Foundations of American Government

The French and Indian war. It was a war between the French and the British. The war was over the lands in western Pennsylvania and Ohio. Great Britain eventually won the war in 1763. Since the French lost the war in America the American colonists did not need the British to protect them from the French.

The stamp act was Taxes that were put on American colonists. American colonists were required to pay a tax on every printed papper they used.

The Intolerable Acts were unacceptable laws that Great Britian placed on the thirteen colonies. The Intolerable Acts started due to the Boston Tea party.

The First Continental Congress. It was the relationship between the 13 colonies and Great Britain. The colonial leaders Patrick Henry , Samuel Adams , Richard Henry Lee , George Washington all attended a meeting except for Georgia. They debated what to do about there relationship with Great Britain. Then They came to an agreement where they would not trade with Great Britain. They also agreed not to use British goods.

The Second Continental Congress. It helped American get its independence. That means it guided the 13 colonies through the war. The Second Continental Congress got supplies , negotiated treaties. It acted as a government to the 13 colonies.

Thomas Paine challenged the British government and the royal monarchy. Thomas Pain spoke out to the American people about being ruled by Great Britain.

The Declaration of independence is how America was formed.It was also a formal explanation of why the 13 colonies wanted their indenpendece from Great Britain.

Shay's Rebellion was made up of pour farmers who were feeling the affects of there high debt and high taxes. The rebellion was led by Daniel Shay who was a veteran of the American Revolution.

The Three Fifths Compromise. It was a disagreement over how many representatives to put in each state that would have a house. The founding fathers argeed that if the states want to include the slaves they could only get 3/5 of the slaves. The States wanted to do this because they would get more people in there house to represent them.

The consitutional Convention was a model of the U.S constitution. It stated how the united states would be governed.

The Northwest ordinace was a territory. It described what states would be included in that territory. Also it included how the territory would be organized.

The Connecticut Compromise meant that large and small states would be equally represented.

The Ratification of the Constitution. This is when the citizens accept what the constitution is. What that means is, it served as the adoption of the Constitution.

The New Jersey plan was a proposal by William Paterson of how the structure of the united states goverment would be. This proposal was at the constitutional Convention.

The Virginia Plan was a proposal submitted by James Madison to the Philadelphia convention as to how goverment should be structured.