Vocabulary

In the United States, the Bill of Rights is the name by which the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known
The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America.
It provides the framework for the organization of the United States Government. The document defines
the three main branches of the government
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became
the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution.
A document written by Thomas Jefferson declaring the United States as an independent nation, and stating that all men have the basic rights of life
Equality is about making sure people are treated fairly and given fair chances
a piece of paper listing the candidates running for office. A ballot is used to cast a vote.
A process of choosing people or taking sides in an issue where all eligible "voters"
cast a ballot to choose a person to hold an office or decide an issue. The majority rules and the most votes wins
With checks and balances, each of the three branches of government can limit the powers of the others.
This way, no one branch becomes too powerful. Each branch “checks” the power of the other branches to make sure that the power is balanced between them
The legislative branch of the federal government consists of the Congress, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
This branch of government is responsible for enacting laws and balancing the budget.
the part of the US government that administers the laws and other affairs of the government; it includes the President (also called the Chief Executive)
and Cabinet departments (like the State Department, the Dept. of Defense, the Dept. of Agriculture, etc.).
one of the three co-equal branches of government. The Legislative Branch enacts laws, the Executive Branch enforces laws, and the Judicial Branch
interprets and applies laws in specific cases. The Judicial Branch is lead by the Supreme Court.
A "bill" is introduced when a member of Congress decides to create a new law. Any member of Congress can introduce a bill.
a form of government in which people hold the power, either by voting for measures directly or by voting for
representatives who vote for them.
state or country where the people (or at least a part of that people) have impact on its government
As the name indicates, it is the highest court of justice in the USA. Its major function is to examine every law passed in
the country (both federal laws and state laws) to see if it respects the US constitution
The United States Senate is the upper house of the two-house (bicameral) United States Congress. In the Senate, each state is represented by two members.
Membership is therefore based on the equal representation of each state, regardless of population.
The President cannot make treaties without the approval of the Senate
Citizenship is membership in a society or community. Citizenship status often means there are some rights and responsibilities that come with it. These rights and duties include voting, paying taxes, obeying laws and participating in government and community.
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• Bill of Rights
• U.S. Constitution
• Continental Congress
• Declaration of Independence
• equality
• ballot
• election
• checks and balances
• Legislative Branch
• Executive Branch
• Judicial Branch
• bill
• democracy
• Republic
• Supreme Court
• US Senate
• citizenship/a>
• preamble
• separation
• Shrine

1. Describe how the Declaration of Independence is kept on permanent display. What else is displayed and stored with it?
2. Are you surprised that there are 25 copies of the Dunlap broadside still in existence? Would you expect more or less of them? Why?
3. How did colonists feel about being British subjects during and just after the French and Indian war? What were the advantages of being British citizens?
4. Why did Parliament impose the new taxes?
5. What does “no taxation without representation” mean?
6. Describe how Samuel Adams fostered colonists’ fears about British troops.
7. How did the names “the Boston Massacre” and “the Boston Tea Party” hide the real nature of those events?
8. How did Thomas Paine affect the colonies’ movement toward independence?
9. Was the Continental Congress ready to vote for independence when Thomas Jefferson and the other members of the Declaration drafting committee were chosen?
10. Describe how the declaration changed from when Jefferson drafted it to when the Congress adopted it.
11. Why didn’t John Dickinson sign the declaration when the other congressional delegates did?
12. Why were citizens generally quicker than members of the Congress to celebrate the adoption of the declaration?
13. Why did the declaration get more attention in the 1810s than it had in the previous 40 years following its adoption?