PoliSci CH

Chapter 2 Questions (Give brief answers of a few sentences to each of these questions) 1. What were the causes of the American revolution? When the British began creating stricter trade policies and taxes, the relationship between the laborers and elite split, allowing for radical laborers to speak up and influence others to be against British taxation. The Proclamation of 1763 angered planters and implemented the idea that British action was overpowering. This idea was maintained in the Sugar Act of 1764 when the New England Merchants and southern planters were threatened. Other taxes were imposed that caused colonial people to boycott and speak up against. 2. Describe the significance of the following: a. The French and Indian War- this accrued a large debt for Britain which was a big reason why they implemented heavy taxation on the colonies b. The Stamp Act- this taxation angered merchants and led to the phrase, “no taxation without representation” c. The Boston Massacre- this scared a lot of colonists and reinforced the idea that there was a divide between the British and the colonists and they didn’t agree d. The Tea Act- this reinforced the idea that the British were not working with the colonies, they were doing what was in their best interest which was to work with a large company, it took away work opportunities from many colonists when it could’ve been agreed upon to have colonists sell the tea while East India Company provided it e. The Boston Tea Party- this led to Britain imposing a lot of power on the colonies, which furthered the idea in colonists that the British abused their power f. The First Continental Congress- this started the conversation to become independent from Britain, it also set a total boycott for British goods which brought the colonists together g. The Second Continental Congress- this is when the Declaration of Independence was written 3. What is the Declaration of Independence? How does it differ from the American constitution? The Declaration of Independence includes grievances as well as goals for the future of the colonies. It’s different from the American Constitution because it doesn’t outline government. 4. Why were the colonists able to defeat superior British forces and win the revolutionary war? The colonists were able to outlast the British and show more perseverance. They basically had to tire them out of resources. 5. What was the Articles of Confederation? What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? It was the first written constitution. Its weaknesses were that it was based solely around Congress. Overall, it wasn’t set up to have a lot of power, but none of the power was checked. 6. What problems did the United States face as a country after the Revolutionary War ended in 1783? The governance wasn’t set up strong enough to properly lead the people. They were less protected and there was a lot of debt to pay off. 7. What was the significance of Shay’s Rebellion? It showed that the government was not working efficiently enough. The Congress of the Confederacy wasn’t able to make decisions fairly and led to the people rallying for a change. 8. What was the constitutional convention of 1787? Delegates from the states created an entirely new constitution that fixed the issued associated with the Articles of Confederation 9. Describe the nature and significance of the following compromises: a. The Grand Compromise- This deals with the creation of the separation between Congress and The Senate. It also determines representation in each state. This has shaped the way the American government works and how laws are made. b. The Three-Fifths Compromise- This determined that enslaved people would be counted as ⅗ a person in population counts. This shifted the amount of Congressional representation in each state. 10. Describe the structure of the legislative branch and its bicameral legislature. The legislative