November 16, 2006

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Notes Foundations of Government

Chapter 4

Foundations of our

Government

Virginia House of Burgesses

1619• First legislature in

colonies• Legislature is a

group of people chosen to make the laws

• Started the process of electing representatives in our government.

Charter• The king living

in England established a colony through a Charter.

• A document giving permission to create a government

• This is how the colonies were created.

Rhode Island 1636• Roger Williams creates

Rhode Island in 1636.• He’s kicked out of Puritan

Massachusetts because he spoke out against the church leaders.

• He founded Rhode Island and said no one would be punished for differences in opinions of matters of religion.

• This is the beginning of the idea of freedom. The Freedom of Religion.

Harvard• Created in 1636• Oldest college in

United States• Created to

educate our leaders in political thought

• Our civic responsibility

• Led the way for other colleges

Zenger Trial 1735• Peter Zenger editor of

New York Weekly Journal prints articles accusing NY governor of abusing his power

• Governor gets angry and throws Zenger in jail

• The case goes to court and Zenger is founded NOT GULITY for what he printed about the governor.

• Leads to our freedom of speech and press.

Roots of American Government

• Direct Democracy (Ancient Athens)–Form of gov’t in which laws are made directly by the citizens

• Republic (Ancient Romans)–A gov’t in which representative were elected to make laws

Magna Carta• In England monarchs had

complete rule of their subjects or the people living under their power

• In 1215 a group of nobles challenged the royal power and had the Magna Carta signed.

• This document took power from the monarch and gave to the his nobles. Now some basic freedoms had been given to the people.

English Bill of Rights• Now that the

monarchs powers were limited the people wanted more freedom.

• English Bill of Rights listed the rights of all English citizens.

• Today we see these rights in our Constitution.

• Everyone even government leaders must obey the laws

The basic tenets of the Bill of Rights were:

•Englishmen possessed certain civil and political rights that could not be taken away. These included:

•freedom from royal interference with the law •freedom from taxation by royal prerogative, without agreement by Parliament •freedom to petition the king •freedom to bear arms for self-defence •freedom to elect members of Parliament •the freedom of speech in Parliament •freedom from cruel and unusual punishments •freedom from fines and forfeitures without trial

John Locke• Englishman that argued

a representative government was the only reasonable kind

• Government exists for the people not the people for the government

• According to Locke the purpose of government is to protect your NATURAL RIGHTS

• The rights you are born with…

• Life, liberty and property

Montesquieu• Frenchman/writer• The colonists afraid that all

the power in one persons hands would lead to tyranny they liked his ideas:

• Separation of Powers• Dividing the government

up among the branches of government:

• Legislative: makes law, Judicial: interpret laws Executive: enforce laws

• We have this in our government today

No Taxation Without Representation

• Parliament (English government) was taxing the colonies even though they did not have a representative in English government. This was not fair.

• So colonies decide to rebel example: Boston Tea Party and other protests

• Today we have representatives we voted for to make decisions

Committees Of Correspondence

• Organizational effort created between the colonies to pass information onto one another.

• A way to communicate with each other. (no internet, cell phones, telephones)

• Today we set up committees to get things resolved.

First Continental Congress

• 12 delegates from the 13 colonies organized themselves at a meeting in Philadelphia 1774

• Colonial delegates wanted England to respect their rights.

• To pressure England the colonist started to protest by cutting off all trade with England. (Cutting all MONEY coming into England)

• Will meet in a year

Second Continental Congress

• After that one year the Congress reconvened in Philadelphia.

• This time they were fed up with England and decide to become an independent nation.

• At this meeting in 1775, the Congress decide to break free from England.

• Here they created the Declaration of Independence.

Common Sense• Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine.

• He wrote this paper to educate and encourage people about becoming independent from England.

• Many people did not want to leave the security that England offered.

• Today we use commercials, bumper stickers to encourage people to think another way.

Declaration of Independence 1776

• Delegates from 2nd CC decided to vote for independence.

• A committee was created to write the document:

• Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and John Adams

• If this document was not created we would be speaking with an English accent today.

Mayflower Compact 1620• A document signed by

all members of the Mayflower.

• It stated all the rules and regulations EVERY person would have to obey.

• The Pilgrims realized that they would need an agreement for the welfare of the group.

• The first written Constitution in US history.

Articles of Confederationratified 1781

• One of the first organized governments in the colonies.

• National legislature is created

• Congress created-given some power

• Each state gets one vote• No executive branch• No judicial branch• TOO WEAK• NO POWER

HomeworkIdentify the cause and effect

of Magna Carta

English Bill of RightsJohn Locke

MontesquieuNo Taxation Without

RepresentationFirst and Second CC

D of IMayflower Compact

Aof C