History Native Americans lived in North America before Europeans arrived. Africans came to America as slaves. Colonists came to America for religious freedom. The colonists fought the British because of taxation without representation. The Declaration of Independence was by Thomas Jefferson and adopted on July 4, 1776. United States Early History Benjamin Franklin was the oldest person at the Constitutional Convention, where the Constitution was written. The Federalist Papers were written by Madison and Hamilton. George Washington was the first president of the United States. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the USA with the Louisiana Purchase. The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in most southern states. MLK, Jr fought for civil rights and equality for all Americans. Puerto Rico is a US territory, acquired in 1898. Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s right to vote. WWI – 1914-1918 & WWII – 1939-1945 Statue of Liberty – NYC National Anthem – Star Spangled Banner USA capital – Washington D.C. There are 13 stripes on the flag in referring to the 13 original colonies U.S. Constitution
The U.S. Constitution was written
in 1787 and ratified in 1789. The Constitution establishes the structure of the United States Government and is the basis for how we are governed. The constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land U.S. Constitution
The Constitution begins
with the words “We The People” These words establish the idea that Americans are self governed. Amendments The founding fathers realized they could not create a document that covered everything society would face. They created a process for amending (changing) the constitution. There are 27 amendments total, the first 10 are known as the Bill of Rights. 1st Amendment
The 1st amendment protects
our most basic freedoms, including: Freedom of Speech Freedom of Religion The Right to Petition Government Freedom of the Press Branches of Government Article I Establishes the Legislative Branch Article II Executive Branch Article III Judicial Branch Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances ensures that one branch does not become too powerful. Congress
The Legislative Branch also known
as Congress, is made up of two chambers. The House of Representatives and the Senate. The main duty of Congress is to make the laws. House of Representatives The House has 435 members. Based on population of state. Members serve a 2 year term. The Speaker of the House is the highest ranking member of Congress, and would take over if something were to happen to both the President and Vice President. U.S. Senate
Each state has 2 senator
for a total of 100. Senators serve a 6 year term. Executive Branch
The President of the
United States heads the executive branch. The Presidents main duty is to enforce the law. Presidents can also sign or veto bills. Executive Branch
Presidents serve a 4 year term
and are limited to serving two terms. ThePresident is the Commander-in-Chief. Presidents are assisted by the Cabinet, including the Secretary of State. Judicial Branch TheJudicial Branch consists of Judges and Federal Courts. Thehighest court in the land is the Supreme Court. TheSupreme Court determines if laws are constitutional or unconstitutional. The Court has 9 justices, led by Chief Justice John Roberts. Political Parties
America has a two party
system. TheDemocrats and the Republicans. Tennessee