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King George III: King George was king in Britain during the Revolutionary time period.
British Parliament: Parliament was Britain's form of a Congress. They met to create laws and the members of Parliament were mostly wealthy white men.
John Adams: John Adams was a lawyer from Boston and the leader of the movement for independence in the Continental Congresses. He was a delegate from Massachusetts the first vice president and the second president of the United States.
Patriots: The name for colonists who were in favor of declaring independence from Britain.
Loyalists: The name for colonists who were still loyal to the King and Britain.
Thomas Jefferson: Jefferson was a wealthy land and slave owner from Virginia. He was the third president and wrote the Declaration of Independence.
George Washington: Washington was a wealthy land and slave owner from Virginia who had fought in the French and Indian War. He was a delegate to the Continental Congresses and was nominated by John Adams to lead the Continental Army to oppose Britain. He won the war and became the first president of the United States.
French Army and Navy: After the Battle of Saratoga and with the help of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, the Dutch were convinced to loan their money to the Americans to help them pay for the war.
James Madison: Madison was a delegate from Virginia who attended the Continental Congress. He came up with the idea for the United States Constitution and wrote most of it. He is called the 'Father of the Constitution'.
Federalists vs. Anti-federalists: Federalists were those in favor of ratifying the Constitution and Anti-Federalists did not want to ratify the Constitution.
Thirteen Colonies: The 13 colonies were founded by Britain on the east coast of what is now the United States in the early 1600s. They lasted until the late 1700s, when they separated from Britain and became the United States of America.
French and Indian War: This war was fought between the British and the French and Indians in the interior of North America. It was fought for territory and the British won.
Sugar Act: This was an act passed by British Parliament forcing the colonists to pay a tax on sugar because they needed to pay back the expenses of the French and Indian War.
Stamp Act: This was an act passed by British Parliament forcing the colonists to pay a tax on stamps because they needed to pay back the expenses of the French and Indian War.
Boston Massacre: This was when a mob of angry colonists harassed a group of British soldiers (who were occupying Boston) and the soldiers fired into the crowd, killing a few people.
Tea Act: This was an act passed by Parliament lowering the price of tea from the East India Company. They forced the colonists to pay a tax and buy their tea from them.
Boston Tea Party: This was when a group of Boston citizens dressed as Indians boarded tea ships in Boston Harbor and dumped all the tea into the harbor to protest the Tea Act.
Intolerable Acts: These acts passed by Parliament closed Boston Harbor, said that all British officials would be tried in British courts, forced the colonists to quarter British soldiers in Boston in their homes, and banned all public meetings. This was punishment for the protests.
First Continental Congress: This was a secret meeting between delegates from each of the Thirteen Colonies except Georgia, who didn't attend. It was held in Philadelphia. They met to decide what to do about the situation between Britain and the colonies.
Second Continental Congress: This was the second meeting that the delegates from the First Continental Congress had agreed to come to. They decided to create an army to fight the British and declare independence from Britain.
Battles of Lexington and Concord: These battles were when the first blood was shed during the Revolution. It was when the British in Boston had heard about militiamen in Lexington and Concord (two towns near Boston) stashing weapons. They went to the towns to take the supplies but Paul Revere had warned the town militias that the British were coming. The militia lost the Battle of Lexington but won the Battle of Concord.
War of Independence/Revolutionary War: The Revolutionary War was fought between 1775 to 1783. It was the war fought in America that separated the thirteen British colonies from Britain. The colonists won and created the Untied States of America.
British Evacuation of Boston: This was one of the first events in the actual war. The British had occupied Boston and Washington had surrounded them. He placed cannons on a nearby hill, Dorchester Heights, and scared the British into leaving.
Battles of Trenton and Princeton: The Battle of Trenton was when Washington decided to launch a surprise attack on Trenton, New Jersey on Christmas night, 1776. He and his army crossed the Delaware river at night and successfully took Trenton. A British General had arrived soon after and split up his forces to try and prevent Washington from leaving. Washington sneaked around them in the middle of the night and attacked a smaller British force in Princeton.
Battle of Saratoga: This was a battle fought in New York in an attempt to prevent a force of British soldiers from crossing New York and splitting the colonies in two. It was fought with frontier militiamen and the British army. The militiamen used Native American warfare tactics and disabled a large group of men.
French Navy Saved: When the French Navy Arrived in the colonies, they were docked off the coast of Rhode Island. The British in New York City had heard of their arrival and planned to surprise attack and destroy them. Washington moved his army close to New York with the hope of scaring the British from leaving New York to attack the French. His idea was a success.
Valley Forge, PA: Valley Forge was the place Washington's troops spent the winter and trained for coming battles in 1777 and 1778. It was a winter filled with many hardships.
Battle of Yorktown, VA: This was the final battle of the Revolutionary War fought in Yorktown, Virginia. The British were in Yorktown and were awaiting reinforcements and supplies. Washington decided to attack them and they surrendered.
Shays' Rebellion: This was a rebellion in the first years of the United States led by Daniel Shays, an angry Revolutionary War veteran. He led a group of armed veterans in a protest against the Articles of Confederation and the fact that they weren't paid what they were promised for serving in the war.
Constitutional Convention: This was meeting where delegates from all thirteen states (except Rhode Island who didn't attend) to try and fix the Articles of Confederation. Instead of doing that, they came up with an entirely new system of government.
Washington's Election: George Washington was elected as the first president of the United States in 1789. His vice president was John Adams.
Declaration of Independence: The Declaration of Independence is the official document written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia that announces the colonies' independence from Britain.
Treaty of Paris: This was the official end to the Revolutionary War where the British acknowledged the United States as their own country. It was signed in 1783.
Articles of Confederation: The Articles of Confederation was the first version in the United States of a constitution. It did not work out and was a weak system of government. It was soon removed.
The United States Constitution: This is the official document describing the United States government. It was written by James Madison and ratified in 1789. It has three branches: Executive, Legislative, an Judicial.
Legislative Branch: The Legislative Branch is the branch of the government that enacts laws. It is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Executive Branch: The Executive Branch is made up of the President, Vice President, and a group of secretaries called the Cabinet. The job of the Executive Branch is to enforce laws. The President is head of the Executive Branch.
Judicial Branch: The Judicial Branch of government evaluates laws. They interpret the Constitution and have the power to declare what Congress and the President do unconstitutional. It is made up of the Supreme Court which has 9 justices. Very little detail or specific information on the Judicial Branch is in the Constitution.
United States Bill of Rights: The Bill of Rights was part of the compromise that allowed the Constitution to be ratified. Anti-Federalists wanted their rights to be listed, and therefore protected. Federalists did not want a Bill of Rights because they thought that if a right was not listed, they did not have it, so better not to list it at all in case one was forgotten. The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution. It defines the rights of the people and limits the powers of the government. It also states that if the federal government does not have the power to do it, the states do, and if the states don't either, the people do. The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791.
'No Taxation without Representation': This was a phrase used to protest the taxes British Parliament was enforcing in the colonies because colonists had no say in Parliament.
Dutch Loans: After the Battle of Saratoga and with the help of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, the Dutch were convinced to loan their money to the Americans to help them pay for the war.
Checks and Balances: Each branch of government has certain powers, or checks and balances, over one another. This makes sure no one branch seizes power.
Three-Fifths Compromise: This was a compromise made by the southern states and the northern states. When deciding how many representative a state had in the House of Representatives, the southern states wanted to count slaves as part of the population because it would give them more power. Northern states without slaves or very few did not want that. They compromised and they said slaves were to be counted as three-fifths of a person when counting population, even though they still had no rights.
Great Compromise: This was a compromise that created two houses in the Legislative Branch. Small states wanted an equal number of representatives per state because they knew it would give them the most power. Large states wanted representation based on population because they thought it would give them more power. The Great Compromise created two houses, one based on population size and one with an equal number of representatives per state.
George Washington was elected as the United States' first President in 1789. He served for two four-year terms. It was necessary for Washington to succeed, otherwise the country would fall apart. He was sworn in during the late part of April. His Vice President was John Adams.
In 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, the delegates from the states met to replace the Articles of Confederation. James Madison from Virginia presented George Washington with an idea for a new government. It would include three branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. These branches would have limited powers and have checks and balances on each other to ensure no one branch grabbed power. James Madison is called the 'Father of the Constitution' because he wrote most of it. During the Constitutional Convention, they edited the document and refined it. It was finished and presented to the public to be voted on. Those who supported the Constitution were called Federalists and those who opposed it were called Anti-Federalists. The Anti-Federalists wanted either another system all together, major changes, and/or a Bill of Rights. Federalists did not want a Bill of Rights because they thought if a right was not listed, they would not have it, so better to not list it at all in case one was forgotten. Nine out of thirteen states were required to vote for the Constitution for it to be ratified. Delaware was the first to do so, and unanimously voted in favor of it. In the end, a Bill of Rights was made in compromise and the Constitution was ratified in May of 1790.
The Treaty of Paris was the document officially ending the Revolutionary War. In it, Britain accepted the United States as an independent country. It was signed on September 2nd, 1783. This was an enormous success on behalf of the Americans, but they still had the task of setting up a government and beginning a new nation.
The British army had taken over Yorktown and were occupying it in October of 1781. The Continental Army and the French army and navy were close by. Washington decided to attack Yorktown directly before the British could send more supplies and reinforcements. The French and the Americans defeated the British in Yorktown and forced them to surrender. This was the final battle of the war, and the Americans declared victory.
Glossary
The Bill of Rights was part of the compromise that allowed the Constitution to be ratified. Anti-Federalists wanted their rights to be listed, and therefore protected. Federalists did not want a Bill of Rights because they thought that if a right was not listed, they did not have it, so better not to list it at all in case one was forgotten. The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution. It defines the rights of the people and limits the powers of the government. It also states that if the federal government does not have the power to do it, the states do, and if the states don't either, the people do. The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791.
Timeline
The 13 colonies had created a constitution called the Articles of Confederation in 1777. It was a very poor form of government and a weak way to run the beginning country. The Articles of Confederation said nothing about an army, taxing, or something like a judicial branch. There was no law enforcement, no leader or president, and to pass something, 9 out of thirteen states had to agree on it, which was nearly impossible.
Shays' Rebellion in 1786 was led by Daniel Shays, a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He and many others who fought in the war had been promised money for fighting. Because the government was in debt to the Dutch, and not allowed to tax the people, there was no way they could pay the veterans. Daniel Shays led a group of armed veterans in a full scale rebellion. This is what convinced people that they needed to create a stronger form of government.
Once the war had officially begun, the British had completely occupied Boston. The troops there were led by General Howe. There were still many Loyalists in the city, but no Patriots. George Washington and his army had surrounded Boston. The elevated points around the city were Bunker Hill (which was occupied by the British) and Dorchester Heights. The army was camped outside of Boston for the whole winter of 1775. The conditions were horrible, morale was low, and nothing was happening. Washington, advised by his fellow officers, decided to send a mission led by Colonel Henry Knox from Boston. The mission was to send them to captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain in New York, and to retrieve as many cannons and as much ammunition as they could. He retrieved several cannons, together weighing at least 120,000 pounds. The whole trip took about two months. When they returned, the cannons were secretly placed on Dorchester Heights in the middle of the night. When the British awakened in the morning, they found many cannons pointing at them ready to fire. They evacuated all the soldiers and Loyalist citizens on boats and left Boston in March of 1776.
In the summer of 1787, representatives from each state, except Rhode Island, met again to try and fix the Articles of Confederation. This meeting is called the Constitutional Convention. The delegates eventually decided to throw out the Articles of Confederation and begin again with a new document called the United States Constitution. George Washington was elected to preside over the convention.
The French Navy had arrived to help in July of 1781. They were on the coast of Rhode Island and the British had learned of their presence. They supposedly planned to send ships to defeat the French. George Washington decided to move his army towards New York to make it seem to the British (who still held New York) that they might attack. His plan worked, because the British kept their forces in New York instead of going after the French Navy. The French were safe.
After the Battle of Saratoga and the loss of Philadelphia to Britain, winter was approaching. Washington moved his army to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and ordered his soldiers to prepare for the winter. They arrived in December in 1777 and began building log cabins and setting up camp. Washington's plan was to train his soldiers hard for battles to come in springtime. The winter was filled with freezing temperatures, starvation, and illness. To prevent more illness, Washington allowed his soldiers to be inoculated for smallpox, saving many lives. He also found an exiled German officer, Baron von Steuben, to be the Acting Inspector General. His job was to effectively train the soldiers of the Continental Army to be prepared to fight the British head on, which he succeeded in doing.
The Battle of Saratoga in New York was fought from June to October of 1777. A British force from Canada was moving south through New York with the intent of dividing the colonies. Washington sent the militiamen living on the frontier to do whatever they could to slow down the British. These militiamen were highly skilled sharpshooters trained in Native American fighting tactics. They hid in the wilderness and followed the movements of the British force. The British had Native American guides, and to disable the British, the sharpshooters killed the guides. They blocked their path with trees and made their march difficult. They also began to kill officers of the British army, which was not a traditional style of battle. This shocked the British troops and officers. Without the generals to lead the troops, the army was lost in the woods with no way to make decisions and continue forward. This was an enormously important success for the Americans. Because this battle was so successful, it convinced the French to loan their army and navy (which the Americans were lacking), and the Dutch to loan their money. This was the turning point in the war because the Americans were given extra support to fight.
After the loss of New York, morale in the army was extremely low. Washington knew that when the soldiers' enlistment expired, few would be enlisting again. He decided to launch a surprise attack on Trenton, NJ, hoping that a victory would encourage the soldiers that all was not lost. Hired by the British, there were Hessian mercenaries occupying Trenton. It was December in 1776, and the Continental Army was camped in Pennsylvania across the Delaware River from Trenton, New Jersey. The river was partially frozen. On Christmas Night, Washington and his army crossed the river in the freezing cold, bringing with them horses and guns. They divided into three groups, who each took different paths to Trenton. They marched through a blizzard and two men froze to death. Washington's troops attacked the city in the early morning of December 26th. The Hessian were caught off guard and the commander of the troops was drunk. Washington defeated them without a single casualty from his side. They captured almost 900 Hessian prisoners. The Americans were indeed inspired and reinvigorated by the victory. George Washington moved his troops back to the Pennsylvania side of the river after the battle.
Soon after the victory at Trenton, a force of 8,000 British soldiers arrived in Trenton in January of 1777. They believed Washington was camped there. General Cornwallis was in command and intended to defeat Washington's 5,000 exhausted men. Cornwallis split his troops to cover several places. Washington heard of Cornwallis' plan and came up with an escape plan of his own. He ordered his men to light as many campfires as they could to make it seem to the British that he was commanding a force far greater than in actuality. He muffled all the wagon wheels and sneaked silently past the British camp with his troops at night. Then he encountered part of Cornwallis' army's rear guard near Princeton. The British were far outnumbered and defeated. The Howe brothers (who were commanding most of the army and navy) decided to let the Patriots have New Jersey and abandoned all the Loyalists there.
After the British evacuated Boston, the headed to New York. The king sent the Royal Navy to help as well. The Navy was commanded by Admiral Howe, who was brothers with General Howe. The Continental Army sped to New York and set up defenses before the British could arrive and take it. There were over 100 ships outside of New York from Britain and at least 20,000 men on shore. They invaded New York, and Washington's army stood no chance. They were forced to flee in the summer of 1776. The whole city was destroyed and 3,000 Patriots were captured and put on prison boats, where a majority of them died. The whole battle lasted from July to August of 1776.
On the morning of December 16th, 1773 in Boston, a group of Boston citizen led by Samuel Adams and dressed as Mohawk Indians went aboard three British tea ships in Boston Harbor. This group of men took all the tea off the boats and threw about 10,000 pounds of tea into the harbor, a total of 342 tea chests and worth one million dollars. This protest was sparked by the Tea Act.
In July of 1776, declaring independence from Britain was real. Members of the Continental Congress, after hearing the response from the king about the Olive Branch Petition, decided to officially declare independence. They chose to write a document called the Declaration of Independence. It was written by Thomas Jefferson, a wealthy land and slave owner from Virginia. One of the lines of the Declaration says 'all men are created equal'. It was contradicting that Jefferson wrote this since he was the owner of many slaves. It was voted on and approved on July 2nd, 1776, but announced publicly on the fourth of July, the day we now celebrate as our independence day. This officially made the Revolutionary War a revolution.
The Second Continental Congress began on May 10th, 1775, and ended in July. All the delegates from each colony met again and to decide what to do with the ever worsening situation with Britain. Benjamin Franklin returned with the response that the king had rejected their first letter. They had to decide whether or not to create a Continental Army and enter in a full on war, and if they did, what would they be fighting for? They decided to create a Continental Army and chose George Washington to lead it in June of 1775. In deciding what the purpose of the war was, they chose to declare independence from Britain. But before they did, they attempted one more plea for change to King George III. They wrote the Olive Branch Petition in July of 1775 and they each signed their names on the bottom. The king's response to this was quit, or die.
In April of 1775, British soldiers in Boston had heard about colonial militiamen in Lexington and Concord (two towns about twenty miles from Boston) that had stashed a supply of weapons. They sent hundreds of British soldiers to march through the night to Lexington and Concord to take the weapons. Bostonian silversmith Paul Revere received wind of this plan. At midnight, he rode on horseback ahead of the British soldiers, and warned the towns that the British were coming and that they should gather their militias and prepare. In the very early morning of April 19th, the British troops arrived in Lexington, facing a small militia of 60 men, led by Captain John Parker. They stood off, waiting. Then, a shot was fired and the British and Patriots opened fire. This was the first bloodshed of the Revolution. Eight patriots were killed and ten were wounded. The British moved on to Concord, but by the time they arrived, militiamen had gathered from the surrounding villages also. The British were exhausted from their march faced with a fierce group of militiamen. The militiamen fired at them and forced them to flee back to Boston, all the while being followed and shot at by Patriots.
The colonists were furious, especially in Boston, Massachusetts. Tension among the people and the British soldiers was very high. On March 5th, 1770, a party of men harassed a group of British soldiers. They insulted them and then began to throw snowballs and stones. Soon the group became a large mob, and the British soldiers commanded by Captain Preston had their guns at the ready. Private Hugh Montgomery was hit with a club and then fired into the mob. The others followed lead, killing three on the spot, and wounding eight, two of whom died later. The men killed were Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr. The image below is an inaccurate depiction of the Boston Massacre by Boston silversmith Paul Revere.
The First Continental Congress was from September 5th, 1774 to October 26th, 1774. It was when representatives from each colony, except for Georgia, met secretly in Philadelphia, PA. They met to discuss what to do about the tense connection with Britain. The 56 delegates, which included George Washington of Virginia and John Adams of Massachusetts, were faced with three options. They could declare independence from Britain and start a war they would most likely loose, give in to Britain and do what they want, or write a letter to the king. They chose to write a letter to King George III asking him to repeal the taxes, open Boston Harbor, forget the Proclamation Line, and take the soldiers back to Britain. They sent Benjamin Franklin, a delegate from Pennsylvania, to hand deliver it. They also made each colony form a militia as a precautionary measure and arranged to meet again in May of 1775.
The thirteen American Colonies were on the east coast of North America, and were territory of Great Britain. They were divided into three parts: the Northern Colonies (or the New England Colonies), the Middle Colonies , and the Southern Colonies. The New England Colonies were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The major city was Boston, MA and the major industries were fishing, farming, and forests, or harvesting wood. The Middle Colonies were New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The major city was Philadelphia, PA and the major industries were wheat-growing, sewing, ship-making, and small shops. Because of their production of wheat, the were called 'the Breadbasket of the Colonies'. The Southern Colonies were Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The Major city was Charleston, SC and the major industry was farming tobacco, rice, indigo, and cotton.
The Tea Act was a law passed by Britain's Parliament forcing the colonists to pay a tax on all tea they bought, sold, imported, or traded. They also forced the colonists purchase their tea from the East India Company. The colonists were all ready protesting the previous taxes, so the Tea Act of May 10th, 1773 just made the situation work. There were further protests and more angry colonists, particularly in Boston.
For more details on his inauguration, visit: http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/swearing-in/event/george-washington-1789
As the American Colonies grew rapidly in wealth and population, the need for more territory grew. The only way to expand was west, into Native American and French land. The French traded with the Natives and were kind to them, so they sided with France. This began the French and Indian War from 1754-1763. The British won the war and forced the French to give them an immense amount of territory in the interior of North America. The land stretched all the way to the Mississippi River.
The Intolerable or Coercive Acts of 1773 were to punish the citizens of Boston for their protests and the Boston Tea Party. The British sent their Navy to close down the harbor of Boston, shutting down a major port for trade and commerce. They said that all officials that were accused of committing a crime would be tried in British courts, increasing the chance that they would be found not guilty.
They also stated that the colonists would be required to quarter the British soldier in their own houses and that all public or group meetings would be banned.
The French and Indian War was very expensive for Britain, and they needed a way to pay back the debt. So, King George III of Britain and British Parliament decided to impose a tax in 1764 for the colonists on all sugar and molasses bought, sold, traded, or imported. Then in 1765, Parliament passed another act imposing a tax on stamps. These stamps included official stamps for documents such as marriage and graduation certificates. These taxes infuriated the colonists because they had no say in Parliament. They protested "No taxation without representation". The colonists protested and began to rebel. Protests began peacefully, with refusal to pay taxes and boycotts, but eventually led to horrible attacks on tax collectors, such as tarring and feathering, hanging, and burning. Because of the response from the colonists to the tax collectors, in 1768, Parliament sent British soldiers to protect them. The British soldiers camped in Boston and marched the streets to the colonists' increasing vexation.
Part of the deal that decided the ending of the French and Indian War was called the Proclamation Line of 1763. The colonists were forbidden from crossing the border of the colonies, and the Indians would be permitted to stay where they were living. In other words, the colonists were not able to expand their land westward, which was the whole reason they fought the war. This made the colonists very angry.
This interactive timeline with take you on a tour of the Revolutionary time period in the American Colonies.
It all started in 1607 with the founding of the first permanent British colony in America, which was Jamestown in Virginia.
For more information on Jamestown, visit http://www.historyisfun.org/history-jamestown.htm
Source: www.americanhistoryusa.com
Source: www.historycentral.com
For more information on the Declaration and an image of the text, go to http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html
For the full text of the Tea Act, visit http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/teaact.htm
The Legislative Branch would make laws and would have two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The two houses were agreed upon in what is called the Great Compromise. Small states wanted a house with an equal number of representatives per state. Big states wanted representation based on population, with more representatives for each state if they had more people. In the end, two houses were made, the Senate with an equal number of representatives per state, and the House of Representatives, with representatives based on population size. Representatives are elected by the people they represent. Another issue was whether or not slaves would count as population when determining the number of representatives per state. They compromised in the Three-Fifths Compromise. This said that the south was allowed to count slaves as part of their population, but would only be counted as 3/5 a person. The importation of new slaves would be banned in twenty years but slavery would continue. The slaves were also not allowed to vote and given no rights.
Source: www.history.com
Source: www.usfca.edu
Source: www.archives.gov
Source: www.nebraskastudies.org
Source: www.ushistory.org
Source: www.virginiamemory.com
Source: www.nyhistory.org
For the full text of the Bill of Rights, visit http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
For more information on the Sugar Act, click the link: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/sugaract.htm
For the full text of the Stamp Act, visit http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/stampact.htm
The Executive Branch enforces laws. The head of the Executive Branch is the President, who has many limits to make sure that they can't seize power. The Executive Branch also has a board of advisers called the Cabinet. In the Cabinet there are the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Defense (along with others), who are in charge of foreign affairs, money, and the military. There is also be a Vice President, who is the President of the Senate, and has the power to break a tie of votes in the Senate. The President is elected through a system called the Electoral College and can serve a maximum of 2 four-year terms.
Source: www.archives.gov
Source: www.inaugural.senate.gov
Source: www.archives.gov
The Judicial Branch is the branch of the government that evaluates laws. They have the power to declare what the President and Congress do is unconstitutional, or that it goes against the Constitution. They interpret the Constitution. The highest court in the Judicial Branch is the Supreme Court. In the Supreme Court serve the justices of the Supreme Court. Now, there are nine justices and they serve for life or until they retire. The Constitution has very little information about the Judicial Branch. It doesn't say how many justices there can be and isn't very specific when defining what counts as treason. In general, there is a lot of vague information with room for interpretation.
For more information on the Constitution, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/the-constitution
For the full text of the Constitution, visit http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html