Virginia SOL Virginia and US History test: important concepts: Difference between revisions

Virginia SOL Virginia and US History test: important concepts (view source)

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 ** as part of the treaty, the U.S. took all British lands between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River
 *** this greatly expanded the size of the new country
+=== Founding Documents ===
+* during the American Revolution, between 1763 and 1791, a series of important documents were issued
+** these documents importantly:
+*** stated the rights of the people and the theories behind them
+*** stated and justified the causes and reason for American independence and self-government
+**** ("self-government" = ruling themselves as opposed to being colonies ruled by the British Parliament and the King of England
+*** established the rules and laws of the "'''union'''" of states as the "United States of America"
+{| class="wikitable"
+|+Founding Documents
+!Document & Date
+!Purpose
+!Impact
+|-
+|Thomas Paine's "Common Sense", 1775
+|
+* declared equality of men
+* denied the need for a king
+|
+* convinced the people that the colonies should declare independence from England
+* led to the '''Declaration of Independence'''
+|-
+|'''Virginia Declaration of Rights, 1776'''
+|
+* issued about 1 month before the '''Declaration of Independence'''
+* stated that
+** all men (people) are born equal
+** citizens have fundamental rights and protections against government abuse
+** government must be limited in its powers
+** government must have the "consent" (permission) of the people
+|
+* drafted principally by '''George Mason''' of Virginia
+* the Declaration of Rights influenced the text of the '''Declaration of Independence'''
+* the Declaration of Rights was adopted as part of the Virginia Constitution in 1830 (Article I)
+* The Declaration of Rights influenced:
+** the '''Declaration of Independence'''
+** the '''U.S. Constitution'''
+** the '''Bill of Rights'''
+|-
+|'''Declaration of Independence, 1776'''
+|
+* declared "independence" of the American states from England, including from rule by the English King
+|
+* drafted principally by '''Thomas Jefferson'''
+* justified the American Revolution and War
+* laid out the reasons for declaring independence, especially the abuses committed by the government of England
+* gave philosophical reasons for breaking from rule by the Kind
+* declared the "'''all men are created equal'''"
+* declared that government must have the consent of the people
+|-
+|'''Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 1777'''
+|
+* guaranteed the freedom of religion in Virginia
+|
+* draft by '''Thomas Jefferson''' of Virginia
+* the Statute for Religious Freedom directly influenced the 1st Amendment of the '''Bill of Rights'''
+|-
+|'''Articles of Confederation of the United States, 1783'''
+|
+* created the first, formal national government of the Union of the United States of America
+* the Articles of Confederation gave some powers to the new government
+* but the states kept most of the powers to themselves
+|
+* created a union of the 13 new states (former colonies)
+* created a weak government that was unable to effectively manage many issues and problems
+* therefore, in 1787, the states sent delegates to the '''Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia''' to draft a new "constitution"
+|-
+|'''United States Constitution, 1789'''
+|
+* created a new central government for the "United States of America"
+** (replacing the Articles of Confederation)
+* gave many powers to the "federal" (central) government
+|
+* the working and ideas in the Constitution were heavily influenced by '''James Madison''' of Virginia
+|-
+|Federalist Papers, 1788-89
+|
+|
+|-
+|'''Bill of Rights, 1791'''
+|
+* The Bill or Rights are the first ten amendments to the '''US Constitution'''
+* explicitly protected rights of citizens by protecting them from abuse by the new federal government abuse
+**
+|
+* drafted by '''James Madison''' of Virginia
+* '''1st Amendment: speech, press, religion, assembly & petition''' (asking the government for something)
+* 2nd Amendment: right to bear arms
+* 4th-8th Amendments: legal and personal protections against government abuse
+|}
 === US Constitution ===