Politics & Citizenship 2

Andrew Abrahamson

1 November 2013

Period 6

APUSH Theme Review

 

Politics and Citizenship

 

  • Virginia Company charter is the document gave the rights of an Englishman to American settlers. These rights reinforced their English sentiment of citizenship.
  • Bacon’s Rebellion is the uprising of former and current indentured servants to gain a voice in their government. This led to the increase of slave labor and the decline of indentured servitude.
  • Declaratory Act is a law passed by parliament that gives the King the right to nullify any law passed by the colonial legislature. This was largely a political move to stop the self government of the colonists and make them autonomous.
  • Common Sense is published in 1776 and is written by Paine. Paine lists the natural rights of its citizens and calls upon the ideals of republicanism, the power coming from the people.
  • Declaration of Independence is the document that formalized the separation of the colonies from Britain. It called to the natural rights of citizens and the injustices committed by King George.
  • Treaty of Paris of 1783 is the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War. Britain was forced to give their land west of the Appalachians to the Americans and Britain recognizes the independence of America. In turn, America could not persecute loyalists.
  • Articles of the Confederation are ratified in 1781 to formalize the American government. They were overall ineffective because the government could not enforce the taxes and the individual States had too much power. However one lasting impression was the Land Ordinance of 1785.
  • Ratification of the Constitution in 1789 reformed the government and separated the powers of the government. It strengthened the national government and weakened the state’s power. Slaves are considered 3/5 of a person to appease the southern States.
  • The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791 to please the anti-federalists because the Constitution does explicitly state the rights of the citizens.
  • Bank of the United States is founded in 1791 a Hamiltonian measure. It marks the time in which politics becomes a two political party system. Hamiltonians and Jeffersonian.