What did the Founders think
about constitutional government?
WtheP Lesson 1
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What were some
characteristics of colonial America?
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1. Treaty of Paris
• Led by Benjamin Franklin, with John Adams & John Jay
http://www.marylandsar.org/SAR-Images/articles/wagner-treaty-of-paris.jpg
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Articles of peace accomplished:• Boundaries for new nation
• Resolved prewar debt• Plan to remove UK troops• Restored confiscated property of Americans who were loyal to UK–Signed Sept. 3, 1783
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2. Languages spoken in colonies
• English• Dutch• French• German• Norwegian• Spanish• Swedish
• Welsh• Scottish Gaelic• Finnish• Irish• African languages• Native American languages
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3. Native Americans
• Disease reduced population
• Viewed as people to be conquered & assimilated
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/photos-nativeamerican/FoundingFathers.jpg
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http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects/webunits/vahistory/images/sign.gif Ms. Ramos
4. Indentured Servants
• ½ to 1/3 of immigrants• Colonial gov offered 50 acres per servant to landowners as incentive
• Most 4-7 yr term
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How did the Founders
learn about government?
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1. Aristotle• Student of Plato, teacher of
Alexander the Great• Wrote on gov, logic, rhetoric,
ethics, poetry, bio• Place ideas & objects in categories based on similar properties
http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/images/aristotle.jpgMs. Ramos
2. Cicero• Orator, lawyer, politician,
philosopher• Elected to all major offices in
Rome• De Officiis- morality & moral
duty as applied to public life.• Influenced Western civ.
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/cicero.jpg
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• Self-restraint & limits to action for sake of self interest
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3. Thomas Hobbes • Leviathan• w/o gov, live in “state of
nature”– “state of war”• To avoid death, set state w/
strict authority & pwr• Book forbidden by Catholic
Church- challenged divine right of
kings
http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/poli/images/Thomas_Hobbes.jpg
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4. John Locke• Second Treatise of Government
• Used state of nature to justify ltd gov & preservation of rights–Life, liberty, property
• After abuse of natural rights, revolution
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/ga/ul/955004900041/inlineimg/Y/John_Locke.jpg
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5. Montesquieu
• The Spirit of the Laws–Banned by Catholic Church for “liberal” views
• Separation of pwrs• Checks & balances
http://demokrato.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/500px-montesquieu_1.png
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6. William Blackstone
• Commentaries on the Laws of England
• English Common Law–Rights of persons, rights of things, private wrongs (torts), public wrongs (crimes)
• Statutory & common law guarantee life, liberty, & property
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/news/events/blackstone.png
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Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 9
• Argued history is not a good guide for creating government, because of many bad examples—Greece & Italy
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