Roots of American Democracy

1
Roots of American Democracy

• Types of Government
• (Democracy/Republic, Monarchy/Dictatorship
• Communism/Socialism, Additional Notes)
• Enlightenment
• Enlightenment Philosophers
• (Locke, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau)
• Magna Carta
• Foundations of our Rights
• English Bill of Rights
• Parliament
• Common Law
• Colonial Period Mercantilism
• Jamestown Colony Plymouth Colony
• The 13 Colonies
• Colonial Governments
• French Indian War
• Map of the Americas
• French Indian War Maps
• Revolutionary Period

2
Democracy - Republic

• This system is based on the philosophies of John
  Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau. Later, the
  founding fathers of the United States extended
  these principles. Men such as Thomas Jefferson
  and Thomas Payne.
• (Problem) For these philosophers, the problem
  could be explained by a government, in many cases
  a monarch having too much power. Most of these
  men agreed that individuals had natural rights,
  and that if any person had too much power, these
  rights would not be protected. The answer was to
  have elected government, with a system of checks
  and balances.
• Many nations are experimenting with these ideas
  of government. US Representative Democracy.

3
Monarchy - Dictatorship

• These systems have been and are used by nations
  throughout the world. In these systems, one
  person has control of government. In a monarchy,
  it is held by a king, queen, or ruling family
  (Sultan). This power is passed on through family
  succession.
• In a dictatorship, power is often seized by
  force by a military force or group. Power is
  usually passed on to the next in line of people
  who share this philosophy.
• (Monarchy) England, Spain, France Until 18th
  and 19th centuries. Today many of these are
  constitutional monarchs. Saudi Arabia today.
• Dictatorship Nazi Germany under Hitler Fidel
  Castro (Cuba)

4
Communism - Socialism

• Both of these systems are based on the economic
  philosophies of Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels.
  These two outlined their philosophy in a book
  called the Communist Manifesto.
• (Problem) Large difference between the rich and
  the poor. They felt that history could be seen
  as a struggle between these classes, and that
  eventually the working class would revolt against
  those who controlled the means of production and
  create a classless society. In this society,
  people would work according to their talents, and
  everyone would share the benefits.
• Communist States such as China, Cuba, and North
  Korea are not true examples of this philosophy,
  much like the US is not a pure democracy.

5
Additional Types of Government Notes

• Most nations have a combination of two or more of
  these systems. Communism and Socialism are
  economic systems, which can be combined with
  another government type. For example, many
  Western European nations have a monarch, who has
  little power, they have a representative
  democracy, and they have a socialist economic
  system.
• Anarchy This is a philosophy that government
  serves to do nothing more than limit freedom and
  place restrictions on the individual. Anarchy
  typically only exists for short periods of time
  groups usually seize control.

6
ENLIGHTENMENT

• During the Enlightenment Period many ideas that
  influenced the Framers of the United States
  Government developed. These ideas are seen in
  the Declaration of Independence and the
  Constitution.
• Enlightenment Philosophers
• John Locke natural rights, purpose of
  government
• Montesquieu separation of power, checks
  balances
• Rousseau consent of the governed

7
John Locke

• Locke was an English philosopher who lived during
  the English Civil War. He believed that God
  granted man 3 natural rights (life, liberty,
  property).
• Locke said that people entered into a social
  contact with their government. People agreed to
  pay taxes and follow reasonable laws. The
  government in exchange must protect these natural
  rights.
• Locke believed if government did not protect
  these natural rights, the government had broken
  the contract. In this case, the people had the
  right to overthrow the government.

8
Thomas Hobbes

• Hobbes was an English philosopher. He was older
  than Locke, but they lived at the same time.
  Hobbes described life in a state of nature as
  nasty, brutish, and short.
• He felt that people entered into a social
  contract for fear of a violent death. Hobbes
  unlike Locke believed in the divine right of
  kings. This meant that the ruler obtained
  absolute power, and the people had no right to
  question his/her rule or revolt.

9
Montesquieu

• Montesquieu was an important philosopher in the
  development of the American democracy.
  Montesquieu came up with the idea of a separation
  of power.
• He felt that if one person obtained all power,
  there could be no liberty. He felt that there
  should be a separation between the legislative,
  executive, and judicial. Power should be a check
  on power. Power corrupts, absolute power
  corrupts absolutely.

10
Rousseau

• He was a Swiss-French philosopher. One of his
  most famous quotes was man is born free, yet
  everywhere he is in chains.
• He felt that the strongest among men forced
  others to obey unjust laws. The only legitimate
  government was one that ruled with the consent of
  its people.

11
Magna Carta The Magna Carta is important
because it represents the beginning of a
republican form of government in England. Prior
to the Magna Carta, England had an absolute
monarch.

• Before the Magna Carta
• The Monarch (King or Queen) had absolute
  authority.
• Decisions of taxing, use of the military, making
  and enforcing laws all were made by the monarch.

• After the Magna Carta
• A Common Counsel was created made up of Nobles
  (large landowners and church officials)
• Changes After the Magna Carta
• Taxes (consult common counsel)
• Must have witness to crime.
• Trial by Jury
• English Church free of Monarch Control

12
Foundations of Our Rights
Bill of Rights (1791) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 8th
Magna Carta (1215) yes yes yes yes yes
Petition of Right (1621) yes yes yes yes
Mass. Body of Liberties (1641) yes yes yes yes
Declaration of Rights Toleration Acts (1689) yes yes yes yes yes yes
Rights violated in the colonies? yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
13
ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS (1689)Between 1215 the
1600s the Common Counsel became a much more
formal Parliament. The English Bill of Rights
followed the English Civil War. This document
transformed English Government even further than
the Magna Carta.

• Parliament has following powers in English
  Government
• Power to Tax
• Make Laws
• Control of the Nations Army

14
PARLIAMENTEnglish Legislative Branch
(BICAMERAL)House of Lords House of Commons

• HOUSE OF LORDS
• Made up of Nobles
• Seat is Inherited

• HOUSE OF COMMONS
• Members are Elected
• Come from Towns Cities throughout England
• Representative Democracy

15
COMMON LAW

• A system of law based on precedents.
• A precedent is an earlier decision made by a
  judge that serves as a model for future cases.
• Over time common law creates a system of
  consistent rulings.
• English Common Law has been used in the
  development of contracts, marriages, etc in the
  United States.

16
Mercantilism Colonial Period

• Mercantilism
• Economic Policy that a country should sell more
  goods to other countries than it buys.
• EXPORT gt IMPORT

• Colonial Period
• Colony A group of people in one place ruled by
  a government in another.
• European Nations began to colonize the Americas.
• Colonies provided mother country with a cheap
  source of raw materials, could then produce
  finished products to export to colonies, and
  other parts of the world.

17
Early English Colonies

• JAMESTOWN COLONY
• Representative Democracy
• House of Burgesses
• 22 Members - House of Burgesses were elected by
  colonists

• PLYMOUTH COLONY
• Colonists on the Mayflower signed a document
  called the Mayflower Compact.
• The Mayflower Compact created a direct democracy.
• Members of the colony would come together
  periodically, and vote on the direction the
  colony would take.

18
The 13 Colonies
Colonies Motivations Economy
New England Colonies Massachusetts New Hampshire Connecticut Rhode Island Mainly religious dissenters Puritans did not believe in toleration Small scale farming small business shipbuilding
Middle Colonies New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Delaware Mainly religious dissenters Quakers (Penn) Farming wheat other cash crops industry mines, etc
Southern Colonies Maryland Virginia NC, SC Georgia Economic Reasons indentured servants slavery Agriculture large scale plantation farming
19
COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS
20
FRENCH INDIAN WAR

• The French Indian War resulted from a land
  dispute between the French the English. Fought
  in the mid 1750s, the British came out of the
  war having gained territory in the Americas.
• This war however had disastrous effects on the
  relationship between the British and the
  colonies.
• Due to fighting with the French in the Americas
  and in Europe, England was in debt. The English
  felt that the colonies should pay for the French
  Indian War.
• The Colonists felt that protection was a part of
  the relationship between the British The
  Colonies.

21
Map of the Americas

• The following map shows
• European Countries and
• where each set up colonies
• in the New World.

22
FRENCH INDIAN WAR MAPS

• BEFORE AFTER

23
REVOLUTIONARY PERIODPeriod in the Americas
between the late 1750s and the mid 1770s. This
period led to the Declaration of Independence and
the Revolutionary War.

• CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
• Navigation Acts English monopolize trade with
  colonies.
• Writs of Assistance search warrants to search
  for smuggled goods.
• Sugar Act (1764)
• Stamp Act (1765)
• Townshend Acts (1767)
• Proclomation Act (1767)
• Quartering Act (1765)
• Intolerable Acts (1774)

• COLONIAL OPPOSITION
• Stamp Act Congress began boycott of British
  goods.
• Committees of Correspondence
• intercolonial communication network to
  communicate issues with British.
• COLONIAL SOLUTUIONS
• 1st Continental Congress drafted letter to King
  and Parliament demanding rights be restored.
• 2nd Continental Congress DECLARATION OF
  INDEPENDENCE