SOCIAL STUDIES REMEDIATION FOR THE ALABAMA HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION EXAM

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SOCIAL STUDIES REMEDIATION FOR THE ALABAMA HIGH
SCHOOL GRADUATION EXAM

• THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

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GOVERNMENT FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

• Following the Revolutionary War, thirteen
  independent states were left to figure out how to
  govern themselves. Colonists were loyal to the
  state they lived in. Each state established its
  own government. Most state constitutions
  included a bill of rights that guaranteed certain
  important rights. These rights included freedom
  of the press, freedom of religion, and the right
  to trial by jury.

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FOUNDATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

• Magna Carta (1215) written document protecting
  the rights of English nobles. Made the kings
  power not absolute.
• John Locke English philosopher who believed
  government should derive its power from the
  people whom it governed.
• The Great Awakening a general revival of
  evangelical Christianity in the American
  colonies, reached its peak in the early 1740s.
  Contributed to a sense of American nationality
  before the Revolution.

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FOUNDATIONS CONTINUED

• Jacques Rousseau French philosopher who wrote
  The Social Contract in 1762. Believed the right
  to rule should come from the people and not a
  king. The Social Contract Theory expressed the
  idea that there should be an agreement between
  the people and the government that limits the
  rights and duties of each. Thomas Jefferson
  agreed with this theory, and it became one of the
  philosophies for colonial separation from England
  expressed in the Declaration of Independence
  (1776).

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FOUNDATIONS CONTINUED

• Baron de Montesquieu published The Spirit of the
  Laws in 1748. In this book, he expressed that
  government should possess legislative, executive,
  and judicial authority. Government must make,
  enforce, and interpret the laws of the land. He
  thought the functions of government should be
  divided into 3 branches and powers should be
  defined and separated so no branch acquired too
  much power.
• The challenging life on the frontier taught the
  colonists the values of independence and
  self-reliance.

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FOUNDATIONS CONTINUED

• Freedom of religion Many people came to the
  thirteen colonies seeking freedom from religious
  persecution.
• House of Burgesses the first colonial assembly,
  established on July 30, 1619 in Jamestown to
  represent the colonists in Virginia. Symbolized
  the authority of the people to limit the power of
  the king.
• The First and Second Continental Congress
  brought together delegates from each of the 13
  colonies except Georgia. Meetings were a model
  for forming U.S government.
• The Declaration of Independence established
  principles of human rights. Foundation for
  government to establish equal rights.

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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

• Following the Declaration of Independence the
  Second Continental Congress appointed a committee
  to draft a national constitution.
• This was the first constitution.
• It was ratified, or approved, by all 13 colonies
  in March, 1781, before the Revolutionary War
  ended later that year.

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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

• The Articles of Confederation proposed an
  alliance between the 13 independent states. A
  congress much like the Continental Congress made
  up the central government. The following
  summarizes the powers of the national government
  under the Articles of Confederation.

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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

• GAVE CONGRESS THE POWER TO declare war and make
  peace raise an army and navy make foreign
  treaties and alliances coin and borrow
  money regulate weights and measures establish
  a post office regulate Indian affairs pass
  laws by 9 of the 13 states make amendments only
  with a unanimous vote of all states

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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

• PREVENTED CONGRESS FROM Levying taxes
  Regulating foreign or domestic trade Settling
  disputes among states Collecting state debts
  owed to the central government Enforcing any
  of its powers

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STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION

• STRENGTHS states retained rights and the central
  government established a post office.
• WEAKNESSES loose bonds developed between
  independent statesone vote in Congress was
  given to each statethere was no executive
  or judicial poweramendments required a
  unanimous vote

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THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

• It became clear by the spring of 1787 that the
  Articles of Confederation needed to be changed if
  the United States of America was going to survive
  as a nation. Congress called on the thirteen
  states to send delegates to Philadelphia to
  revise the Articles of Confederation. Twelve
  states sent a total of 55 delegates (Rhode Island
  did not). The convention in Philadelphia was
  called the Constitutional Convention (1787).

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• The delegates feared that a strong central
  government would compromise state power, but they
  knew it was necessary. They wanted a republic in
  which the citizens would elect representatives to
  make and enforce laws. They also wanted a
  written constitution that spelled out the powers
  of the government.

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• The Virginia delegates presented a plan for the
  new government. Under the Virginia Plan,
  representation in Congress would be based on a
  states population. This plan satisfied states
  with large populations, but angered small states
  who would have less representation.
• Delegates from New Jersey also made their own
  proposal. In the New Jersey Plan, each state
  would have an equal voice in Congress. This
  proposal satisfied the smaller, who wanted
  representation equal to the larger states.
  However, the larger states were upset by this
  proposal, feeling that this proposed congress
  would not reflect the nations population.

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THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, CONTINUED

• After much debate, the delegates arrived at the
  Great Compromise which divided Congress into two
  houses. In the upper house, the Senate, each
  state was represented by two senators. In the
  lower house, the House of Representatives, each
  state had representatives in proportion to its
  population.

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The Great Compromise How should slaves in the
Southern states be counted?

• Northern states said slaves should not be counted
  in the population since they were considered
  property. Southern states wanted them to be
  counted in the population in order to increase
  their representation in the House of
  Representatives. As a compromise, it was agreed
  that each slave counted as 3/5 of a person. For
  example, if a state had 5,000 slaves then it
  would only count 3,000. This policy set a belief
  that the government believed a black slave was
  only worth 3/5 of any other person

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• Another conflict b/w northern and southern states
  was the issue of slave trade with Africa. The
  north wanted to abolish slave trade, but the
  south insisted that it was a vital part to the
  southern economy. Congress agreed not to
  interfere with the slave trade for 20 years.
• To keep harmony b/w the north and south,
  delegates also agreed to prohibit export taxes
  and to require a two-thirds majority vote in the
  Senate to pass any treaty. This kept the states
  from passing taxes or treaties that would be
  harmful to another region.

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U.S. GOVERNMENT UNDER THE CONSTITUTION

• After many compromises, the delegates of the
  Constitutional Convention wrote the United States
  Constitution (1789). The Constitution spreads
  the power between the national and state
  governments.
• The Constitution gives some powers to the
  national government, lets some powers stay with
  the state, and lets both share some powers. This
  practice of dividing power is called federalism.
  Federalism keeps any one of the governments from
  gaining too much control.

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CONSTITUTIONALISM

• This term refers to a government in which power
  is divided among various groups, but all groups
  obey a system of laws called a Constitution.

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THE THREE BRANCHES OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

• LEGISLATIVE Congress makes the laws
• EXECUTIVE The President carries out the laws or
  puts them to use.
• JUDICIAL The Supreme Court and other courts
  interpret or explain the laws.

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CHECKS AND BALANCES

• Knowing that the limits of the powers and
  responsibilities of each branch were not always
  clear, the writers of the constitution developed
  a system of checks and balances to keep the
  branches equal in power.

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The system of checks and balances include the
following

• The President can choose cabinet members, federal
  judges, and ambassadors, but the Senate must give
  advice and can approve or reject the Presidents
  choice.
• The Congress can pass a bill, but the President
  can veto it, preventing it from becoming law.
• The President can make treaties with other
  countries, but the Senate must give advice and
  can approve or reject these treaties.
• The Congress can pass a bill, and the President
  can sign it into law, but the Supreme Court can
  interpret the law in a way different from what
  Congress intended.
• This system slows the process of making
  decisions which is good b/c it gives citizens
  time to learn about the issues. It also gives
  the government time to think about the effects of
  any new law.

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THE CONSTITUTION

• The Preamble states the purpose of establishing a
  new government under the Constitution.
• Article 1 establishes the Legislative Branch
  (law-making branch). This branch consists of a
  two-house Congress. The two houses are the
  Senate and House of Representatives.Section 8,
  Clause 18 of Article 1 is known as the Elastic
  Clause. The Elastic Clause gives Congress the
  power to pass legislation that is necessary and
  proper for doing its job. It allows Congress to
  stretch the meaning of its delegated powers
  outlined in Section 8, Clauses 1-17.

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THE CONSTITUTION

• Article 2 outlines the Executive Branch. It
  gives executive power to the President of the
  United States who is responsible for enforcing
  the laws passed by Congress.
• Article 3 explains the Judicial Branch. The
  judicial branch of the federal government is the
  federal court system. The Constitution
  establishes the Supreme Court which is
  responsible for interpreting the laws made by
  Congress.

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THE CONSTITUTION

• Article 4 gives the Relations Among the States
  and Between States and Federal Government. It
  ensures that each state recognizes the acts of
  other states. For example, a state must
  recognize a marriage license issued by another
  state.
• Article 5 provides for amendments to the
  Constitution.
• Article 6 covers other miscellaneous provisions
  like prior public debts, supreme law of the land,
  and oaths to support the Constitution.
• Article 7 explains ratification of the
  Constitution. Ratification of 9 out of the
  original 13 states would establish the
  Constitution as law in those states.

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RATIFYING THE CONSTITUTION

• The delegates of the Constitutional Convention
  were mostly pleased with the government described
  by the United States Constitution. However,
  before the Constitution became law, it had to be
  ratified, or approved, by the states.

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Supporters of the Constitution Federalists

• Federalists believed that the United States
  needed a strong national government.
• They recognized the weaknesses of the Articles of
  Confederation where individual states could
  reject national policy.
• Many prominent federalists such as James Madison,
  Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote a series
  of newspaper articles that became known as the
  Federalist Papers. They were written to persuade
  the people of New York State to support the
  Constitution.

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Opponents of the Constitution Anti-Federalists

• Anti-Federalists thought the national government
  would be too powerful and wanted more power for
  the states.
• They believe the method for electing the
  President and Senate was far too removed from the
  people.
• They opposed the longer terms of office outlined
  in the Constitution b/c longer terms of office
  might make representatives less responsive to
  voters.
• Argued that the Constitution lacked a specific
  bill of rights that protected individual
  liberties.

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• Despite all opposition, all states eventually
  ratified the Constitution in 1788.AMENDING
  THE CONSTITUTION
• Changes in the Constitution can be made through
  amendments. The writers of he Constitution
  recognized the need to amend the document in
  order to keep the government flexible and current
  as circumstances changed. Proposing an amendment
  to the Constitution requires a two-thirds
  majority vote in Congress or a special convention
  called by two-thirds of the state legislatures.
  The amendment must then be ratified by the
  legislatures of ¾ of the states or by a special
  convention.

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BILL OF RIGHTS

• Once the Constitution was ratified, Congress
  began working on changes to the Constitution to
  insure individual rights. Congress wrote ten
  amendments to the Constitution to insure basic
  rights and freedoms for American citizens. The
  first ten amendments are called The Bill of
  Rights.

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THE BILL OF RIGHTS

• 1. Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly,
  and petition
• 2. Right to keep arms-guns
• 3. Quartering of troops in homes only with
  peoples permission
• 4. Search and seizure- police need a warrant to
  search your home
• 5. Rights of accused persons- such as the right
  to remain silent and to have a lawyer
• 6. Right to a speedy trial
• 7. Right to a jury trial in civil cases
• 8. Rights concerning bail, fines, and punishments
• 9. Powers reserved to the people
• 10. Powers reserved to the states

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OTHER IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS

• 13TH Slavery is abolished in the United States
  and its territories (1865)
• 14th The Civil Rights of all people born or
  naturalized in the United States are guaranteed
  (1868)
• 15th All male citizens have the right to vote
  regardless of race or color (1870)
• 19th Women are guaranteed the right to vote
  (1920)

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THE FIRST GOVERNMENT UNDER THE CONSTITUTION

• The electoral college (a group of people
  representing each state) elected George
  Washington as the first President (1789-1797).
  President Washington appointed Thomas Jefferson,
  author of the Declaration of Independence, as
  Secretary of State, and Alexander Hamilton as
  Secretary of the Treasury. James Madison was a
  leader in the House of Representatives.
  Hamiltons goal was to build a strong economy,
  but he met with opposition in fulfilling his
  goals, especially from Madison.

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INTERPRETATION OF THE CONSTITUTION

• Alexander Hamilton favored a loose interpretation
  of the Constitution. He felt that the government
  had more powers than were actually listed in the
  Constitution. Supported a strong central
  national government.
• Thomas Jefferson favored a strict interpretation
  of the Constitution. He cited the 10th amendment
  which stated that powers not delegated to the
  federal government are reserved to the states or
  to the people. His literal interpretation of the
  Constitution meant that the national government
  only had the powers specifically listed in the
  Constitution. Jefferson supported states rights
  more.

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GEORGE WASHINGTONS FAREWELL ADDRESS.

• President Washington left office in 1797. In his
  farewell address he provided wise advice on
  several subjects.
• He emphasized that the United States should stay
  neutral and avoid permanent alliances with other
  nations.
• He spoke about the dangers of forming political
  parties. He warned that political parties would
  cause people to work for their special interests
  rather than for the public good.
• He believed that good government is based on
  religion and morality.

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FORMATION OF PARTIES

• Despite Washingtons warnings, political parties
  arose in the United States quickly after he left
  office. Alexander Hamilton led one party
  supporting a strong federal government. They
  called themselves Federalists. Thomas Jefferson
  led the opposing party supporting strong state
  governments. They called themselves
  Democratic-Republicans. Political parties helped
  people to united on common issues.

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• John Adams, a Federalist, became the second
  President of the United States in 1797. Adams
  appointed John Marshall, also a Federalist, as
  the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Marshall
  became one of the most influential people to hold
  that office. He established the supremacy of the
  national government over the states. His
  decisions showed that the Constitution could
  adapt to the changing size and needs of the
  nation.

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IMPORTANT COURT CASES

• MARBURY VS. MADISON 1803 John Marshall
  established the Supreme Courts right of Judicial
  Review. The court now had the right to declare
  whether laws passed by Congress were
  constitutional or not.
• GIBBONS VS. OGDEN 1824 the Supreme Court ruled
  that Congress alone had the power to regulate
  interstate and foreign commerce. This decision
  allowed the building of roads and canals to
  increase without the restrictions of state
  monopolies.