Midterm

Navigation Acts

1. The Navigation Acts limited the colonists' range of trade. I think this was greedy of Britain, and that this started the resentment for the British that fueled the Revolution, because the British were controlling the colonists' trade unfairly without their consent.

2. I think that it was not a good idea to pass the Navigation Acts, not enforce them, then try to make the colonists follow them again. This lack of enforcement caused the colonists to start smuggling. After the colonists got used to not following the law, it would be hard to make them change their ways. The British should have been more strict about the Navigation Acts from the start.

3. How did other countries respond to the Navigation Act? Did they try to support the colonists by helping them smuggle? Did Britain gain a lot of money from the Acts, even though many merchants smuggled goods?

Colonial America

1. The colonists really adapted to the environments that they lived in, and utilized the climate and surroundings to earn money. I think that it is pretty amazing how the colonists could adapt so well into these foreign environments.

2. I think it was pretty stupid how the colonists had to rely on slavery to help fuel their economy. It shows that they were not strong enough or did not have the will to do the work themselves, and also reflects greed. How did slavery even get into the colonies?

3. If there were no plantations in the South, and farming was not as suitable in the country, how many slaves would have been spared the Middle Passage? I think that the voyage the slaves experienced here was terrible. They were treated like animals throughout the journey. Also, couldn't the slaves have revolted on the ships? I'm sure that they outnumbered the crew by quite a lot.

Checks and Balances

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110104/ap_on_go_ot/us_obama_food_safety This articles describes a bill that Obama signed that would make food safer from diseases and other threats. This is an example of checks and balances, because Congress, the legislative branch, passed the bill, and the president, the executive branch, decided to accept the law. The president also had the power to veto the bill. Even though the legislative branch created the bill, the executive branch decided whether to make it a law or not. This is an example of checks and balances, where the branches balances each other out and prevent one branch from gaining too much power.

Summary of First Amendment People have the right of religion, speech, press and assembly. We can also petition the government. Congress cannot make a law prohibiting these rights.

Amendment: a change or addition to a bill, law or constitution.

Second Amendment: Everybody in the militia has the right to own a gun to protect the state.

Third Amendment: No soldier can stay in the home of the owner without the owner's consent.

Fourth Amendment: Government can't come into the house of person unless they have a warrant or probable cause

Fifth Amendment: Nobody can be a witness against themself, incriminate themselves

Sixth Amendment: right to a speedy trial,

Seventh Amendment: a person can not be tried for the same crime twice, double jeopardy

Eigth Amendment: No cruel and unusual punishment, but if torture saves lives, it may be accepted

Summary of the Bill of Rights The bill of rights protect and outline the basic rights of citizens of the United States that Congress cannot violate.

Activity: Can You Say That? Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
 * Hazelwood || Kuhlmeier ||
 * Principal is in charge of the press

The information about the divorce may have caused disruption in the school

The parents which the article involved should give their consent before the story was published

Parents should have opportunity to respond to the article || Violated their freedom of speech

Violated freedom of press

Students were only reporting facts

Wasn't fair that all the pages the article were on were removed, because the other articles on the pages also got removed || I voted for the principal. Even though the students had the right of free speech and press, I think it was for the best that the principal censored their article. It wasn't fair for the parents that were mentioned in the article, because they had no say in what was written. Also, that information was a bit unnecessary and may have caused a commotion in the school. Finally, the principal himself is the one in charge of the press. "Freedom of the press" only applies on the outer level, not the inner level, where ultimately the principal controls what goes on the paper.

Checks and Balances This action of the president can be checked by the Legislative Branch because they can decide that what the president does is unacceptable and impeach him, and the Judicial Branch can declare that his actions are unconstitutional. The president can veto the law, and the judicial branch can state that the law is unconstitutional. The Legislative branch can override the veto Legislative Branch can impeach president for his actions, the Judicial branch can state that his actions are unconstitutional The legislative branch ratifies the treaty legislative branch can remove members, and the executive branch decides the members.
 * 1) I am the President, I can declare war on Lower Slobovia; I can make any decision I want.
 * 1) I am a Senator; I can help write and pass any law I want.
 * 1) I am the President of the United States; I can veto any law passed by Congress.
 * 1) I am the President of the United States; I can do anything I want.
 * 1) I am the President of the United States; I can make a treaty with Upper Slobovia.
 * 1) We're the Supreme Court; we'll be ruling on every law for years.