mrs. grable origins of us government. our political heritage limited government – power of the...
TRANSCRIPT
MRS. GRABLE
Origins of US Government
Our Political Heritage
Limited government – power of the government or monarch is limited, not absolute
Representative government – people elect delegates to make laws and conduct government
Rule of Law – no one, not even government, is above the law, everyone must obey all laws
Our Political Heritage
Separation of powers – division of powers within the government
Due Process – people have the right to fair and reasonable laws
Inalienable/unalienable rights – rights that cannot be taken away from you (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness)
Social Contract Theory - People surrender to the state the power needed to maintain order; in turn, state agrees to protect its citizens
Where did we get these ideas?
English Documents Magna Carta English Petition of Rights English Bill of Rights
Important Historical People Hobbes Locke Montesquieu Rousseau
Magna Carta - History
Means “Great Charter”King John financed a war with more taxesAs a result, people rose in rebellionPeople presented King John with the Magna
Carta as a compromise Meant to limit the power of the MonarchThe King signed in 1215
Magna Carta – Major Ideas U.S. Used
Limited Power of GovernmentGuaranteed Trial by JuryDue process of lawAll people, not just privileged, protected
Major Take Away – First document of its kind that limited power of Monarch or government!
English Petition of Rights - History
Charles I requested more money in taxes for his unpopular foreign policy
Parliament refused Charles I forced loans and quartering of
troopsEnglish Parliament produced Petition of
Rights in hostility to Charles I
English Petition of Rights – Major Ideas U.S. Used
Rule of lawUnalienable rightsTrial by juryProtection against quartering of troopsProtection of private property
Major Take Away- First document to ensure man’s unalienable rights
English Bill of Rights - History
Parliament offered crown to William and Mary of Orange during the Glorious Rebellion
To prevent misuse of power, Parliament drew up a Bill of Rights that had to be agreed to by William and Mary before taking power
Signed in 1688
English Bill of Rights –Major Ideas U.S. Used
Limited governmentRight to petition peacefullyParliamentary checks on power (separation of
power)Fair and speedy trialFreedom from excessive bailProtection from cruel and unusual punishment
Major Take Away – The most important document to influence the colonist’s general beliefs about government
Thomas Hobbes “Leviathan”
Believed in a state of nature, no government existsA better life will be assured through existence of a
government
Major Take Away - Believed to be the first to write about Social Contract Theory without calling it that
Social Contract Theory - Men give up some freedoms to government in exchange for protection from government
John Locke “Second Treatise on Government”
Government exists to protect life, liberty, and property (inalienable rights)
Society holds power, and those who govern must be elected by society (Representative Government)
Government exists to better the people (Social Contract Theory)
Major Take Away – The primary influence of the Declaration of Independence
Montesquieu“The Spirit of Laws”
Used examples from history to prove his points
The state should be a reflection of the people and what they want (representative government)
Believed in 3 branches of government (separation of powers)
Major Take Away – First philosopher to use history to prove his points, first to advocate for 3 branches of government
Rousseau “Social Contract Theory”
“Man is born free, but everywhere else he is in chains”
Legitimate political authority comes from a social contract
Major take away- Finally gave a name to the concept of Social Contract Theory
Government in the Colonies
13 colonies founded between 1607 and 1733Each could create own laws, raise taxes, set
up court system, etc.Established practices that are still key today
including written constitutions, elected legislature, and separation of powers
What happened to our relationship with Great Britain?
French and Indian War (1754) – French and British struggle over lands in western Penn. and Ohio- Left Britain with huge war debt, which they expected colonists to help pay
First steps toward Colonial Unity
Albany Plan of Union (1754) Proposed by Benjamin Franklin Main purpose was to decided how colonies would
defend themselves from French Franklin suggested a congress be formed, and
representatives from each colony meet to make treaties, collect taxes, and oversee land disputes
Colonist rejected because too much power to the government
During the war…
1760- King George III became Britain’s new king
1763- British won the French and Indian War , so King George decided that the colonies should give Britain some money to pay back war debt
The results of the War and the New King
Taxes were levied on the colonies on tea, sugar, glass, paper, and other products to help pay war debt
Stamp Act (1765) – first ever direct tax on colonists, tax on legal documents, newspaper, pamphlets, etc.
How did the colonies respond?
1765- Stamp Act Congress 9 colonies sent delegates to this meeting to protest
King George’s actions Sent a petition to the king arguing that only colonial
legislatures could pass laws that imposed taxes
The British listened…kind of.
1766 – Declaratory Act - asserted Parliament's authority to pass laws that were binding on the American colonies.
British repealed (got rid of) the Stamp Act, but continued passing laws that increased taxes and tariffs on colonies as a result of this act
The Colonist got angry…
1773 - Boston Tea Party, protests, refusal to buy British goods, etc.
What did the British do next?
In retaliation, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, know to the Colonists as Intolerable Acts (1774) which included:Closing Boston harbor to everyone except
British shipsThe British Governor was in charge of all the
town meetingsColonist had to house and feed British troops
How did colonist respond?
The First Continental Congress (Sep 1774) Delegates from all colonies (except GA)
met to debate relationship with Great Britain
Imposed an embargo (refusal to trade) against Great Britain
Proposed a follow up meeting in a year if Britain did not change
War Breaks Out
George III tells Britain “The New England Governments are in a state of rebellion! Blows must decide whether they are part of this country or independent!”
April 1775- Battle of Lexington at Concord, first battle of the Revolutionary War
Colonist Unite to Fight
Second Continental Congress (May 1775) Representatives from all 13 colonies Formed central government for the war John Hancock voted president George Washington voted commander of
newly formed Continental Army
The Declaration of Independence
June 1776 –Meeting held to discuss forming a new nation Congress names a committee to prepare a
written Declaration of Independence Congress assigned a committee to create a
‘plan for confederation’
Declaration of Independence
Committee selected to draft the DOI included John Adams, Ben Franklin, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, and Thomas Jefferson
Drafted primarily by Thomas JeffersonSigned by Congress on July 4th, 1776
Key Parts of the Declaration of Independence
Part 1 – Preamble Reasons for writing the document
Part 2 – Statement of Beliefs Philosophy behind the document
Part 3 – Complaints against King George III List of offenses that caused this declaration
Part 4 – Statement of prior attempts to address these complaints
Part 5 – Declaration of Independence Colonists determination to separate from Great
Britain
Articles of Confederation
One delegate from each colony worked together and presented a plan called “The Articles of Confederation” (1777)
In March of 1781, all 13 states had ratified (approved) the Articles
Served as the 1st Constitution of the United States
The War is Over!
Revolutionary War Ends 1783
Basic Ideas of the Articles
1. Gave most power to the states2. Unicameral (single chamber) Congress3. No Judicial or Legislative branch4. Each state had one vote in Congress5. State Legislatures selected own
representative for Congress
Powers of Central Government (Congress) under Articles of Confederation
Make war and peaceEnter into treatiesRequest money from statesMaintain Army by requesting troops from
statesEstablish post officesRegulate Indian affairs
Powers of States under Articles of Confederation
Choose to obey national lawsChoose to give taxes to central governmentVeto amendments in the Articles of
ConfederationRegulate tradePrint moneyEnforce laws
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
1. Congress had no power to regulate trade
2. Congress could not tax 3. No power over state governments4. All 13 states had to agree to change
the Articles of Confederation5. Each state printed its own money
Need for stronger central government
War debt unpaidEconomic depressionState disputes
The Constitutional Convention – May 1787
Delegates from all colonies except Rhode Island
Each state was given 1 vote on all disagreements
Major issues were power of central government, slavery, and trade
Described as ‘a bundle of compromises’9 of 13 states were needed to ratify
Ratifying the Constitution
Federalist VS James Madison,
Alexander Hamilton Favored the new
ConstitutionFavored stronger
central government
Argued Bill of Rights was not necessary
Anti-FederalistsPatrick Henry, George
Mason, James Monroe
Favored the Articles of Confederation
Feared strong central government
Wanted inclusion of a Bill of Rights
Ratifying the Constitution
To gain support, Federalist promised to add a Bill of Rights as the first order of business
“The Federalist Papers” – 80 essays defending the new Constitution Written by Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay Published in a New York newspaper
Ratifying the Constitution
June 1788 – 9 states had ratified the ConstitutionDelaware - December 7th, 1787Pennsylvania – December 12th, 1787New Jersey – December 18th, 1787Georgia – January 2nd, 1788Connecticut – January 9th, 1788Massachusetts – February 6th, 1788Maryland – April 28th, 1788South Carolina – May 23rd, 1788New Hampshire – June 21st, 1788