The Roots of American Democracy

1. The Roots of American Democracy Ideas about Government and the Colonists

2. English Political Heritage • Limited Government-the idea that people should have a say in their own government. • Representative Government- the idea that people should have a say in their own government. • Individual rights- the idea that government should protect individual and property rights • These ideas led to this...

3. French and Indian War • British actions- British win and take control of Ohio River Valley thus taking control of North America. They tax colonies to repay massive war debt. • Colonists’ reaction- the war unites the colonies against a common enemy. Some join the war effort but many resent having to shelter and supply British troops.

4. The Stamp Act • British action- 1765 Parliament passes stamp act, a tax on paper goods. A seal is required on all goods to show that tax has been paid. • Colonists’ reaction- boycott British goods claiming that Parliament had no right to tax them without their consent.

5. Boston Massacre • British action- March 1770 British soldiers in Boston are surrounded by an unfriendly crowd of colonists and accidently open fire, killing three and fatally wounding two colonists. • Colonists’ reaction- they call the event a massacre. The killing stir opposition to British policies and lead to the withdrawal of British troops from Boston.

6. Boston Tea Party • British actions- the British pass the Townshend Acts, taxing all paper, glass, lead, and tea. They send forces to the colonies to enforce the new taxes. • Colonists- Insulted by the tea tax , a small band of patriots disguised as Native Americans board English ships in Boston Harbor and dump 342 chests of tea overboard.

7. The Intolerable Acts • British actions- as a response to the Boston Tea Party, the British pass a number of punitive (punishing) measures in the spring of 1774. Boston Harbor is closed, and British troops are quartered. • Colonists’ reaction- the colonists call for a Continental Congress in 1774. The repeal (the doing away with) of the Intolerable Acts would be the colonists’ primary demand until independence.

8. Your Task • Read The 9/11 Dilemma: Freedom vs. Security • You will apply though analysis of the reading the ideas of limited government, representative government, and individual rights to the following questions: • Can government listen to our phone conversations and read our e-mails without warrants? Why or why not? • Should suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba have the right to challenge their detention in court? Why or why not? • How much power does the president have to search for and punish those accused of having terrorists ties? • Are harsh interrogation techniques ever justified? And at what point do they become torture?