Constitutional Foundations for The United States Democratic Republic

1. Constitutional Foundations for The United States Democratic Republic The Creation of a Nation

2. The Constitution is the Foundation of American Society • American Political Rights and governmental institutions had 3 sources • 1 British Influence • 2 17th & 18th Century Enlightenment ideas • 3 American Colonial Experience • Developed from 13 ENGLISH COLONIES

3. British Influence • Magna Carta 1215 – Limited the Kings power to rule • Petition of Rights – 1628 – Established basic rights for the people • English Bill of Rights – representative government & rule of law are more important than the power of the King

4. Enlightenment Thinkers

5. People are born with natural rights Life Liberty Property Social Contract Theory = to protect rights people form governments Governments exist with consent of the governed John Locke

6. Balanced government works best Divide power among several branches Prevents one branch from becoming too strong Baron De Montesquieu

7. Governments rule with the consent of the governed People have the right to change their government (by force if necessary) Jean-Jacques Rousseau

8. Voltaire • Advocated right to free speech and religion • “I may detest what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it.”

9. Colonial Experience • House of Burgesses – 1619 – Virginia • First representative government • New England Town Meetings • 1754 Albany Plan of Union – Franklin’s plan – rejected - fear of loosing self-government

10. Economic Causes of Revolution • Mercantilism • Proclamation of (1763) – limited movement • Sugar Act (1764) - Tax • Stamp Act (1765) -Tax • Townshend Acts – Tax • Tea Act – British tea less expensive • Intolerable Acts (1774)

11. Political Causes • Lost control over King’s representatives • Taxes threaten rights to property • No voice in British Parliament

12. Social & Ideological Causes • Colonists felt more equal to each other than their British counterparts • 90% of all white males owned land which enabled them to vote • Birth rate in the colonies produced many people who had no ties to England • Great Awakening religious movement encouraged people to question authority

13. Colonial Response to Britain • First Continental Congress (1774) – attempt to plan a united response to British actions • April 1775 – Battles of Lexington & Concord - colonial attempts to arm themselves are frustrated – start the American Revolution • June 1776 – Declaration of Independence proposed – becomes fact July 1776

14. Purpose of the Declaration of Independence • Tell the world that the colonies are now a new Independent nation • Explain and Justify to the world why this action was necessary • Leave a record that made sense to future generations

15. Three parts of the Declaration • A theory of Government • List of grievances against the King • Formal resolution declaring independence

16. Key Ideas of Government • People have natural rights • Governments get power from the people the consent of the governed • If governments don’t respond to the people’s wishes the people have the right to abolish that government.