Skip to main content

2. Foundations of American Government

The colonial inheritance, independence and the Articles of Confederation, the making of the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights that followed it.

2. Foundations of American Government

Sea travel expanded the horizons of many European nations and created prosperity and the conditions for the Enlightenment. In turn, the Enlightenment ideals of…

2a. The Colonial Experience

John Winthrop was the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, one of the eight colonies governed by royal charter in the colonial period. They created and nu…

2b. Independence and the Articles of Confederation

"Give me liberty, or give me death!" Patrick Henry's oratory against British taxation of American colonies was key in inspiring the Founding Fathers to declare…

2c. Creating the Constitution

"Nothing spoken or written can be revealed to anyone — not even your family — until we have adjourned permanently. Gossip or misunderstanding can easily ruin a…

2d. The Bill of Rights

By working to get the Bill of Rights passed, James Madison continued his support of Jefferson's policies. Jefferson supported the Constitution under the condit…