FALL SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW
Answer the following on a separate sheet of paper.
UNIT 1: Constitution
1. Define the 7 Principles of the Constitution - popular sovereignty, republicanism, limited
government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, individual rights - and
understand how they are applied to our system of government.
Popular sovereignty – political power comes from the people
Republicanism – government of elected representatives
Limited government – government by rule of law
Separation of powers – power divided among 3 branches: legislative, executive, judicial
Checks and balances – branches have powers (checks) over others to balance branches
Federalism – shared powers between national (federal) and state governments
Individual rights – personal rights and freedoms
2. Summarize the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
1st – RAPPS (see #4)
2nd – right to bear arms (guns)
3rd – no forced quartering of soldiers in peacetime
4th – no unreasonable search and seizure
5th – indictment, right to silence, no double jeopardy, private property
6th – speedy trial by jury of peers, right to counsel
7th – jury trial in civil cases
8th – no excessive fines or cruel punishment
9th – people have rights not listed in Constitution
10th – states’ rights
3. What is due process? What are the due process amendments in the Bill of Rights?
Rights and protections of the accused – must follow or case can be dismissed. 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th,
and 8th Amendments.
4. Describe the 5 Freedoms found in the 1st Amendment.
Religion – free exercise and no established state religion
Assembly – right to gather and assemble
Press – freedom to read and write news without censorship
Petition – right to express opinions to leaders
Speech – freedom to say what we think (within certain limits)
5. What are some of the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship?
Rights – voting, education, participation in public affairs
Responsibilities – taxes, jury duty, obey laws, be informed before voting
UNIT 2: Colonization
6. Why are 1607 and 1620 important dates in American history?
1607 – founding of Jamestown, first permanent English settlement in North America
1620 – Plymouth, MA founded by Pilgrims fleeing England for religious freedom
7. Explain the different reasons why Europeans colonized North America, especially those from
England.
Gold – seeking economic opportunity and profits for king and country
Glory – military leaders and governors made reputations in England
God – seeking religious freedom (Puritans, Pilgrims) or missionary work
8. How did the Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and
English Bill of Rights each influence English colonial governments?
Magna Carta (1215) – established precedent of limited government
Mayflower Compact (1620) – stated intent for self-government of colony
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639) – written constitution with separation of church
and state
English Bill of Rights (1689) – listed rights of citizens, influenced Bill of Rights
9. Describe the differences between the three colonial regions in economy, culture, and religion.
New England – Cold with rocky soil; timber, fishing, shipbuilding, trade; strict Puritan
religion, small farms, little diversity
Middle Colonies – moderate weather, good soil; grain farms (Breadbasket), iron works, large
cities; diverse culture and religious tolerance – English, Swedish, Dutch, German, Irish,
Quakers
Southern Colonies – warm weather, good soil; large plantations, cash crops, few large cities,
slave labor; Anglican church, wealthy lived like English nobles
UNIT 3: Revolutionary Era
10. Define “mercantilism” and explain how Britain used the colonies for economic gain.
Economic philosophy that national power comes from favorable trade. Britain established
colonies for:
Natural resources – gold, metals, or agricultural products
Markets – sold manufactured goods to colonists
Limited trade – forced colonies to trade only with Britain
Taxes – passed taxes on colonies to pay for French & Indian War debts
11. How did the Proclamation of 1763 lead to conflict between Britain and the colonies?
After gaining western territories from French, British established forts to prevent war
between Natives and colonists. Costs for these were passed to colonies through tax bills
(Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts).
12. Why did the colonists reject British taxes such as the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts?
The colonies had no voting members in Parliament. Colonists rejected taxes passed on them
without representation (James Otis: “Taxation without representation is tyranny!”).
13. What was the importance of the pamphlet Common Sense in American independence?
Paine used plain language and logic to persuade colonists undecided about independence to
support the patriot side.
14. Why is the year 1776 an important date in American history?
Thomas Jefferson wrote and Congress ratified Declaration of Independence on July 4.
15. Define “unalienable rights” and summarize why Jefferson wrote the Declaration of
Independence.
Unalienable rights – natural rights given all persons at birth; Jefferson listed “life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness”
3 goals of the Declaration:
Define America’s right to self-government
List grievances against King George
Announce America’s independence to the world
16. Explain the importance of the following events in the American Revolution: Battle of Lexington
& Concord, Battle of Saratoga, winter at Valley Forge, Battle of Yorktown, and Treaty of
Paris.
Lexington & Concord – first battle between British and colonial militia, war begins
Saratoga – American victory convinced France and Spain to ally with Americans
Valley Forge – hardships and harsh winter costs ¼ of Continental Army
Yorktown – Cornwallis trapped and forced to surrender, last battle of Revolution
Treaty of Paris – Britain recognizes U.S. independence, U.S. extends to Mississippi River
17. Explain the importance of foreign allies to the American fight for independence.
After Saratoga, France and Spain provided military and financial aid to American side. French
navy and army helped trap Cornwallis at Yorktown. Von Steuben brought his experience in
German military to train Washington’s troops at Valley Forge, and LaFayette served under
Washington and provided aid from France.
UNIT 4: Confederation to Constitution
18. What was the main goal for the 1785 Land Ordinance and the 1787 Northwest Ordinance?
To settle the Northwest Territory and organize it politically into states.
19. Describe the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation. Why
was the government set up this way?
Articles created a weak national government that depended on the states for financial
support. No powers to tax, create courts, control trade or currency. After years of British
tyranny, they wanted to leave most powers with the states.
20. How did Shays’ Rebellion affect the Articles of Confederation government?
Shays’ Rebellion exposed the ineffectiveness of the Confederation to manage and protect the
country, resulting in the Constitutional Convention in 1787 to revise the articles that instead
created the current federal republic.
21. Explain the Great Compromise and the issue it attempted to solve.
The Great Compromise addressed how to represent states with different populations fairly.
House of Representatives based on population, while all states have equal representation in
the Senate.
22. Why was compromise necessary in writing the Constitution?
The states all had different economies, populations, and geographic factors, so they had
different interests and needs from the government. Compromises over representation,
slavery, and taxes were necessary to get enough delegates to support the Constitution.
23. Why did the Framers create a process for amending the Constitution? Describe the 2-step
process for passing a constitutional amendment.
The Framers knew (or hoped) that the U.S. would continue to grow and change, and the
Constitution had to be flexible to adapt to these changes. No one claimed the Constitution
was perfect, and the amendment process helped solve flaws in the original (such as 12 th
Amendment for presidential elections).
Step 1: Proposed by 2/3 of Congress or delegates in state convention
Step 2: Ratified by ¾ of state legislatures or state convention
24. Summarize the arguments of the Anti-Federalists in opposing the Constitution as written.
 President would become a dictator, wouldn’t willingly give up power
 Congress should be most powerful branch
 States should maintain most important powers – national government can’t represent
everyone fairly
 Needs a bill of rights to protect individual freedoms
UNIT 5: Early Republic
25. Define “precedent” and its importance to the Early Republic government.
Precedent is a first example that sets the standard for the future. The Early Republic
government was setting precedents in its actions, so they needed to make wise decisions.
26. Why was the Whiskey Rebellion an important event in Washington’s presidency?
President Washington’s actions to end the rebellion quickly showed that the new government
would act strongly, unlike the Confederation had in Shays’ Rebellion.
27. Describe Hamilton’s 3-step plan for developing the U.S. economy in the 1790s.
Step 1: Federal government would assume war debts of the states
Step 2: Establish a national bank to encourage industry and business
Step3: Set protective tariffs to encourage purchase of American-made products
28. Summarize the differences between the Federalist and Democratic-Republican Parties.
Federalists:
Democratic-Republicans
Led by Hamilton
Led by Jefferson
Supported by Northern big business
supported by Southern farmers, small business
Strong government to help business
small government, leave business alone
Industry and manufacturing
agriculture
National bank
National bank unconstitutional
Loose Constitution –“ elastic clause”
Strict Constitution – literal reading
Favored Britain
favored France
The “Best People”
the “Noble Farmer”
29. Explain the influence of John Marshall’s Supreme Court on the U.S. government.
In 34 years as chief justice, Marshall’s court set precedent cases that strengthened federal
power over the states.
30. Define “judicial review” and its effect on the other branches of government.
Judicial review – the judicial branch interprets the law according to the Constitution, and laws
that violate it are unconstitutional and removed. This gives judicial branch a check over
executive and legislative branches if their acts violate the Constitution.
31. Summarize the importance of these precedent cases: Marbury v. Madison, McColloch v.
Maryland, and Gibbons v. Ogden.
Marbury v. Madison – set precedent of judicial review
McColloch v. Maryland – states can’t tax the federal government
Gibbons v. Ogden – federal government controls interstate commerce