The Constitution

If there is one thing that keeps America together it is the shared beliefs that the founding fathers outlined in the Constitution. Despite drastic changes in technology and population, liberty, freedom, and justice remain common bonds across many religions, ethnicities and ways of life. The Constitution was a product of three things: History, Struggle and Compromise. The Enlightenment, a time when man's ability to reason was championed, hit the American shore at a time when colonial discontent with England and its king was at high tide. The resulting struggle, a war between a disorganized band of men and the most powerful empire on earth, took surprising turns as the Americans lived the words of Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty or give me death." After trying first to survive as a confederation of states, they soon realized something better would be needed. Small states argued with large ones and Federalists argued with Anti-federalists. In the end, compromise produced a document that still today guides the most fundamental discussions regarding everyday life in America.


Fitting the colonists definition of a tyrant, King George III of England considered the colonies in America a necessary evil. They were a wealth of raw materials an resources, but increasing tensions across 4,000 miles of ocean was getting more and more difficult to manage.	This flag, originally designed by Ben Franklin to promote the Albany Plan of Union, was used as a universal symbol of unity in both the revolution and during ratification of the new constitution.	Though known more for his historic horse ride, Paul Revere's impact on revolution and independence stems more from his art. The engraving at left, The Bloody Massacre, depicts the events in Boston that culminated with British soldiers shooting and killing colonists. The bias nature of the work stirred emotions, helping build momentum for change.

A memorable act of rebellion on the road to revolution was the Boston Tea Party. Depicted on the stamp at right, the event seems comical, but the colonists were deadly serious.	One key framer of the constitution was Thomas Jefferson. His beliefs in John Locke's theories of natural, unalienable rights are at the core of our beliefs regarding the relationship between the government and the governed.

Chapter 3.1	Chapter 4
Know the economic relationship between America and England;	See The Revolutionary War in Nine Questions
How English legislation strangled colonial commerce;
What is salutary neglect and how did it fuel thoughts of independence?
Chapter 5
Section One	Section Two
Why did a confederation form?	Big states vs. Small states - compromise!
What weaknesses did it have?	Slave state vs. Free state - compromise!
What problems could NOT be solved?	Division of Powers, Checks and Balances
Section Three
Distinguish between a Federalist and Anti-Federalist;
Why was the Bill of Rights so crucial to ratification?
Know what basic rights the 1st 10 amendments grant