Civic Literacy Test Preparation
Basics of U.S. History
Colonial Period — 13 Original Colonies
In the 1600s, groups of people came from Great Britain to the new land and established these 13
colonies:
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Viriginia
North Carolina
South Caroline
Georgia
Colonial Period
Colonists came to America for three reasons:
Religious freedom
To escape persecution
Political freedom and economic opportunity
Mayflower Compact — established self-government (1690s)
When the colonists came to America, they created the Mayflower
Compact to try to create some type of self government
however, it didn’t hold a large amount of water because
they were still bound to the rules of the mother country in
Great Britain
this is what led the colonists to want to declare
their independence
After about 100 years of British rule in the new world, the colonists started to be upset due to being
bound by rules of people. still getting taxed, and having no representation
Revolutionary War — Began in 1775
Fire Continental Congress met (before war)
, Fought the British because of high taxes (taxation without representation), the British army
stayed in their houses (quartering), because they wanted self-government
Quartering: Housing British soldiers by force
3rd Amendment prohibits this
Not everyone wanted to break from Britain
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense
encouraged colonies to fight for egalitarian government and break from British
rule
simpler: he used this to try to convince the colonists to declare independence
Declaring Independence
July 4, 1776
The Second Continental Congress voted to accept the Declaration of Independence which
announced our independence from Great Britain
Ideas about American System of government:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” and have “certain
unalienable rights;” government is created to protect these rights
All are born with these rights (“endowed by their creator”)
Rights in the Declaration of Independence includes rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Thomas Jefferson — main author
John Hancock’s signature was an important one
55 people signed
Founding of the U.S.
Articles of Confederation: original plan for government of the U.S.
did not have a strong national government
established the functions of the national government of the U.S. after declaring
independence from Great Britain
First U.S. Constitution — 1789
Weak central government, most power belonged to states
it was hard to build a nation when there was nothing holding it
together
Colonists were afraid to give central (federal) government too much power
The U.S. Constitution
Supreme law of the land: written in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
Got rid of the Articles of Confederation and made this new document
Accepted in 1789
Establishes a representative democracy
closest illustration of representative democracy
House of Representatives: most representative part of our democracy
Lists fundamental rights for all citizens AND people living in the U.S.
Basics of U.S. History
Colonial Period — 13 Original Colonies
In the 1600s, groups of people came from Great Britain to the new land and established these 13
colonies:
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Viriginia
North Carolina
South Caroline
Georgia
Colonial Period
Colonists came to America for three reasons:
Religious freedom
To escape persecution
Political freedom and economic opportunity
Mayflower Compact — established self-government (1690s)
When the colonists came to America, they created the Mayflower
Compact to try to create some type of self government
however, it didn’t hold a large amount of water because
they were still bound to the rules of the mother country in
Great Britain
this is what led the colonists to want to declare
their independence
After about 100 years of British rule in the new world, the colonists started to be upset due to being
bound by rules of people. still getting taxed, and having no representation
Revolutionary War — Began in 1775
Fire Continental Congress met (before war)
, Fought the British because of high taxes (taxation without representation), the British army
stayed in their houses (quartering), because they wanted self-government
Quartering: Housing British soldiers by force
3rd Amendment prohibits this
Not everyone wanted to break from Britain
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense
encouraged colonies to fight for egalitarian government and break from British
rule
simpler: he used this to try to convince the colonists to declare independence
Declaring Independence
July 4, 1776
The Second Continental Congress voted to accept the Declaration of Independence which
announced our independence from Great Britain
Ideas about American System of government:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” and have “certain
unalienable rights;” government is created to protect these rights
All are born with these rights (“endowed by their creator”)
Rights in the Declaration of Independence includes rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Thomas Jefferson — main author
John Hancock’s signature was an important one
55 people signed
Founding of the U.S.
Articles of Confederation: original plan for government of the U.S.
did not have a strong national government
established the functions of the national government of the U.S. after declaring
independence from Great Britain
First U.S. Constitution — 1789
Weak central government, most power belonged to states
it was hard to build a nation when there was nothing holding it
together
Colonists were afraid to give central (federal) government too much power
The U.S. Constitution
Supreme law of the land: written in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
Got rid of the Articles of Confederation and made this new document
Accepted in 1789
Establishes a representative democracy
closest illustration of representative democracy
House of Representatives: most representative part of our democracy
Lists fundamental rights for all citizens AND people living in the U.S.
