Download
1 / 18
180 likes | 189 Views
The Roots of American Democracy. Unit 3 Essential Question: What ideas gave birth to the world’s first modern democratic nation?. Roots. 1. Religious & Classical Roots. Judeo-Christian tradition Said people should make a society based on law. Believed in natural law …
E N D
The Roots of American Democracy Unit 3 Essential Question: What ideas gave birth to the world’s first modern democratic nation?
1. Religious & Classical Roots • Judeo-Christian tradition • Said people should make a society based on law. • Believed in natural law… • …universal moral principles of right and wrong. (We simply know what’s right and what’s wrong.) • Colonial Americans liked classical civilizations. • Liked Greece’s direct democracy…it emerged in New England town hall meetings. (see pic next slide) • Liked the Roman Republic where representatives were picked.
2. English Roots • 1215 A.D. – Magna Carta is written/signed. The king must share power with nobles. • Magna Carta set up rule of law – written law must be followed. • 1628 – Petition of Right – written to start limited government. The king’s power was not absolute. • 1689 – English Bill of Rights – guaranteed written rights to all.
3. & 4. English & French Enlightenment Roots • Enlightenment = intellectual movement of 16 & 1700s • Thomas Hobbes – wrote of the social contract • John Locke – wrote of natural rights (can’t be removed) like “life, liberty, and property” • Baron de Montesquieu – wrote of separation of powers(so no one person/group gets too much power) • Jean-Jacques Rousseau – wrote of the social contract, popular sovereignty(power of the people)
1. Draw a tree like this. 2. Give me 2 bits of evidence for each root. 3. What’s important about each root? Colonial Views on Government
Colonial America • 1619—Jamestown, VA sets up America’s 1st legislature (House of Burgesses) • 1620—Pilgrims set up the Mayflower Compact. They agree to follow the rules that they will set up. • New England town hall meetings. • 1650s, England began to tax Americans. (But, they didn’t enforce these for 100+ years) • 1760s, after the French & Indian War, England cracks down. • Americans cry out, “Taxation without representation!” • July 4, 1776—The Declaration of Independence is approved.
Declaration of Independence (4 parts) • Preamble • Get’s the ball rolling. • Statement of Natural Rights • “…that all men are created equal…” • “…unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” • List of Grievances • Complaints against the king. • Statement of Separation • “…these united colonies are…free and independent states…”
Constitutional Convention • Try #1 – Articles of Confederation – weak, 6 years, fails • Try #2 – Constitution. There was agreement. There was much debate. • Compromises were made—each side gets/each side gives. • Debate over representation • Large states’ plan—states get votes in Congress based on state population • Small states’ plan—each state gets equal votes in Congress • Compromise—we’ll do both. House of Representatives is based on population. Senate is equal (each state gets 2). • Last step…ratification (acceptance) required 9 of 13 states. • This was hotly debated. The promise of a Bill of Rights sealed ratification.
