Unit Two: America is Independence

COLONIAL SOCIETY

OBJECTIVES:
Identify the peoples that immigrated to the English colonies of North America.
Describe colonial society.
Identify the regions of the English colonies.
Tell how the colonies of each region differed from one another politically, economically, and socially.
Identify the factors that united the English colonists.
Identify the read bar and circle graphs.
Recognize and read economic maps.
Interpret points of view.
Trace routes on a map.
Select features appropriate to a map's theme.

I. PEOPLE OF THE ENGLISH COLONIES
A. Various people in the English colonies came from England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Finland, France, and countries of west Africa.
B. The people of different national backgrounds settled in respective colonies: English settled along the Atlantic coast, Scots in Pennsylvania and the Appalachians, Germans in Pennsylvania, Dutch in New York, Swedes and Finns in the Delaware Valley, and Africans and French throughout the colonies.
C. The blacks' trip to the New World differed from that of whites in that slave ships were greatly crowded, slaves were poorly fed, and thousands died.

II. LIFE IN THE ENGLISH COLONIES
A. Land was the economic base of colonial America.
B. Cities were important to colonial America as centers of trade.
C. Indentured servants and slaves were important in the English colonies as they provided a large work force.
D. The family was the cornerstone of colonial society.
E. Religion was one of the important influences on colonial life.

III. REGIONS IN THE COLONIES
A. Geographic regions of the colonies were different from one another in climate, soil, land formation, political system, economic system, and social patterns.
B. Early colleges established in each region during colonial times include: Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth established in New England; the College of New Jersey (Princeton), Philadelphia College (University of Pennsylvania), Columbia, and Rutgers in the Middle Colonies; William and Mary in the Southern Colonies.
C. Colonial products in demand in England were tobacco, rice, and indigo.
D. Southern planters were able to make large profits because they did not pay the slaves.
E. Life on the frontier was rugged, with no luxuries, manners, or fancy clothes. Settlers lived isolated lives and supplied their own material, educational, and spiritual needs.

IV. FROM CONFLICT TO UNITY
A. There was conflict between Indians and colonists because the settlers were taking Indian land.
B. Differences developed between the colonies and the king of England include: English government set up stricter regulations on the colonies. Colonial business leaders looked for ways to avoid them.
C. Mercantilism affected the colonies as it hurt the economy, but created colonial monopolies on the sale of tobacco, rice, and indigo.
D. The colonial governors and the king rejected Benjamin Franklin's Plan of Union because neither wished to give up or share power.
E. The results of the Treaty of Paris after the French and Indian War were: Britain received Canada and the lands east of the Mississippi River from France, and Florida from Spain.

WINNING FREEDOM

OBJECTIVES:
Describe British colonial policies after 1763.
Order the events that led to the American Revolution.
Discuss the Declaration of Independence.
Name major American and British leaders during the American Revolution.
Identify the major events of the American Revolution.
List the changes brought about by the American Revolution.
Recognize primary and secondary sources.
Read military maps.
Compare regional maps.

I. THE ROAD TO REBELLION
A. The British placed restrictions of Western movement, trade, and manufacturing on the colonies after 1763.
B. The colonists objected British taxes as they felt the British actions were improper and illegal and an attempt to ruin the colonial economy.
C. Colonists favored direct representation because they believed they were not represented by virtual representation.
D. Patriots tarred and feathered loyalist who did not support the boycott of British goods.
E. Events that led to the outbreak of war include an attempt by English soldiers to seize the patriots' military supplies and resulted in fighting with minutemen at Lexington and Concord.

II. WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
A. The commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution was George Washington.
B. The Battle of Saratoga was important to Americans because it brought France into the war on the side of the colonies.
C. The part women played in the American Revolution: some women served in the Continental Army; others cooked and cared for the ill near battlefields; most remained at home to run farms and businesses.
D. The last major battle that took place during the American Revolution was Yorktown.
E. The Treaty of Paris of 1783 ended the war between the colonies and Great Britain and established American Independence.

III. THE MEANING OF FREEDOM
A. Americans limited the authority of new state governments created during the war because of fear of limitless authority.
B. The American Revolution had no effect on rights of women.
C. Many slaves fought in the war, but few benefited from the American Revolution.
D. Economic problems the government faced after the war for Independence include: it was in debt to its allies, and an abundance of printed money lowered the value of money already in use.

FORMING A UNION

OBJECTIVES:
Identify the accomplishments of the government under the Articles of Confederation.
Describe the major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Identify the compromises made in the creation of the Constitution.
Distinguish between the views of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
Tell how the struggle over ratifying the Constitution was resolved.
Read historical maps.
Analyze historical primary sources.

I. THE PERIOD OF CONFEDERATION
A. The Articles of Confederation was the name of the plan for governing the colonies and was drawn up in 1777.
B. The two major accomplishments of the Congress of the Confederation were the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
C. Great Britain broke the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1783 by stationing forts in the Northwest Territory.
D. Each state controlled its own trade.
E. The basic cause of Shay's Rebellion was state tax laws.

II. MAKING A CONSTITUTION
A. States that sent delegates to the meeting in Philadelphia were all states except Rhode Island.
B. The Virginia Plan differed from the New Jersey Plan in that the Virginia Plan called for representation based on size; the New Jersey Plan called for equal representation for all states.
C. The Great Compromise settled the issue of representation by establishing two houses of congress, combining parts of the Virginia and New Jersey Plans.
D. The Three-fifths Compromise stated three-fifths of the number of slaves would be counted to determine representation and taxation.
E. Protection provided in the Constitution for the slave trade was Congress could not interfere with the slave trade for 20 years.
F. Nine states had to ratify the Constitution before it went into effect.

III. STRUGGLE FOR RATIFICATION
A. Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution because they wanted to keep their liberties and the rights of the states more secure-a weak central government seemed safer to them.
B. Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, George Mason, and George Clinton were some of the Anti-Federalists who had been strong supporters of American independence.
C. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay were some of the Federalists who had been strong supporters of American independence.
D. The purpose of The Federalist Papers was to express support for the Constitution.
E. The first ten amendments are included in the Bill of Rights.

THE CONSTITUTION

OBJECTIVES:
List the basic principles upon which the American political system rests.
Identify principles other than the basic ones that relate to the Constitution.
Name the branches of the United States government.
Identify the powers delegated to each branch of government under the Constitution.
Describe the system of checks and balances.
List the powers of federal and state government under the Constitution.
Describe the methods for changing the Constitution.
Read diagrams, including organizational diagrams and flowcharts.

I. BASIC PRINCIPLES
A. The purpose of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States is to state the general goals of the system of government set up under the Constitution.
B. The sources of the Constitution are popular sovereignty, limited government, federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances.
C. Popular sovereignty and limited government are related. Popular sovereignty suggests that power rests with the people. It follows that the people give government only those powers they wish it to have.
D. The principles of separation of powers and checks and balances are related because checks and balances works because powers are separated among the three branches of government. Each checks and balances the other.

II. OTHER PRINCIPLES
A. The judicial branch has the power of judicial review.
B. National law is considered supreme over state law.
C. Civilian authority is stronger than military authority under the Constitution.
D. The obligation of the majority is to respect and protect the rights of the minority.

III. BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
A. The most important duty of government is to make the people's will into public policy by means of law.
B. The Senate and House of Representatives are the two houses that form Congress.
C. To qualify members of the House must be at least 25 years old, citizens of the United States for 7 years, and residents of the states from which they were elected. Senators must be at least 30 years old, citizens for 9 years, and residents of the states from which they were elected.
D. The Electoral College elects the President of the United States.
E. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States.
F.The term of office for a federal judge is they are appointed for life.

IV. DIVISIONS OF POWERS
A. Three kinds of delegated powers given to the federal government under the Constitution are: expressed, implied, and inherent powers.
B. "Police powers" are used to protect the well-being of individuals.
C. Powers held by both the federal government and the state governments are shared or concurrent powers, such as the powers to tax, to try accused criminals, and to provide money to build roads.
D. Powers held only by the state governments are reserved powers, such as the power to set up rules for the operation of schools.

V. THE CHANGING CONSTITUTION
A. It is necessary to change the Constitution as changing interpretations and changes in society resulting from new knowledge and new social and economic developments may make it necessary to change the Constitution.
B. The Twelfth Amendment altered the Electoral College system.
C. The role of the Supreme Court in changing the Constitution of the United States is to interpret the Constitution and to decide if laws or other acts are constitutional.

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