Posted: May 13th, 2021

For the following assignment, you will be creating an outline of the material that you have been studying in Unit I.

American history Coursework Assignment – Need help with my homework – Research paper writing help – Write a paper

For the following assignment, you will be creating an outline of the material that you have been studying in Unit I.

Use the material discussed in your unit lesson, the reading assignments, and other outside sources to fill in the areas beneath each sub-heading in the outline template. You should utilize at least two sources for this assignment.

You may find that you need more or fewer spaces beneath each sub-heading, and that is perfectly acceptable. Just be sure to complete the assignment fully and completely. Be sure to cite and reference your sources using proper APA formatting. Your outline should be at least one page in length.

Remember that when directly quoted or paraphrased works of others are used in any manner, the writer is obligated to properly cite the source of the original narrative.

You will use the template linked below to complete this assignment. Complete sentences are not required.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dqlMVqLKMZX_MNjOg9xArmjRzQPX9aRA4Z6Qrh5c1aQ/edit?usp=sharing

PS 1010, American Government 1
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Summarize the origins of American political thought.
1.1 Identify how the Enlightenment and philosophers such as John Locke influenced the Founding
Fathers.
1.2 Indicate the major goals of the Founding Fathers.
1.3 List the events preceding the creation of the Articles of Confederation and the weaknesses that
led to the Articles’ demise.
Course/Unit
Learning Outcomes
Learning Activity
1.1
Unit I Lesson
Reading: “2. Foundations of American Government”
Unit I Assignment
1.2 Unit I Lesson
Unit I Assignment
1.3
Unit I Lesson
Reading: “2a. The Colonial Experience”
Reading: “2b. Independence and the Articles of Confederation”
Unit I Assignment
Reading Assignment
To access the following resources, click the links below.
Independence Hall Association. (n.d.). 2. Foundations of American government. Retrieved from
https://essays.homeworkacetutors.com/write-my-essay/ushistory.org/gov/2.asp
Independence Hall Association. (n.d.). 2a. The colonial experience. Retrieved from
https://essays.homeworkacetutors.com/write-my-essay/ushistory.org/gov/2a.asp
Independence Hall Association. (n.d.). 2b. Independence and the Articles of Confederation. Retrieved from
https://essays.homeworkacetutors.com/write-my-essay/ushistory.org/gov/2b.asp
UNIT I STUDY GUIDE
Foundations of American Government
PS 1010, American Government 2
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Unit Lesson
Many of us have a general concept and
understanding of the leadership of the Founding
Fathers working to establish a government with more
democratic principles and ideals. While the term
Founding Fathers is used a great deal, one must note
that there was a general sense of agreement on the
need for a new government and country, but there
were differences in their political ideologies. Some
Founding Fathers were for a more powerful federal
government, while others were more focused on state
powers. The point to be made here is that the
Founding Fathers were not an ideologically unified
group of people. The Founding Fathers had a vision
of making America a melting pot, but the path of
setting up a different style of government had many
trials and tribulations. After many obstacles were
overcome, the United States was formed under the
political structure of a democratic republic, which is
mentioned in the Pledge of Allegiance. In this unit, the
thoughts and strategies behind the founding of the
United States and the ideas and principles utilized to
create the Constitution will be examined.
In the Beginning
What is politics? What part do citizens have in the political process? The United States has a political culture
that began during Colonial times and was refined during the Revolutionary War. When the colonists declared
their independence from Great Britain, the Founding Fathers declared that Americans were entitled to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Along with these natural rights, the Founding Fathers believed citizens
had a duty and responsibility to maintain good government and to be good citizens. It should be an active
goal for U.S. citizens to understand how politics affects every part of their lives. Citizens should be informed
and educated about the workings of government, American political history, and the people who represent
them.
Early American core values for governing were centered on the ideas of liberty, individualism, equality, and
self-government. Establishing these ideals was not without issue. The First and Second Continental
Congresses were fraught with turbulence and animosity, as were the weeks and days before the signing of
the Declaration of Independence. When Richard Henry “Light Horse” Lee presented a three-part resolution to
Congress on June 7, 1776, his motion served to create even greater tension. In what was a blatant call for
severing all ties with Great Britain, Lee called upon Congress to declare independence, form foreign alliances,
and prepare a plan for a colonial confederation (A&E Networks, 2009). This platform remains deep within the
American government today and is the ideal that serves as the foundation for the United States.
New Ideas and a New America
United States leaders have worked over the years to transplant American ideals regarding government and
individual freedoms to other areas around the world. While the United States utilizes a unique brand of
democracy, the efforts to establish other democratic countries have been very successful in many parts of the
world, including Europe. The United States is different among most countries of the world because, while
most countries are built on a shared heritage, the United States consists of people from every part of the
world who work from shared ideals. These shared ideals stem in part from the period of Enlightenment, also
known as the Age of Reason, which spread throughout Europe during the 1600s and 1700s. The
Enlightenment was a movement in which the ideas of liberty, reason, and the scientific method rose to the
forefront of thought.
“The First Prayer in Congress.” The First Continental Congress
convened in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774. Stephen Crane
is the second person to the right of the Rev. Jacob Duché at the
lectern.
(Matteson, 1848)
PS 1010, American Government 3
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
The Enlightenment was originally a French movement inspired by
human potential and manifested in the ideas of vacating or even
rebelling against political oversight and religious tradition. It quickly
moved into the Americas. Whereas Europe had centuries of
tradition to help slow the effects of this philosophy, the United
States was largely a blank canvas for new ideas and worked like a
sponge to soak up the potential for innovation. In tandem with the
strengthening of communities and increased literacy among
multigenerational families, the ideas of free thinkers would quickly
spread from the elite to the lower classes through public displays
and intentional attempts to rouse a response. These free thinkers
included John Locke, John Smith, Thomas Paine, François-Marie
Arouet (Voltaire), Denis Diderot, and eventually American leaders
such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and James
Madison.
It was during this period that the Founding Fathers began
developing the original laws that were to govern the United States. Many of the ideas of government were
written into local and state governments and laws. Their first attempt was the creation of the United States’
first constitution, the Articles of Confederation.
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles were approved on November 15, 1777, in what would ultimately be known as the Second
Continental Congress, but were not ratified until 1781 with Maryland voting for approval of the Articles. The
Articles legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as
its first governing document. They also provided for an international agreement that would establish central
institutions for conducting vital domestic and foreign affairs (OpenStax American Government, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online).
The Articles of Confederation were drafted as a means of unifying the colonies with a limited central
government. By formalizing this political structure, the Continental Congress sought to legitimize the U.S.
government both domestically and abroad. The Articles also afforded the United States with the ability to
establish spending by the central government, to raise military units, to direct war efforts, to conduct overseas
diplomacy, and to negotiate with the Native Americans on territorial issues (OpenStax American Government,
2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online). The Articles also describe many other limited powers of the federal government in multiple areas.
The development of the Articles and the issues they addressed were a clear reflection of the political, cultural,
and social environment.
Newly separated from a monarchy with a unitary or highly centralized power structure, the
representatives sought an emphasis on local government within the states, which they believed were
best suited to manage states’ separate interests. Fearful of replacing one oppressive national
government with another, the framers of the Articles of Confederation created an alliance of
sovereign states held together by a weak central government. (OpenStax American Government,
2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online, para. 3)
The weak central government would prove to be a major issue when trying to get common action from the
states.
Issues Emerge
As might be expected with the differences among regions and the power struggle between state and federal
authority, there was soon to be a series of debates. Just as it is today, local government was much more
visible to the common voter than the federal government. Likewise, local government was more likely to hear
the voice of the common voter. As a result, this was part of the expectation of true republicanism reflected in
the Articles.
There were many problems with the Articles of Confederation, which were influenced in large part by the
conflicts and war with King George III and Parliament of England. With the English central government being
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
(Trumbull, 1819)
PS 1010, American Government 4
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
very powerful, the Founding Fathers were concerned that the rights of citizens were at risk with a powerful
central government. The Articles focused in large part on states’ rights, thus removing power from the central
or federal government and putting more power into the lower and local levels of government. The lack of
power was problematic in that the central government had no power to tax and no power to maintain a proper
military or navy. These powers were vested in the states. While there was a President of the United States in
Congress Assembled that would be similar to a prime minister in that the member in this position is a member
of the Parliament, the role was ceremonial in nature with minor duties relating mainly to paperwork. This left
the United States without a defined executive branch, thus weakening the central government. Perhaps the
greatest social issue was the debate regarding slavery, a regional issue that would quickly blossom into a
national concern and, later, a crisis.
Within a few years of the United States being formed, domestic and international issues began to cause strain
on the new government. Many soldiers from the Revolutionary War had not been paid, and citizens had not
been compensated for food and personal property bought for the war effort or that had been stolen and/or
damaged during the war. European nations who sided with the colonies demanded attention to international
relationships and debt payment by the government of the United States. The states, as a loose association,
simply did not have the strength, finances, or unity to represent themselves as one economic entity. A need
for a stronger centralized government was pressing to address these issues and the many other challenges
the new country faced.
The Articles of Confederation
Faults and Weaknesses Strengths
Unicameral legislature with one vote per state Could declare war and make peace
No separation of powers Had the power to issue money
Central government that had no power to collect
taxes, raise an army, or regulate trade
Could engage with foreign countries
No executive branch Provided for settlement of the West
No court system States were empowered
All 13 states had to vote unanimously to make or
change laws
Allowed for creation of new states
Provisions of the Articles of Confederation
(OpenStax American Government, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online)
Once the revolution ended and the everyday business of running a country commenced, the Founding
Fathers recognized that the Articles simply were not enough to govern the country. Changes were needed.
They needed a new guiding document, one that would better set forth the powers and governance of the
United States.
PS 1010, American Government 5
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
The Path Forward
It was clear that the Articles of Confederation
were not working, and the envisioned utopian
republic was not thriving; therefore, a new
government was necessary. Leaders from the
13 states were called to Annapolis, Maryland,
in 1786 to amend the Articles, but only five
delegations opted to attend. Absent a quorum,
the only decision that could be made was the
setting of another meeting in Philadelphia for
May 1787. This second attempt in 1787 would
be called the Philadelphia Convention of the
United States Constitutional Convention.
The Philadelphia Convention sought to create
a stronger central or federal government. In
developing their vision, the Founding Fathers
looked to several philosophers of note who had
emerged during the Enlightenment. In
particular, the teachings and principles of John
Locke were highly regarded. Locke spoke of a
social contract and liberties, ideas that also served as part of the Founding Fathers’ vision for the United
States. This social contract is an individual’s agreement to abandon some freedoms in order for the
government to regulate life and ensure safety. Locke’s concept of a social contract played a significant role in
creating a framework for the new Constitution, as did his belief in human rights, such as life and property. The
other philosophers that impacted the ideas and writings of the Constitution were Montesquieu, Thomas
Hobbes, and Rousseau.
These were the circumstances and vision that would serve as the premise for the new Constitution. The next
unit will take a closer look inside the creation and contents of the Constitution, federalism, and democracy.
References
A&E Networks. (2009). Lee resolution presented to Continental Congress. Retrieved from
https://essays.homeworkacetutors.com/write-my-essay/history.com/this-day-in-history/lee-resolution-presented-to-continental-congress
Kneller, G. (1697). JohnLocke [Painting]. Retrieved from
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JohnLocke.png
Matteson, T. H. (1848). The-first-prayer-in-congress-September-1774 [Painting]. Retrieved from
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The-first-prayer-in-congress-september-1774.jpg
OpenStax American Government. (2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online). 2.2 The Articles of Confederation. Retrieved from
https://cnx.org/contents/W8wOWXNF@15.35:GAg9oV-J@8/The-Articles-of-Confederation
Trumbull, J. (1819). The Declaration of Independence July 4 1776 by John Trumbull [Painting]. Retrieved
from
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Declaration_of_Independence_July_4_1776_by_John_T
rumbull.jpeg
John Locke, circa 1689
(Kneller, 1697)
PS 1010, American Government 6
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Suggested Reading
To access the following resource, click the link below.
To read the full text of the Articles of Confederation, please click the link below.
Independence Hall Association. (n.d.). The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union – 1777. Retrieved
from https://essays.homeworkacetutors.com/write-my-essay/ushistory.org/documents/confederation.htm

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