The Federal Reserve System The Federal Reserve System, often referred to as the Federal Reserve or simply “the

Fed,” is the central bank of the United States It was created by the Congress to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and

more stable monetary and financial system The Federal Reserve was created in 1913 when President Woodrow Wilson signed

the Federal Reserve Act into law The United States Federal Reserve System was established to regulate the money

supply Supervising and regulating banks to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation’s

banking and financial system is another responsibility of the Federal Reserve

The Sixteenth Amendment The type of federal tax was authorized by the 16th amendment in 1913 was the

income tax The 16th amendment is an important amendment that allows the federal government

to levy an income tax from all Americans Income tax allows for the federal government to keep an army, build roads and

bridges, enforce laws and carry out other important duties The federal government realized in 1913 that in order for it to collect taxes

effectively, and not have to share that tax money with the states, federal income tax was necessary

Thus, the 16th amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution to ensure that the federal government could tax income

Significant Events during the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt The Panamanian revolt, the Russo-Japanese war, and the creation of the national

parks system occurred during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt Teddy Roosevelt was responsible for the creation of the national parks system; he

was a conservationist and sought to preserve some of America’s wilderness for future generations to enjoy

Teddy Roosevelt wanted to build the Panama Canal and encouraged Panamanian independence to ensure that the land for the canal could be bought and a canal dug

Teddy Roosevelt negotiated the peace treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese war and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts

Teddy Roosevelt was also a trustbuster and prevented harmful monopolies from existing in the U.S.A.

Impact of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle Upton Sinclair was a muckraker; he wrote a novel to expose the disgusting practices

in the meatpacking industry – he wrote to reveal injustices In his novel, The Jungle, Sinclair revealed the unsanitary practices in the

meatpacking industry – like rats being ground up with the beef His novel led to consumers demanding government regulation of the meatpacking

industry and more sanitary conditions in the meatpacking factories

In 1906, the publication of The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair, led Congress to establish a system for meat inspection

Jane Addams and Jacob Riis Jane Addams helped build Hull House, a community center for “New Immigrants”

to learn English, develop skills, and even provide childcare services Jacob Riis was a muckraker – he published a book – How the Other Half Lives – to

show the miserable conditions in tenements and slums and the hard lives led by the “New Immigrants”

Jane Addams and Jacob Riis were most notable for their efforts to aid the urban poor

They both tried to improve the conditions of poor working men, women and children in the cities

Jane Addams and Jacob Riis were champions for the urban poor

Interstate Commerce Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration

Business activity must sometimes be regulated in the public interest This idea led to the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Federal

Trade Commission, and the Food and Drug Administration Yes, sometimes business activity leads to the creation of monopolies and monopolies

hurt consumers with high prices As a result of monopolies, the federal government has had to regulate the market

and regulate businesses at times In 1887, Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act, making the railroads the

first industry subject to federal regulation – the railroads had charged higher prices for farmers and this led to a demand for government regulation or some government control of the railroads

A Graduated National Income Tax Supporters of a graduated national income tax argued that it was the fairest type of

tax because the rate of taxation increased as incomes rose Rich people pay a greater percentage of their income to the government than poor

people A progressive tax takes a larger percentage of income from high-income groups

than from low-income groups and is based on the concept of ability to pay A progressive tax system might, for example, tax low-income taxpayers at 10

percent, middle-income taxpayers at 15 percent and high-income taxpayers at 30 percent

The U.S. federal income tax is based on the progressive tax system

A Goal of the Progressive Movement The progressives worked to make American society a better and safer place in

which to live They tried to make big business more responsible through regulations

They worked to clean up corrupt city governments, to improve working conditions in factories, and to better living conditions for those who lived in slum areas, a large number of whom were recent immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe

A goal of the Progressive movement was to correct the problems caused by industrialization

Industrialization had led to overcrowding in cities, poor sanitation, and corrupt city governments – progressives wanted to fix these problems

The Nineteenth Amendment Women received the most support for equal suffrage before passage of the 19th

amendment [Women’s Suffrage Amendment] in the West – the Western states Women of the American West led the nation and the world into the struggle for

female voting rights, known as the “suffrage movement” – this remarkable suffrage success story began in 1869, when Wyoming Territory approved full and equal suffrage for scarcely one thousand women

Though some men recognized the important role women played in frontier settlement, others voted for women’s suffrage only to bolster the strength of conservative voting blocks

In Wyoming, some men were also motivated by sheer loneliness – in 1869, the territory had over 6,000 adult males and only 1,000 females, and area men hoped women would be more likely to settle in the rugged and isolated country if they were granted the right to vote

But regardless of the reasons, American women gained the right to vote first in the Western states

Imperialism In 1898, Senator Albert J. Beveridge said, “But today we are raising more than we

can consume. Today we are making more than we can use. Today our industrial society is congested; there are more workers than there is work; there is more capital than there is investment. We do not need more money – we need more circulation, more employment. Therefore, we must find new markets for our produce, new occupation for our capital, new work for our labor…”

So, what solution did he offer to the problem of more employment or to the problem of producing more than Americans can consume – his solution was found in new markets

And new markets back in 1898 meant imperialism – by conquering other countries, the United States would have more markets

Imperialism occurs when a strong country conquers a weaker country Motives for imperialism are natural resources and markets – or places to sell the

mother country’s goods

Causes of Imperialism The argument used to support United States acquisition of overseas possessions in

the late 1800’s was that the United States needed to obtain raw materials and new markets

Imperialism is good for the mother country but harmful to the colony

The imperialist power gains valuable raw materials like cotton and rubber from the colony and then can use these valuable raw materials in factories to make shirts and tires or whatever products the raw materials can create

The imperialist power then sells the factory goods to the colony and gains a new market

Of course, for the colony it is miserable – first the raw materials were taken – thus no factory goods could be made anyway and then they had to buy the goods from the mother country even though the goods were made with their raw materials

The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine The Monroe Doctrine stated that the Americas were closed to future conquest and

colonization and that Europe had to stay out of the Americas The Roosevelt Corollary was an addition to the Monroe Doctrine – yes, Europe had

to stay out of the Americas but the U.S.A. could intervene in any nation in Latin America

The U.S.A. would become the “policeman” of Latin America Yes, the principle that the United States has the right to act as the “policeman of the

Western Hemisphere” and intervene in the internal affairs of Latin American nations was established by the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

The U.S.A. liked this policy but Latin Americans did not like this policy and thought it was a kind of U.S. imperialism and that their independence and sovereignty were not being respected

The Open Door Policy The United States formulated the Open Door policy toward China to prevent a

European and Japanese monopoly of Chinese trade and markets An Open Door Policy is exactly what it suggests – an open door for trade with China

– an open door for all nations to trade with China In the 1800s, Europeans had carved out spheres of influence in China – Europeans

controlled important Chinese ports and Americans were concerned that they would be shut out of trade with China

So, the American government issued the Open Door Policy – this policy stated that all nations should have equal trading rights with China

Initiated by the United States in 1899 and 1900 for the protection of equal privileges among countries trading with China, the Open Door Policy encouraged the principle that all countries should have equal access to any of the ports open to trade in China

New Orleans and the Mississippi River New Orleans and the Mississippi River – the city of New Orleans is paired with its

geographical feature, the Mississippi River, a geographic feature that directly contributed to its growth

Situated on a bend of the Mississippi River 100 miles from its mouth, New Orleans has been the chief city of Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico’s busiest northern port since the early 1700s

Founded by the French, ruled for 40 years by the Spanish and bought by the United States in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, New Orleans is known as an important port

During the first half of the 19th century, New Orleans became the United States’ wealthiest and third-largest city

Its port shipped the produce of much of the nation’s interior to the Caribbean, South America and Europe

Reasons for U.S. Involvement in World War I From 1914 to 1916, as World War I raged in Europe, Americans were not able to

remain neutral in thought as well as action mainly because the warring powers interfered with the United States right to freedom of the seas

The Germans engaged in unrestricted submarine warfare and sank any ship they could

This sinking of any ship included even ships that were for civilians and not the military

Germany justified the attack on the British passenger ship, the Lusitania, by stating, correctly, that the Lusitania was an enemy ship, and that it was carrying munitions

It was primarily a passenger ship, however, and among the 1,201 drowned in the attack were many women and children, including 128 Americans

The Importance of the Mississippi River Since the late 1700s, the Mississippi River has been a vital waterway because it

provided farmers and merchants an outlet to the Gulf of Mexico The Mississippi River is one of the world’s major river systems It is the third longest river in North America, flowing 2,350 miles from its source at

Lake Itasca through the center of the continental United States to the Gulf of Mexico

Sixty percent of all grain exported from the US is shipped on the Mississippi River through the Port of New Orleans and the Port of South Louisiana

The Mississippi River is an important river for trade

The Geography of the South Because of fertile land and a long growing season, plantations in the thirteen

colonies developed in the South The North did not have a long growing season and was not as fertile as the South So, plantations did not develop in the North But in the South – with its long growing season and fertile soil – plantations

developed and became dependent on slave labor Slaves picked cotton on cotton plantations and tobacco on tobacco plantations

The Reason for the Census The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States It is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution and takes place every 10

years The data collected by the census determines the number of seats each state has in

the U.S. House of Representatives

Population data from the census of 2000 was used to determine the number of electoral college votes from each state

Each State is allocated a number of Electors equal to the number of its U.S. Senators (always 2) plus the number of its U.S. Representatives (which may change each decade according to the size of each State’s population as determined in the Census)

The Missouri Compromise “Compromise Enables Maine and Missouri To Enter Union” (1820); “California

Admitted to Union as Free State” (1850); and “Kansas-Nebraska Act Sets Up Popular Sovereignty” (1854) – the issue reflected in these headlines was the extension of slavery

The Missouri Compromise kept the balance between the free states and the slave states

The Compromise of 1850 allowed California to enter the Union as a free state but also led to the creation of the Fugitive Slave Act – in the Fugitive Slave Act, a runaway slave had to be returned to his master in the South

The Kansas-Nebraska Act stated that the residents of the territories becoming new states would vote to determine if the new states would be free or slave

All of these “compromises” related to the extension of slavery – as new states entered the Union would they be free states or slave states

Bleeding Kansas In the 1850s, the phrase “Bleeding Kansas” was used to describe clashes between

proslavery and antislavery groups Bleeding Kansas is the term used to describe the period of violence during the

settling of the Kansas territory In 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act decreed that residents would determine whether

the area became a free state or a slave state Proslavery and free-state settlers flooded into Kansas to try to influence the decision Violence soon erupted as both factions fought for control

Manifest Destiny Manifest Destiny is a term for the attitude prevalent during the 19th century period

of American expansion that the United States not only could, but was destined to, stretch from coast to coast

This attitude helped fuel western settlement, Native American removal and war with Mexico.

The phrase was first employed by John L. O’Sullivan in an article on the annexation of Texas published in the July-August 1845 edition of the United States Magazine and Democratic Review, which he edited

Manifest Destiny was used to justify an American desire to expand the United States to the Pacific Ocean

Manifest Destiny did not take into account the needs or rights of Native American Indians

The Compromise of 1850 The rapid westward migration caused by the discovery of gold in California led

directly to the adoption of the Compromise of 1850 As more Americans moved to California, it became clear that California would

become a state – and then it had to be decided if it would become a free state or a slave state

The Compromise of 1850 allowed California to enter the Union as a free state but it also led to the Fugitive Slave Act – a law requiring runaway slaves to be returned to their masters in the South

In 1849 California requested permission to enter the Union as a free state, potentially upsetting the balance between the free and slave states in the U.S. Senate

Senator Henry Clay introduced a series of resolutions on January 29, 1850, in an attempt to seek a compromise and avert a crisis between North and South

Thomas Jefferson’s Dilemma about the Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase initially presented a dilemma for President Thomas

Jefferson because he believed it would violate his strict constructionist view of the Constitution

Jefferson wanted to buy the Louisiana territory but he was a strict constructionist who opposed the elastic clause and saw nothing in the Constitution giving the President the power to purchase land

But Jefferson abandoned his strict constructionist principles and made the deal using the Elastic Clause

He put the needs of the nation above his philosophical beliefs And doubled the size of the nation – gaining full control of the Mississippi River, the

port of New Orleans, and the Great Plains

The Seneca Falls Convention The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 was mainly concerned with expanding

women’s rights The convention was organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, two

abolitionists who met at the 1840 World Anti-Slavery Convention in London As women, Mott and Stanton were barred from the convention floor, and the

common indignation that this aroused in both of them was the impetus for their founding of the women’s rights movement in the United States

On July 19, 200 women convened at the Wesleyan Chapel, and Stanton read the “Declaration of Sentiments and Grievances,” a treatise that she had drafted over the previous few days

Stanton’s declaration was modeled closely on the Declaration of Independence, and its preamble featured the proclamation, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights…”

The Principle of Popular Sovereignty before the Civil War Popular sovereignty is the idea that government is created by and subject to the will

of the people – the people give government its power as in “We the People…”

Before the Civil War, popular sovereignty meant the right of the people living in a newly organized territory to decide by vote whether or not slavery would be permitted there

Before the Civil War, the principle of popular sovereignty was proposed as a means of deciding the legalization of slavery in a new state

Basically, popular sovereignty means that people vote and by voting give their consent or permission to elected officials to act in the name of the people

Popular sovereignty leads to consent of the governed

The Meaning of the phrase “by military conquest, treaty, and purchase” The phrase “by military conquest, treaty, and purchase” best describes the methods

used to expand the territory of the United States To achieve Manifest Destiny or a nation that stretched from the Atlantic to the

Pacific, the United States government conquered territory, enacted treaties to gain territory, and purchased territory

Of course, “by military conquest, treaty and purchase” benefitted Americans as the United States expanded and westward expansion occurred

It did not, however, benefit Native Americans or Mexicans As the United States acquired territory from Mexico and acquired territory from

Native Americans, the U.S. expanded but the lands of other nations diminished

Trusts A trust acts like a monopoly A monopoly is a single seller dominating a market – leading to higher prices for

consumers John D. Rockefeller was a monopolist His practices harmed consumers Trusts are a threat to the nation

Social Darwinism Social Darwinism is the theory that there are strong individuals and there are weak

individuals and that the strong should dominate the weak When John D. Rockefeller, Jr. said, “The growth of a large business is merely

survival of the fittest. The American beauty rose can be produced in the splendor and fragrance which bring cheer to its beholder only by sacrificing the early buds which grow up around it. This is not an evil tendency in business. It is merely the working out of a law of nature and a law of God. . . .,” he was speaking like a Social Darwinist

Rockefeller speaks of survival of the fittest and how the American beauty rose must sacrifice the early buds which grow around it

The strongest must rise to the top and can only rise to the top by eliminating weaker competitors – at least, according to Rockefeller

Social Darwinists believe that the poor are poor because they are weak and inferior and the rich are rich because they are strong and superior – this idea is not accepted in American society today

John D. Rockefeller John D. Rockefeller was the founder of the Standard Oil Company In 1870, he established Standard Oil, which by the early 1880s controlled some 90

percent of U.S. refineries and pipelines Critics accused Rockefeller of engaging in unethical practices, such as predatory

pricing and colluding with railroads to eliminate his competitors, in order to gain a monopoly in the industry

In 1911, the U.S. Supreme Court found Standard Oil in violation of anti-trust laws and ordered it to dissolve

During his life Rockefeller donated more than $500 million to various philanthropic causes

Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland and amassed a fortune in the steel industry In the early 1870s, Andrew Carnegie entered the steel business, and over the next

two decades became a dominant force in the industry In 1901, he sold the Carnegie Steel Company to banker John Pierpont Morgan for

$480 million Carnegie then devoted himself to philanthropy, eventually giving away more than

$350 million In his essay “Wealth,” published in North American Review in 1889, Andrew

Carnegie argued that individual capitalists were duty bound to play a broader cultural and social role and thus improve the world

Philanthropy is giving money away to improve society – like building libraries and schools

“To produce the most beneficial results for the community” – that is using money like a philanthropist

According to Andrew Carnegie, the responsibility of the wealthy is to share their excess wealth with the community

Laissez-faire Capitalism It is French for “let them do as they please” – meaning let business do as it pleases Or in other words, government should not intervene in the market Laissez-faire capitalism is a free market – a market where individuals are free to

produce as they like, to sell as they like, and to buy as they are able The government does not interfere in the market – there are no government

regulations; during the late 1800s, the defenders of Social Darwinism would most likely have supported laissez-faire capitalism

This policy of letting things take their own course without interfering was embraced by Social Darwinists because they believed in a kind of “survival of the fittest” where individuals battled it out and the “strongest” triumphed

Henry Ford and the Assembly Line Henry Ford produced a more affordable car primarily because his company

developed a less expensive method of production An assembly line is an arrangement of machines, equipment, and workers in which

work passes from operation to operation in direct line until the product is assembled

An assembly line at one factory cut the man hours of final assembly by more than 75 percent

By drastically reducing the cost of production with standardized parts and more efficient assembly, Ford was able to bring the luxury, convenience and freedom of the automobile to the masses

The assembly line cut the amount of time it took to assemble a Model T automobile from 12.5 hours to just 93 minutes

Industrialization and Urbanization The major trend related to population that occurred during the industrialization

boom of the late 1800s was that urbanization increased Industrialization involves factories and machines for the production of goods Urbanization is movement to cities Industrialization and urbanization go together As more people work in factories and factories are located in cities – or in areas that

quickly become cities – more people move to cities

Robber Baron A robber baron was an American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who

became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wage scales)

A robber baron was a wealthy person who tried to get land, businesses, or more money in a way that was dishonest or wrong

It is an insulting term because it suggests that the individual’s wealth came from wrongdoing

Thus, the term robber baron was used to criticize the tactics of big-business leaders Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller were accused of being robber barons

Trusts and Eliminating Competition A trust operates like a monopoly and a monopoly is a single seller dominating a

market During the late 1800s, business leaders formed trusts mainly to eliminate

competition Monopolies harm consumers Consumers pay high prices as no competition exists in the market Monopolies or trusts eliminate competition

Goals of Labor Unions A union is an organization of workers formed to protect the rights and interests of

its members A union promotes higher wages, safer working conditions, and eight-hour workdays The main benefit that labor unions of the late 19th century gained for their members

was improved wages and hours The American Federation of Labor, founded by Samuel Gompers, was an early

labor union that organized skilled workers – it still exists today

Samuel Gompers is noted for having shifted the primary goal of American unionism away from social issues and toward the “bread and butter” issues of wages, benefits, hours, and working conditions, all of which could be negotiated through collective bargaining – collective bargaining occurs as a conversation between an employer and the leaders of a union about how much a group of workers will be paid, how many hours they will work, etc. – these negotiations become the basis of a contract between labor and management

The slogan “Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, eight hours for what we will” The slogan “Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, eight hours for what we

will” was used in the late 1800s to promote a major goal of organized labor Workers in the past worked long hours for low wages Many workers worked fourteen to sixteen hour days Unions sought to promote the eight-hour workday Robert Owen – a Welsh social reformer – was one of the first individuals to start a

campaign to have people work no more than 8 hours per day: his slogan was “Eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest” – it wasn’t until much later that Henry Ford actually implemented the 8 hour work day and changed the standards

The Reason for the Addition of the Bill of Rights in order to win ratification of the Constitution

In order to win ratification of the United States Constitution, supporters agreed to add a bill of rights

The fact that the Constitution did not include a bill of rights to specifically protect Americans’ hard-won rights sparked the most heated debates during the ratification process

To the Federalists, those who favored the Constitution, a bill of rights was unnecessary because the Federal Government was limited in its powers and could not interfere with the rights of the people or the states; also, most states had bills of rights

To the Antifederalists, those who opposed the Constitution, the prospect of establishing a strong central government without an explicit list of rights guaranteed to the people was unthinkable

Thanks to the Antifederalists, the Bill of Rights was added to the U.S. Constitution – the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution as the first ten amendments on December 15, 1791

Samuel Gompers, Terence Powderly, and Eugene Debs During the late 19th century, Samuel Gompers, Terence Powderly, and Eugene Debs

were leaders in the movement to improve working conditions Samuel Gompers was the first leader of the American Federation of Labor, a union

for skilled workers – a craft union Terence Powderly was the leader of the Knights of Labor, a union for skilled and

unskilled workers Eugene Debs was a labor leader for the Industrial Workers of the World

Samuel Gompers, Terence Powderly, and Eugene Debs were all labor organizers and leaders concerned with improving the lives of working men and women

The Federal Civil Service System Approved on January 16, 1883, the Pendleton Act established a merit-based system

of selecting government officials and supervising their work A civil service system is a system where government officials must take and pass

examinations to determine ability and competence in order to receive government jobs

The Federal Civil Service System replaced the Spoils System – the Pendleton Act provided that Federal Government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that Government employees be selected through competitive exams – the act also made it unlawful to fire or demote for political reasons employees who were covered by the law

Although President George Washington made most of his Federal appointments based on merit, subsequent Presidents began to deviate from this policy

By the time Andrew Jackson was elected President in 1828, the “spoils system,” in which political friends and supporters were rewarded with Government positions, was in full force – but the Federal Civil Service System replaced the spoils system

The Federal Civil Service System was begun in the late 19th century primarily to reduce the practice of political patronage - political patronage is exchanging government jobs or other favors in return for political support

Chinese Exclusion Act, the Gentlemen’s Agreement, and the National Origins Act The Chinese Exclusion Act, signed into law on May 6, 1882, by President Chester A.

Arthur, effectively halted Chinese immigration for ten years and prohibited Chinese from becoming US citizens

The Gentlemen’s Agreement with Japan was concluded in the form of a Japanese note agreeing to deny passports to laborers intending to enter the United States and recognizing the U.S. right to exclude Japanese immigrants holding passports originally issued for other countries

The National Origins Act further restricted immigration by basing the numbers of immigrants allowed from a specific region of the world; the effect was a severe bias towards the northern and western European nations that had been the “traditional” areas of immigration during the era of “old” immigration

One way in which the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Gentlemen’s Agreement, and the National Origins Act were similar is that all were expressions of nativism

Nativism is an anti-immigrant attitude – all three of these acts/agreements limited or halted immigration from China, Japan, Southern Europe, and Eastern Europe – these acts clearly discriminated against the “New Immigrants”

The U.S. Government and the Railroads In the period from 1865 to 1900, the United States Government aided the

development of the West by granting land to railroad companies

The Pacific Railway Act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on July 1, 1862 and provided Federal government support for the building of the first transcontinental railroad, which was completed on May 10, 1869

Building a railroad is expensive and land grants from the government made it possible for railroad builders to make profits while building the railroad and thus made investors more willing to build railroads

The U.S. government wanted a transcontinental railroad to encourage westward expansion, the true realization of Manifest Destiny, and increased trade and transport throughout the nation

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 made the issue of a transcontinental railroad all the more urgent: only a transcontinental railway could effectively tie that far-off region to the rest of the nation

The First Amendment The first amendment of the Constitution deals primarily with rights of self-

expression “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting

the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” ~ The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

A blueprint for personal freedom and the hallmark of an open society, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition

Without the First Amendment, religious minorities could be persecuted, the government might well establish a national religion, protesters could be silenced, the press could not criticize government, and citizens could not mobilize for social change

When the U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, it did not contain the essential freedoms now outlined in the Bill of Rights, because many of the Framers viewed their inclusion as unnecessary, however, after vigorous debate, the Bill of Rights was adopted

The House of Representatives and the Power of Impeachment In the United States Constitution, the power to impeach a federal government

official is given to the House of Representatives Yes, the Constitution gives the House of Representatives the right to impeach the

president Impeachment means that a charge of misconduct is filed against the president A majority of the members of the House must vote for these charges in order to

impeach the president After the charges of misconduct are filed, the Senate has the power to try

impeachment cases like a court: two-thirds of the senators must vote for conviction – the president may be removed from office and never allowed to hold a government position again if he is found guilty

Federalism Federalism is the sharing of power between national and state governments

Federalism is one of the most important and innovative concepts in the U.S. Constitution, although the word never appears there

In America, the states existed first, and they struggled to create a national government – the U.S. Constitution reflects the tensions of that struggle, and Americans still debate the proper role of the national government versus the states

An example of the system of federalism is that the national government coins money, but states cannot

Some powers are reserved for the states – like issuing marriage licenses, driver licenses, and High School diplomas – and some powers are only for the federal government like coining money and declaring war – and some powers are shared or concurrent like taxing

How the U.S. Constitution is Flexible Flexible means capable of changing – the U.S. Constitution is flexible; it can adapt

and change – the amendment process is an example of a flexible Constitution The elastic clause states that Congress can do what is necessary and proper to carry

out its duties; the elastic clause allows for a loose interpretation of the constitution and allows for constitutional flexibility

The unwritten constitution refers to traditions and practices of American government that are not in the Constitution – an example is the President’s Cabinet

All three, the necessary and proper clause, the amendment process, and the unwritten constitution, are evidence that our constitutional system of government provides for flexibility

American government can adapt to changing circumstances

The Impact of John Locke’s Social Contract on the Declaration of Independence John Locke was a philosopher of the Enlightenment; he wrote of natural rights –

life, liberty and property – and he wrote of the social contract that the people have an agreement or contract with government and will obey government as long as government respects the natural rights of the people

The principles of government that Thomas Jefferson included in the Declaration of Independence were most influenced by John Locke’s social contract theory

Jefferson wrote that government has a responsibility to protect the natural rights of the people and that if it fails to protect the natural rights of the people, the people may rebel

The Declaration of Independence justifies rebellion – for it states that government is based on consent of the governed or that the people give government its power and if government becomes destructive of the natural rights of men or consent of the governed, it is the right of the people to abolish that government

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new

Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

The Difficulties Facing Farmers in the 1800s It was hard to be a farmer – sometimes the rain did not come and the crops did not

grow; sometimes bankers charged high interest rates and farms were confiscated; and the railroads always charged higher prices to farmers than other consumers

In the song, The Farmer is the Man, it stated that “When the farmer comes to town With his wagon broken down, Oh, the farmer is the man Who feeds them all. . . .

The farmer is the man, The farmer is the man, Lives on credit till the fall; Then they take him by the hand And they lead him from the land, And the middleman’s the man Who gets it all. . . .”

The problem identified by this folk song was a result of low profits forcing many people out of farming

That was another difficulty facing farmers – low prices for farm crops – and not making enough money to survive and then having to borrow from banks and not being able to pay banks back and then losing their farms – it was hard to be a farmer

Labor Union A labor union is an organization of workers that promotes higher wages, safer

working conditions, and eight-hour workdays “We mean to make things over, we are tired of toil for naught, With but bare

enough to live upon, and never an hour for thought; We want to feel the sunshine, and we want to smell the flowers, We are sure that God has will’d it, and we mean to have eight hours. We’re summoning our forces from the shipyard, shop and mill, Chorus. Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will! Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will!” ~ I.G. Blanchard, “Eight Hours,” 1878

During the late 1800s, the ideas expressed in these lyrics were the goals of organizers of labor unions

Eight hours for work – eight hours for rest – eight hours for what we will Labor unions fought for the eight-hour workday

Marbury v. Madison An important Supreme Court case Established the principle of judicial review Judicial review is determining the constitutionality of a law The Supreme Court has the power to declare a law unconstitutional Chief Justice, John Marshall, strengthened the power of the federal government as

the judicial branch of the federal government can declare a law unconstitutional Marbury v. Madison established the Supreme Court as a politically and

constitutionally independent branch of the federal government, which was by no means clear in the early days of the Republic

Marshall articulated the doctrine of judicial review to decide the case in a way that protected and strengthened the independence of the federal judiciary, which he

believed to be essential for a national republic governed by the rule of law and respect for the rights of individuals

Consent of the Governed Consent of the governed was a concept from the European Enlightenment that was

included in the United States Constitution The Declaration of Independence states that “Governments are instituted among

Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” This means that government gets its power from the people And if people don’t like the government, they have the right to change it Consent of the governed means that “We the People” have formed this Union