Foundations of American Government

By julcruz
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    John Trumbull Sr.

    Jonathan Trumbull became the only colonial governer to support the American cause during the American Revolution. He was a strong supporter of General Washignton and spent the war doing what he could to recruit troops.
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    John Witherspoon

    John Witherspoon was born in Scotland but emigrated to the American colonies to become the president of the Princeton University. He bacame a vocal advocate for colonial independence and served New Jersey ing the Continental Congress.He became the only member of the clergy to sign the Declaration of Independence. Witherspoon always fought to ensure religious freedoms in the country,
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    John Hancock

    John Hancock publicly spoke out against the British Stamp Act and reminded Americans about the deaths the British caused at the Boston Massacre. He attended the First Continental Congress and in 1775 was elected President of the Second Continental Congress. He was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence.
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    Charles Carroll

    Charles Carroll was chosen as a representitive to the Continental Congress. Although he was not there in time to vote for the Declaration of Independence, he was able to sign the document. Carroll served Board of War during the Revolution. After the war, he was involved in setting up the state govt. of Maryland.
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    John Jay

    John Jay was considered one of the founding fathers. Jay served as a member of the Second Continental Congress. He was initially not in favor of the seperation from Great Brtain, but when independence was declared he supported it. He was one of the men sent to Paris to negotiate the peace treaty with England after the war.
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    Benjamin Rush

    Benjamin Rush became a prominent physician, writer, and one of the founders of the United States of America. In 1773, he became active in the Sons of Liberty in Philadelphia. He later continued his involvement in the revolutionary movement by attending the Continental Congress in June, 1776. He was present when the Declaration of Independence was being debated and sighned the document that July.
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    John Peter Muhlenberg

    John Mulenberg was also a suppoter of the American cause. He served in the Continental Army. After the war, he served in Pensylvania state govt. before being elected U.S. Congress.
  • Declaration of Independence

    Declaration of Independence
    The thirteen colonies in the America’s had been at war with Briatian for around a year when the Second Continental Congress decided it was time for the colonies to officially declare their independence. On June 11. 1776 the Continental Congress appointed five leaders to write a document explaining why they were declaring their independence. The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
  • E pluribus unum

    E pluribus unum
    E pluribus unum, out of many one, is suggested by the committee Congress to design " a seal for the United States of America." On August 20, 177t the committee submited their Great Seal design to Cingress. Although their design was not approved, their motto E Pluribus Unum was selected by Charles Thomson in 1782 when he created the final Great Seal whose centerpiece is the American bald Eagle.
  • U.S. Constitution

    U.S. Constitution
    The US Constitution main purpose was toserves as the nation's fundamental law, structure the governement, establishe basic rules of governing, and limit the governemtn. The constitutional convention went through May and September, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • Bill of Rights

    Bill of Rights
    The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution These amendments guarantee essential rights and civil liberties, such as the right to free speech and the right to a fair trial, as well as reserving rights to the people and the states.
  • Fifth Amendment

    Fifth Amendment
    No person should be deprived of life, liberty, or property, w/ out processing through law. Private property will not be taken for public use without just compensation. The government can not take what is not theirs unless the give what it is worth
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    Alexis de Tocqueville

    Alex de Tocqueville was a french writer who traveled to america to find the reason why the U.S. government was succeeding and the french weren’t. Tocqueville has five priciples:
    -Liberty: freedom and the right to be free w/out involvement from the government
    -Individualism: being able to be different than others
    -Egalitarianism: to be equal in all aspects
    -Populism: the political party of the people, the ordinary everyday citizens who grouped toge
  • Eminent Domain

    Eminent Domain
    Eminent Domain has been used while back. It means that the government can take a property but has to give back a compensation.
  • "In God We Trust"

    "In God We Trust"
    Two years after pushing to have the phrase “underGod” inserted to the pledge of allegiance, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a law official declaring “In God We Trust” to be the nation’s official motto. The law also mandated that the phrase be printed on all American paper currency. The phrase was placed on U.S. coins since the Civil War. The first paper money with the phrase “In God We Trust” was not printed until 1957.