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Delve into the roots of American democracy, tracing back to Judeo-Christian values, classical civilizations, English legal precedents, and Enlightenment philosophies that shaped the nation's founding principles. Explore how these diverse influences converged to establish one of the world's first modern democratic nations.
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The Roots of American Democracy Unit 3 Essential Question: What ideas gave birth to the world’s first modern democratic nation?
1. Religious & Classical Roots • Judeo-Christian tradition • Said people should make a society based on law. • Believed in natural law… • …universal moral principles of right and wrong. (We simply know what’s right and what’s wrong.) • Colonial Americans liked classical civilizations. • Liked Greece’s direct democracy…it emerged in New England town hall meetings. (see pic next slide) • Liked the Roman Republic where representatives were picked.
2. English Roots • 1215 A.D. – Magna Carta is written/signed. The king must share power with nobles. • Magna Carta set up rule of law – written law must be followed. • 1628 – Petition of Right – written to start limited government. The king’s power was not absolute. • 1689 – English Bill of Rights – guaranteed written rights to all.
3. & 4. English & French Enlightenment Roots • Enlightenment = intellectual movement of 16 & 1700s • Thomas Hobbes – wrote of the social contract • John Locke – wrote of natural rights (can’t be removed) like “life, liberty, and property” • Baron de Montesquieu – wrote of separation of powers(so no one person/group gets too much power) • Jean-Jacques Rousseau – wrote of the social contract, popular sovereignty(power of the people)
1. Draw a tree like this. 2. Give me 2 bits of evidence for each root. 3. What’s important about each root? Colonial Views on Government
Colonial America • 1619—Jamestown, VA sets up America’s 1st legislature (House of Burgesses) • 1620—Pilgrims set up the Mayflower Compact. They agree to follow the rules that they will set up. • New England town hall meetings. • 1650s, England began to tax Americans. (But, they didn’t enforce these for 100+ years) • 1760s, after the French & Indian War, England cracks down. • Americans cry out, “Taxation without representation!” • July 4, 1776—The Declaration of Independence is approved.
Declaration of Independence (4 parts) • Preamble • Get’s the ball rolling. • Statement of Natural Rights • “…that all men are created equal…” • “…unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” • List of Grievances • Complaints against the king. • Statement of Separation • “…these united colonies are…free and independent states…”
Constitutional Convention • Try #1 – Articles of Confederation – weak, 6 years, fails • Try #2 – Constitution. There was agreement. There was much debate. • Compromises were made—each side gets/each side gives. • Debate over representation • Large states’ plan—states get votes in Congress based on state population • Small states’ plan—each state gets equal votes in Congress • Compromise—we’ll do both. House of Representatives is based on population. Senate is equal (each state gets 2). • Last step…ratification (acceptance) required 9 of 13 states. • This was hotly debated. The promise of a Bill of Rights sealed ratification.
