• When I think of New England, I think lobsters, ports, and ships
• New England has rocky soil, natural ports and harbors, and forests
• Thus, it is difficult to farm in New England but shipbuilding and fishing are vibrant activities
• Yes, the New England colonies had good harbors, abundant forests, rocky soil, and a short growing season - these factors most influenced the colonial economy of New England
• Even today ports and fishing are important activities in New England • The Appalachian Mountains are located in the eastern part of the United States
• The Rocky Mountains are located in the western part of the United States
• The original settlements in the thirteen British colonies were all located east of the Appalachian Mountains
• The original Thirteen Colonies were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, and Rhode Island
• If you look at a map, you will see that these colonies were all located in the East and nearer to the Atlantic Ocean and that these colonies were all located east of the Appalachian Mountains • The Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land
• In the Constitution, it is written: "This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding."
• The Constitution or federal law is supreme over state law
• Article VI of the Constitution makes federal law "the supreme law of the land," notwithstanding a contrary law any state might have
• In the important 1958 case of Cooper v Aaron, in which the Court considered the efforts of state authorities to block integration of Little Rock's Central High School, the Court unanimously declared, "No state legislator or executive or judicial official can war against the Constitution without violating his undertaking to support it..."
• Yes, the Constitution is supreme • Established by Chief Justice John Marshall in the Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison, judicial review is the power of the Court to declare a law unconstitutional
• Yes, The Supreme Court has the power to interpret the Constitution
• By interpreting the Constitution, the Supreme Court determines if a law conforms to the Constitution or is against the principles of the Constitution
• Judicial review is not listed in the Constitution - thus, it is an example of the unwritten Constitution
• The Supreme Court plays a very important role in our constitutional system of government
• First, as the highest court in the land, it is the court of last resort for those looking for justice
• Second, due to its power of judicial review, it plays an essential role in ensuring that each branch of government recognizes the limits of its own power
• Third, it protects civil rights and liberties by striking down laws that violate the Constitution
• Finally, it sets appropriate limits on democratic government by ensuring that popular majorities cannot pass laws that harm and/or take undue advantage of unpopular minorities
• In essence, it serves to ensure that the changing views of a majority do not undermine the fundamental values common to all Americans, i.e., freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and due process of law • The Fourth Amendment states: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
• Yes, it is an American's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures
• In colonial days, the British could search any house for any object with a general search warrant called a writ of assistance
• The colonists hated the writ of assistance
• James Otis in his "Against the Writs of Assistance" (1761) wrote, ". . . Now, one of the most essential branches of English liberty is the freedom of one's house. A man's house is his castle; and whilst he is quiet, he is as well guarded as a prince in his castle. . . ."
• Yes, the provision in the Bill of Rights that includes this same belief is the protection against unreasonable search and seizure