are bound together with a governing representative head. In this system of the governement, sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority (national gov't.) and states where the power to govern is shared, creating a federation.

Articles of Confederation

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The first attempt at a unified, national government where the states held most of the power, and there was no federal power to tax, regulate inter-state trade or the national army. It was was the governing constitution of the alliance of thirteen independent and sovereign states. The Article's ratification was proposed in 1777 & was completed in 1781. 

Would later be replaced by the U.S. Constitution.

 Mercantilism

An economic system used to increase a nation's wealth by government regulation of all of the nation's commercial interests (trade).

Salutary Neglect

An undocumented, though long-standing, British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws meant to keep the American colonies obedient to Great Britian.

Executive Branch

-Enforces the laws

Magna Carta

Issued in 1215.

Was the most significant early influence on the extensive historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law today. Magna Carta influenced the development of the common law and many constitutional documents, such as the US constitution.

Legislative Branch

-Makes the laws

French and Indian War

(1754–1763)

-Part of the 7 years war.

Quartering Act

act passed in this by parliament, An act for punishing mutiny and desertion, and for the better payment of the army and their quarters.

Checks and Balances

The government system used to make sure not one of the 3 branches of government gets more power than the others.

Declaration of Independance

US Second Continental Congress declares its independance from Great Britain on July 4th 1776

Limited Government

 the Magna Carta and the US Constitution are examples of the limiting of government powers.

-A key concept of limited government is the written Bill of Rights which forms its fundamental law, and which is the clearest statement of the limits of the government's powers.

Judical Branch

Interprets the Laws

Elastic Clause

Stretching the government to meet changing needs.

Federalist Papers

The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles advocating the ratification of the US Constitution.

Stamp Act

a law enacted by a government that requires a tax to be paid on the transfer of certain documents. Those that pay the tax receive an official stamp on their documents.

Great Britian imposed this tax on American colonists.

Preamble

A brief introductory statement of the fundamental purposes and guiding principles which the Constitution is meant to serve. It expresses in general terms the intentions of its authors, and is sometimes referred to by courts as evidence of what the Founding Fathers thought the Constitution meant and what they hoped to achieve

Virginia plan

Separation of Power

Under this model, the state is divided into branches. Each with separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility. Divided into Executive, legislative, and judical branches.

New Jersey Plan

The plan was created in response to the Virginias plan's call for two houses of Congress, both elected with proportional rep. The less populous states were opposed to giving most of the control of the national government to the larger states, and so proposed an alternate plan that would have given one vote per state for equal rep. under one legislative body. This was a compromise for the issue of the houses.

The Great Compromise

2 Senators; Representatives based on Populations.

Problems Ratifying

Amendment Process

Judical Review

determining the consitutionality of laws

Louisiana Purchase

Federalist

Group of people that supported the constitution and was mostly made up of the educated and businessmen.

Neutrality

the policy or status of a nation that does not

participate in a war between other nations

Missouri Compromise

 prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the north parallel except within the boundaries of the proposed state of Missouri

Abolition

the legal prohibition and ending of slavery

 Marbury vs. Madison

a landmark case in US law. It formed the basis for the exercise of juicial review in the US under Article III of the Constitution.

Sectionalism

sectionalism is loyalty to the interests of one's own region or section of the country, rather than the nation as a whole.

Cabinet

an advisory body to the president, consisting of the heads of the 13 executive departments of the federal government.

Democratic Republicans

Alien and sedition acts

Gadsen Purchase

Northwest ordinance