What is a democracy? What does a democracy look like?

What is a democracy?

What does a democracy look like?

Democracy is . .•A system of government in which citizens:

•Vote for their leaders

•Have specific rights and responsibilities

•We get democracy from many sources

The ancient Greeks :

• In Athens, citizens voting for their leaders became common

• “Civic virtue” became important to many philosophers.

Athenian Government & Law

8th centuryMonarchy

7th centuryOligarchy

6th centuryTyranny

5th centuryDemocracy

621 BC Draco 560 BC Pisistratus the Tyrant

507 BC Cleisthenes the Democrat

CitizenAssembly

Archons

AereopagusCouncilof 400

Council of 500 Court of

Appeals

Male landownersAll Freemen

594 BC Solon the Reformer

- citizens (30+)- 1 year term- 2 term limit- paid- chosen by . . . Lottery

What influence from ancient Greece can we see on our U.S. government?

The ancient Romans :

• Developed the “rule of law” common to all citizens throughout the empire

• Developed advanced forms of representative government, before evolving in to a dictatorship.

Republican

Form of

Government

The Roman government was a

republic.

In a republic, citizens can choose their

leaders.

The republic was established in 509 B.C. and lasted nearly 500

years.

One difference between the Roman republic and the Greek democracy was that in Greece all men could vote, but in Rome, only men with money and property

could vote.

Another difference between the Roman

republic and the Greek democracy was that in

Greece all men voted on every law and in Rome the

wealthy elected representatives to make

laws for everyone.Why?

This type of democracy is called a

representative democracy.

How was the Roman

government organized?

Since the Romans did not want one man to make all of the laws,

they decided to balance the power of

the government between three

branches:

the executive branch,

the legislative branch,

and the judicial branch.

Executive Branch

The two leaders of the executive branch, the

consuls, were elected for just one year by the

upper class.

They supervised the Senate and

ordered the Roman army during wars.

Other members of the executive branch were

the tax collectors, mayors, city police, and

other people in positions of power in

cities.

Legislative Branch

The most powerful part of the

legislative branch was the Senate..

The Senate was a group of about 300 male citizens who

owned land.

They could tell the consuls how much money they could

spend and on what.

These men were appointed by the

consuls.

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch had six judges who were elected every

two years.

They were in charge of deciding

punishments that criminals would

receive.

Their job was similar to the job that

judges have today in the United States.

Would I have been able to

vote in Rome?

In ancient Rome, you were not allowed to vote on laws or elect

leaders of the government until you

were an adult.

Even then, only men who owned land were

allowed to have a say in the laws.

The RomanForum

The forum was the center of political, commercial and

judicial life in ancient Rome. The largest buildings were the

basilicas, where legal cases were heard.

1 = Basilica Julia 2 = Temple of Saturn

3 = Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus (on Capitoline hill) 4 = Tabularium (Archive Building)

5 = Temple of Vespasian 6 = Rostra

7 = Temple of Concord 8 = Triumphal Arch of Septimius Severus

What similarities do we see between the Roman government and our own?What influence did their architecture have on our government buildings?

The Bible:

• Hebrew prophets developed the idea of all people being equal, created in the image of God.

• The idea caring for the weaker members of society.

Religion and the U.S. Government

In what ways do we see Christian influences on our government (documents, monuments, etc.)?

The Magna Carta

• British Document• King John forced to recognize his

power was limited by the Barons• First step toward limited government• But WHY???

The Magna Carta

King John and the Magna Carta

Could the rich control the king?

God fearing

A good judge of character

A good soldier

Around the picture below, you can read some of the qualities which medieval people expected their king to have! Which three are the most important for a medieval king?

Rich – but not greedy!

Fit and strong

Inspiring!

Hardworking Brave

WiseFirm – but fair!

King John manages to upset everyone!!

The first king to give up some of his power was John. He is famous as Prince John in make believe stories of Robin Hood. In the stories he is a wicked and foolish prince who taxes the people of England unfairly. Some historians say John was just as foolish in real life. Others say he was simply unlucky!

John ruled England from 1199 to 1216. He faced the following problems.

Problem Number 1

He quarrelled with the Pope about how to run the Church. From 1208 until 1213, the Pope banned all church services in England and English people feared that they would all go to HELL! Some Church leaders blamed John for the trouble.

Problem Number 2

John went to war twice against the French king. His army was badly beaten both times. He lost almost all the land that his father had gained in France!

Problem Number 3

John raised taxes in England to pay for the wars. This upset his BARONS! He ordered them to pay far more tax than earlier kings had done!

THINK!

• For how many years did the ban on church services last?

• Why do you think the barons gave John the nicknames “Softsword” and “Lackland”?

• Which of the three problems do you think upset the barons the most?

How did the barons strike back?

• In 1214 many barons rebelled against John. They believed that he could not rule the country properly and was treating them unfairly. If someone did not do something the whole country could be ruined!

• In 1215 the barons forced John to grant a charter, which was the first time anyone had expected an English king to obey a set of rules.

The Magna Carta

I, King John, accept that I have to govern according to the law.So I agree:1. Not to imprison nobles without trial2. That trials must be in courts; not held in

secret by me3. To have fair taxation for the nobles4. To let freemen travel wherever they like5. Not to interfere in Church matters6. Not to seize crops without paying for them

…. and lot more things too!!

Think!

• What was so new about Magna Carta for English kings?

• At the time, Magna Carta was not designed to help everybody. What kind of people were not helped by the charter?

• How did the Magna Carta help lead the way for Democracy?

The Mayflower Compact

Influence of the House of Burgess of Virginia on the U.S. government

The burgesses (representatives) from various locales, initially the larger plantations and later in Virginia history from the counties.

The House of Burgesses was empowered to enact legislation for the colony, but its actions were subject to veto by the governor, council and ultimately by the directors in London. Nevertheless, such a legislative body would have been unthinkable in the Spanish or French colonies of that day, which highlights the degree to which the concept of a limited monarchy had become accepted by the English people.

Voting for the burgesses was limited to landowning males over 17 years of age.

In 1624, Virginia became a royal colony. The House of Burgesses continued to meet, but its influence was severely restricted. Despite limitations on its actions, the assembly listed within its later ranks such notables as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, and would assume a major leadership role in the movement toward independence.

The burgesses (representatives) from various locales, initially the larger plantations and later in Virginia history from the counties.

The House of Burgesses was empowered to enact legislation for the colony, but its actions were subject to veto by the governor, council and ultimately by the directors in London. Nevertheless, such a legislative body would have been unthinkable in the Spanish or French colonies of that day, which highlights the degree to which the concept of a limited monarchy had become accepted by the English people. Voting for the burgesses was limited to landowning males over 17 years of age.

In 1624, Virginia became a royal colony. The House of Burgesses continued to meet, but its influence was severely restricted. Despite limitations on its actions, the assembly listed within its later ranks such notables as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, and would assume a major leadership role in the movement toward independence.

Economic theory that bases a nations wealth on the amount of gold and bullion in its treasury

Raw materials were exported from colonies in order for the mother country to make a profit

Each nation tried to have more goods coming in than going out. This was called a “favorable balance of trade.”

A struggle between the British and the French. Colonists fought for the British, while the Native Americans fought for the French.

The British won, receiving all lands east of the Mississippi River, except new Orleans.

Colonists were not allowed to settle the land they helped win.

Colonists were taxed to pay the war cost.

Currency Act Quartering Act Stamp Act Townshend Act Tea act

In 1764, the Currency Act prohibited the colonists from issuing any legal tender paper money.

This Act unified the industrial North with the agricultural South once again.

The Currency Act threatened to destabilize the colonial economy.

In May 1765, the Quartering Act went into effect.

This Act required that the colonists had to house British troops and supply them with food.

Passed on March 22, 1765 This act would grant and apply stamp duties both in the

British colonies and plantation of America. These duties were to help compensate for the expenses

that were incurred by defending, protecting and securing the colonists.

This Act required that the colonists had to purchase printed documents such as: Deeds Legal Documents Marriage License (Licenses in general) Newspapers Bills Almanacs Pamphlets Dice and Playing Cards

These items would be issued on specially stamped paper that had to be purchased from stamp distributors.

The colonist were outraged by the imposition of this tax. Colonists reactions were on occasion riotous. This was

seen in a popular tactic used by the colonists in which they would threaten or attack the court appointed stamp commissioners (collectors).

Many were also threatened to be tarred and feathered, but none of the collectors were ever harmed in this way.

By November 1, 1765, the day the Stamp Act was to go into effect, there were no stamp commissioners left in the colonies.

June 1767, Parliament passes the Townshend Revenue Acts.

Imposition of a new series of taxes or the colonists to offset costs of administering and protecting the American colonies.

Taxed items included: Paper Glass Paints Tea Lead

Went into effect on May 10, 1773. A 3 penny per pound import tax on

tax was imposed. British East India Company had a

tea monopoly and were underselling American merchants.