Chap 2.1&2 Political Beginnings

Landmark English Documents q  Magna Carta (1215) q  Petition of Right (1628) q  English Bill of Rights (1688)

2 SECTION

Limited King’s Absolute Power Granted Individual Rights Due Process Trial by Jury Protection of Private Property

Magna Carta 1215

Refuted King’s “Divine Right” of Absolute Power Established Rule of Law

Petition of Right

1628

Added to Magna Carta No Cruel Punishment No Excessive Bail or Fines Right to Bear Arms Right to Petition the Government

English Bill of Rights 1688

6 SECTION

Landmark English Documents

1628

Petition of Right

Effectively Challenges Idea of Divine Right Theory.

Rights Gained 1.  Trial By Jury

2.  Due Process of Law

3.  Private Property Protected

4.  No Cruel Punishment

5.  No Excessive Bail or Fines

6.  Right To Bear Arms

7.  Right to Petition

1650-1800 “The Enlightenment” The Age of Reason

8 SECTION

Thomas Hobbes 1651

Natural Rights

Social Contract

Monarchy Best People need control, order

John Locke 1690

Unalienable Rights Life, Liberty, Property

Social Contract Theory

Democracy People can Decide how to live

together

Voltaire 1734

Reason

Scientific Method

Religious Freedom

Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1743 Popular Sovereignty Republican form of government

Montesquieu 1755

Separation of Powers

Three Distinct

Branches

Cited by the writers of the Constitution

Blackstone 1758

Common Law

Use Prior Legal

Decisions “Precedent”

Ideas used in creating

American Courts

15 SECTION

Ordered Government •  Colonists saw a need for an authority to

help maintain orderly relationships between people, a need for government.

•  Many of their offices of government are still with us, i.e. – Sheriff, Justice of the Peace, Juries – Tax Assessor – Counties, Townships, etc.

Basic Concepts of Government

16 SECTION

Limited Government

•  Governments are not all powerful •  Governments are only to do what

society agrees it should do

•  Governments may not restrict an individual’s inalienable rights.

Basic Concepts of Government

17 SECTION

Representative Government

•  Governments should serve the will of the people.

Which Theory of the Creation of the

State do these ideas exemplify? Social Contract Theory

These ideas came with the English colonists, they were familiar with these ideas, as they had experienced

them in England!

Basic Concepts of Government

Political Beginnings Landmark American Documents Mayflower Compact (1620)

Declaration of Independence (1776)

United States Constitution (1787)

First Governing Document of English Colonies Freedom of Religion

Mayflower Compact

1620

Thomas Jefferson incorporated John Lock’s ideas of “Unalienable Rights”

Declaration of

Independence 1776

United States Constitution 1787 Ordered Government Limited Government Representative Government

Principles of American Democracy Worth of the

Individual Equality of

All Persons

Majority Rule Minority Rights

Necessity of

Compromise Individual Freedoms

Every one is important but sometimes may have to do what society says not what they want Taxes Speed limits School Draft

Not everyone is equal in condition. Have equal opportunity. Equal before the law Not discriminated by race, gender, religion, etc.

Majority rule is basis of Democracy Minority Rights protected by the Bill of Rights so we do not become a tyranny.

Individuals always want what is best for them.

There are many sides of an issue. We must compromise to come to a workable solution.

People should have their individual freedoms up to the point that they are disturbing someone else’s rights

Events that led to the American Revolution

British denial of basic rights to its citizens, the American Colonists - Intolerable Acts, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, and Stamp Act All these grievances let to - v Declaration of Independence – inalienable rights, list of British wrongs, declaration of freedom Which led to – v 1st and 2nd Continental Congress v American Revolution v Development of American Government

24 SECTION

Landmark English Documents Where are these concepts found in the

Constitution? 1628

Petition of Right

Effectively Challenges Idea of Divine Right Theory.

Rights Gained 1.  Trial By Jury

2.  Due Process of Law

3.  Private Property Protected

4.  No Cruel Punishment

5.  No Excessive Bail or Fines

6.  Right To Bear Arms

7.  Right to Petition

25 SECTION

Landmark English Documents Where are these concepts found in the

Constitution? •  Trial by jury (6th) •  Due process of law (5th) •  Private property (5th) •  No cruel and unusual punishment (8th) •  No excessive bail (8th) •  Right to bear arms (2nd) •  Right to petition the government (1st)

1215

Magna Carta

1628

Petition of Right

1688

English Bill of Rights

1620

Mayflower Compact

Thomas Hobbes 1651

John Lock 1690

Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1743

Declaration of

Independence

1776

United States Constitution 1787