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