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| Who wrote this quote and in which document is it found? "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." |
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Definition
| Thomas Jefferson wrote this quote, which is found in the Declaration of Independence. |
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| What document, approved by the Second Continental Congress, explained the colonists' reasons for breaking away from England and King George III? |
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Definition
| Declaration of Independence |
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| The Declaration of Independence can be divided into three main sections. One asserts the basic rights of people. Another announces the colonists' desire for independence from England. What was in the third section? |
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Definition
| A list of wrongdoings by the King and Parliament |
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| The phrase "place your John Hancock here" comes from what historical event? |
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Definition
| The signing of the Declaration of Independence |
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| The Second Constitutional Congress was relectant to set up a strong central government when they designed the Articles of Confederation. Why? |
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Definition
| Living under British rule made them reluctant to have a strong central government. |
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| True or False: Under the Articles of Confederation, the government had a federal court system that could settle disputes. |
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| Benjamin Franklin at age 81 was the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention. How many delegates met that hot summer of 1787 to devise the Constitution that still remains in effect over 200 years later? |
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| Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies came to Philadelphia to attend the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Which colony did not send a delegate? |
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| At the Constitutional Convention in 1787 the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey plan were proposed as solutions to what issue? |
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Definition
| The number of representatives from each state. |
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| How long did it take James Madison and other delegates at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 to invent the structure of the U.S. government, including its Congress, presidency, and federal court system? |
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| During the Constitutional Convention, what did Roger Sherman of Connecticut suggest as a way to settle the dispute over the number of representatives each state could have in Congress? |
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| Framers of the Constitution wanted to create a cohesive central government without giving too much power to any man or entity. True or false: The new Constitution allows the president to impeach members of Congress. |
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| Ideas from Europe helped the framers with ideas for writing the Constitution. Name three. |
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Definition
| John Locke's idea that people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property. Baron de Montesquieu's idea of three parts of government and separation of power. The Magna Carta, which limited the power of the king. |
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Term
| The quote beginning with "We the people..." is in what part of the Constitution? |
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Definition
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| In the preamble to the Constitution, what do the words "We the people of the United States" mean? |
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Definition
| The power of the government comes from the people. |
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Term
| In an effort to gain approval for the strong national government proposed in the Constitution, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in 1787 wrote 85 essays that were published in New York State newspapers. What were these convincing essays called? |
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| What was the Antifederalists main argument against the Constitution? |
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Definition
| The Antifederalists wanted a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. They had just fought a revolution to protect their rights and wanted their rights outlined, not forgotten. |
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| What did Thomas Jefferson and George MAson insist be written into the constitution to protect people's freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition? |
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Definition
| People's freedoms and rights needed to be preserved on a federal level, even though many states had them outlined in their state constitutions. They wanted a Bill of Rights written into the Constitution in the form of amendments. |
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Term
| Before the Constitution could become effective what needed to occur? |
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Definition
| Nine out of the existing 13 colonies needed to approve it. |
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Term
| Why was the Electoral College devised? |
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Definition
| News traveled slowly in the 1700s so people may not know the candidates. Fear that the president, if elected directly by the people, would become too independent of Congress. Electors could meet every four years and be well-informed regarding the candidates and government. |
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Term
| The first 10 amendments to the Constitution affect how you live every day and protect the people against government. What do we call these 462 words and who wrote them? |
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Definition
| James Madison helped write the Bill of Rights. |
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Term
| The right to a fair trial is addressed in which Amendment? |
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| The First Amendment to the Constitution deals with certain freedoms, whereas the next three resulted from the colonists' struggle with Britain. Name the three that were a result of this struggle. |
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Definition
| The Militia can have guns. You don't have to house soldiers. You can't be searched without a warrant. |
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Term
| Some people plea this amendment when they are asked to testify against themselves. Which Constitutional amendment outlines the rights of people accused of crimes? |
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Definition
| The Fifth Amendment details the rights of the accused. |
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Term
| Have the first 10 amendments ever been changed (or amended)? |
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Term
| True of false? The powers not given to the federal government belong to the states- and are not outlined in the Constitution. |
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Term
| True or false? The Constitution orginally called for the presidential candidate with the most electoral votes to become president while the runner-up would become vice president. |
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| Prior to the Twelfth Amendment, the pwerson with the majority of electoral votes became president while the runner-up became vice president. With this system, which presidential election caused the president and vice president to be from two different political parties? |
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Definition
| In 1797, John Adams, a Federalist, became the second president. Thomas Jefferson, a rival Democratic-Republican or Antifederalist, became Adams's vice president. |
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Term
| The Thirteenth Amendment had a dramatic effect on the lives of many people. What does this amendment do? |
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| The Fourteenth Amendment outlines the rights of citizens. There are three ways to become a citizen. The first way is to be born in the U.S. or its territories. The second is to be born to American parents in another country. What is the third way? |
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Definition
| Become naturalized citizens |
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| The quote "All men are created equal" did not include women and African Americans. Originally neither had the privilege to vote in America. Who received the vote first? |
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Definition
| African Americans received the privilege to vote first in 1870. |
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Term
| Congress passed the Twenty-Second Amendment after lawmakers were uncomfortable with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's what? |
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Definition
| serving as president more than two terms |
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Term
| If you lived in Washington, D.C., in the 1950's would you have been able to vote in a presidential election? |
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Definition
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Term
| The legal age at which U.S. citizens could vote changed from what age to 18? |
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Term
| Of the 33 amendments that have been considered in an effort to change the Constitution, how many have passed. |
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| There have been more than 10,000 proposals to amend the Constitution. Only 33 have received the necessary votes from the House of Representatives and Senate to even be considered for ratification. What fraction of votes are needed in the House and in the Senate to approve an amendment for passage by the states? |
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| Is having morals a qualification to becoming president? |
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| True of false: The qualifications to becoming president are being a natural born citizen, being at least 35 years of age, and living in the u.S. at least 14 years. |
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Term
| Can a bill become law without the president's approval or signature? |
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| The president can send troops anywhere he desires without the approval of Congress, but only for how much time? |
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Definition
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Term
| The number of senators plus the number of representatives in the House equals what? |
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Definition
| The number of electors a state has in the the electoral College |
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Term
| If there is a tie vote in the Senate, who gets to cast the deciding vote? |
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| Naturalized U.S. citizens must be at least 18 years old, speak and write English, and pass a history and U.S. government test. What else must they do? |
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Definition
| They have to live in the U.S. at least 5 years, be of good moral character and take an oath of allegiance to be loyal to the United States. |
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Term
| True or false: Owning property is required to be a responsible U.S. citizen? |
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| When a person obtains this document, he or she is considered "on record" as being a U.S. citizen. What is the name of the document? |
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| What is used as the primary identifier of U.S. citizens? |
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| True or false: People who are convicted of a felony (major) crime and sentenced to imprisonment or on parole cannot vote until they serve their time or are discharged. |
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| A government that is controlled by the pwople through elected representatives is called what? |
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Term
| Name the four presidents carved into Mt. Rushmore. |
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Definition
| Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln |
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Term
| Four presidents have monuments in Washington, D.C. They are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and which 20th century president? |
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Definition
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| Four presidents have monuments in Washington, D.C. They are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and which 20th century president? |
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