Our Political Beginnings  Concepts:  Democracy developed from Greek, Roman and English experience.  The English traditions and ideas especially influenced U.S. government.  The Constitution is the basis of our governmental structure and democratic principles/values.

 There are basic principles of government, which determine our government.  The Constitution has been the basis of our government for 200 years because it is flexible and meets the needs of the people.

 The English controlled the 13 colonies and brought with them the knowledge of a political system.  The Ancient Romans occupied much of England from A.D. 43 to 410 and left behind laws, religion and custom.

 Ordered Government  The first English colonists created local governments.  Offices: sheriff, coroner, assessor, grand jury etc.

 Limited Government  Government should not be all powerful.  Representative Government  Government should serve the will of the people.  People should have a voice in deciding what government should and should not do.

English Concepts of Democracy  1. Limited Power of Government  Magna Carta – 1215  Protected people against the King’s rule  Created trial by jury and due process of law  Protection against the taking of life, liberty or property  Established that the power of the monarchy was not absolute.

 2. House of Commons – common man elected to be a part of government, all men can participate.  Representative Government

 3. Rights of Common Man – all men have God given rights  Petition of Right  No martial law (rule by the military)  No requirement to shelter the king’s troops  Even the monarch must obey the law of the land

 English Bill of Rights  No standing army in peacetime  Free Parliamentary elections  Parliament has the ultimate power  Trial by jury of peers  Consent of the governed  Freedom from excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment

 4. Rule by law – all people follow decisions and laws which set a precedent and follow customs and traditions.

13 Colonies  Virginia – first colony  First English settlement of Jamestown in 1607  Commercial Venture (Virginia Company – private trading company)  Massachusetts  Settled by those looking for personal and religious freedom

 Each colony was established on the basis of a Charter  A written grant of authority from the king.  Three Kinds of Charters  Royal Colony – direct control of the crown  King names a Governor and Council  Bicameral  Upper house – Council  Lower house – elected by property owners

 Proprietary Colony  Organized by a person who had been given a grant by the King.  Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware  Governor appointed by the proprietor  Charter Colony  Self-governing  Connecticut and Rhode Island  Elections approved by the King

The Coming of Independence

 “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” – Benjamin Franklin  The colonies had become largely self- governed. The crown provided defense, foreign affairs, system of money.  When King George III took the throne in 1760, that would change.

George III  New taxes were imposed  Colonists claimed “No taxation without Representation”  New restrictive trading taxes imposed  Colonists had to make a decision.

Previous Attempts (to organize)  1643 – New England Confederation is formed.  To help protect each other from Native Americans.  1696 – William Penn attempted inter- colonial cooperation and was ignored.

 1754 – Albany Plan – proposed by Ben Franklin  Proposed the formation of an annual congress of delegates. The could raise the military, make war with Native Americans, regulate trade, and tax.  The plan was turned down by the colonies and the crown.

 1765 – Stamp Act  Use of tax stamps on all legal documents and newspapers  “taxation without representation”  Delegates from 9 of the colonies came together to oppose this act.  Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, but passed other laws tying the colonies to London.

Boston Massacre Boston Massacre  Colonists begin to boycott English goods.  1770 – British troops fire on protesters killing five.  More resistance organized by Samuel Adams in  1773 – Boston Tea Party  Dumped cargo into the sea

First Continental Congress  1774 – Delegates (except GA) met in Philadelphia  Sent a Declaration of Rights to King George III.  Encouraged refusal of trade and boycotts until the tax laws were repealed.

Second Continental Congress  British government refused to compromise.  1775 – Second Congress met. The revolution had begun.  All 13 delegates were in attendance.  John Hancock was chosen President of the Congress  Continental Army created – George Washington appointed commander in chief

 The Second Continental Congress served as the first government of the United States for 5 years.  Declaration of Independence in July 1776  Articles of Confederation – March 1781  Unicameral Body. Exercised both legislative and executive powers. Each colony had one vote.

The Critical Period and Creating the Constitution

Political philosophers  John Locke  NATURAL RIGHTS – all people born free, equal, independent and granted life, liberty and property  SOCIAL CONTRACT – people created governments (give up some rights to live in an organized society)  People can change government

Jean –Jacque Rousseau (Switz.)  People should be allowed to PARTICIPATE in government  People are the POWER of government DEMOCRACY

Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu or…..just Montesquieu (French)  Government should be arranged around THREE branches of government  There should be SEPARATION of powers between branches  Gov’t power should be limited –CHECKS AND BALANCES

Mayflower Compact  What type of government did they have?  DIRECT DEMOCRACY  Read the Mayflower Compact and answer the two questions.

Colonial Governments  All were REPRESENTATIVE governments – under BRITISH rule  Problems between the Crown and the Colonists  No representation in Parliament, even though they were being taxed.  No “taxation without representation”!

 Basic rights denied  King George III had a huge war debt, so he in-acted a series of trade acts on the colonies  Stamp Act  Tax on all printed material  Townsend Act  Tax on everyday items (paper, glass, paint, tea)

 Tea Act  NOT A TAX  Gave the East India Tea Company exclusive rights to the tea trade.

Action taken against England  Petitions  Meetings  1 st and 2 nd CONTINENTAL CONGRESS  Protests  Smuggling  Tar and Feather tax collectors

 Boston Massacre (1770)  British soldiers fire on protesting colonists killing 5 people.  Boston Tea Party (1773)  Colonists dressed as Native Americans dumped tea into the harbor to protest British control of sea trade.

Declaration of Independence  Written by Thomas Jefferson  All men have basic rights – John Locke  Equality  No classes in society

 Life  Government cannot take away life without due process  Liberty/Freedom  Basic rights/freedoms

 Pursuit of Happiness  Chance to better yourself economically.  Government power  Government power comes from the CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED.  Man creates government  To protect RIGHTS  Can CHANGE government

Reasons for the Declaration  To convince the colonists to FIGHT  To convince other countries to help  To provide for the consent of the GOVERNED  To establish that all men have RIGHTS  To reaffirm our GRIEVANCES against the king

 American Revolution   French joined 1778  Articles of Confederation   Purpose: establish a working relationship between the 13 STATES

 Articles of Confederation  STATES have the most power  No LEADER  One house CONGRESS

 Weaknesses of the Articles  One vote for each state, regardless of population.  Congress cannot collect taxes.  Congress cannot regulate trade.  No one to enforce acts of congress.  No court system.

Need for a Stronger Government  Group of delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention = Framers  Ideas:  Virginia Plan – called for three separate branches. Called for bicameral legislature where representation was based on population (favors big states)

 New Jersey Plan – called for a unicameral Congress where each state was represented equally (favors the smaller states)  Compromises  Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise) – Put New Jersey and Virginia plans together.  Bicameral Congress – Senate (equal rep.) and House (rep based on pop)

 Three – Fifths Compromise  Should slaves count as part of the population?  Framers decided that slaves would be counted as 3/5 of a person for population purposes.  Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise  Congress is forbidden to tax the export of goods from any state.  Congress is forbidden to act on the slave trade for 20 years.

Constitution  Copies sent to states on September 28, 1787

Federalists and Anti- Federalists  Federalists – favored ratification of the new constitution  (Madison, Hamilton, Washington)  Stressed the weakness of the Articles  Not sure if we should list out rights  Favored maintaining an army in peace time

 Anti-Federalists – opposed ratification.  (Henry, Hancock, S. Adams)  Too much power for federal government  No bill of rights  No mention of God

Ratification  Delaware was first to ratify  By 1788, 11 of 13 states had ratified the constitution (N. Carolina and Rhode Island ratified later)  George Washington was elected President and John Adams Vice President.  New York was the first capital.

Constitution  Written in Ratified in  President Washington takes oath of office April 30,  Constitution has been amended 27 times since then. The Constitution is our next unit! The Constitution is our next unit!