After its approval by the convention, the Constitution still had to be ratified by the states.
CIVICS TODAY TEXTBOOK CHAPTER 1 SERIES
Through a series of compromises the delegates were able to agree on the important points of the new plan.
CIVICS TODAY TEXTBOOK CHAPTER 1 HOW TO
Disagreements arose over representation in Congress, taxation, how to calculate population, trade, and other important matters. The fifty-five men who met in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention quickly decided to write a completely new plan of government. This time, delegates were to revise the Articles of Confederation.Ĭhapter 3: The Constitution Chapter Overviewīy early 1787, it was clear that the national government had to be strengthened. By 1787 another meeting in Philadelphia was called. Although this form of government achieved the successful completion of the Revolutionary War, it also had many weaknesses. A union of the states was agreed upon, and in 1777 the Articles of Confederation was passed. By July 1776, the delegates to the Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Great Britain.Įach of the states wrote its own state constitution. By April 1775, British soldiers and Americans had clashed in battle at Lexington and Concord. The colonists rejected the many new taxes passed by Parliament. However, Britain's new policies and the French and Indian War created tension between the colonies and Great Britain. Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower drew up a plan for a direct democracy in their new colony.īy 1760 the thirteen colonies had gained valuable experience in self-government. The first permanent English colony-Jamestown-established its own representative body in 1619.
The English Parliament, which began in the 1300s, was able to define its powers in the English Bill of Rights (1689). Some principles, such as the Rule of Law, dated back to the Magna Carta of 1215. With the help of national, state, and local governments, citizens create a society in which people can live and work together peacefully.Ĭhapter 2: Roots of American Democracy Chapter OverviewĮnglish settlers brought the traditions of representative government with them to the New World. As citizens, Americans possess certain rights, but they also have responsibilities. Today, America's citizens are descendants of immigrants from all over the world.Īmerican citizens are diverse in ethnicity and religion, but they share common values and a commitment to the United States. That means that the citizens choose representatives to make the laws and to govern on their behalf. The government of the United States is a representative democracy. Citizens have a duty to follow the rules established by the government. You become a citizen by being born in the United States or by going through a process called naturalization. Chapter 5: Citizenship and Government in a DemocracyĬhapter 1: The American Pe ople Chapter OverviewĬivics is the study of the rights and duties of citizens.
0 kommentar(er)
