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Principles of The Constitution
Limited Government – powers are limited by the Constitution. King John signed Magna Carta in 1215 limiting the powers of the ruler.
Popular Sovereignty – the people hold the power and give the government its power. We consent to be governed.
Federalism – power is divided between the national government and the states. Some are shared, some only for national government, some only for the states. -
American revolution
The ‘Second Continental Congress’ selected George Washington as the Commander in Chief of the new Continental Army. To show their displeasure with these ‘Acts’ the colonists came up with the slogan of :
No Taxation Without Representation
The British won the “French and Indian War”, but it was at a high cost. -
Alexis de Tocqueville
Frenchman who came to America to study its prison system.
Wrote Democracy in America.
Some historians have identified 5 key characteristics of American democracy that Tocqueville believed set Americans apart from Europeans:
Liberty, Egalitarianism (equality), Individualism, Populism, and Laissez-Faire. -
Americans Win the Revolution
After winning the first battle at Lexington & Concord (1775), the American colonists lost many battles. -
The Declaration of Independence
John Locke influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence with his idea of ‘inalienable rights’.
Thomas Jefferson was appointed to head a committee to draft a statement of independence from England.
July 4, 1776, the final draft was approved:
1)It explained why we should be free.
2)It listed the grievances (complaints) we had with King George III and England’s Parliament.
3)It declared our independence! -
The Constitution
The Constitution is divided into 3 parts.
The Preamble
Introduction explains goals of Constitution.
The part we all know because it starts with “We the People…”
The Articles
Seven Articles establish the different parts of government and the power and responsibilities of each branch.
The Amendments
The changes that have been made
First Ten Amendments aka ‘Bill of Rights’
17 Amendments have been added over last 200+ years for a total of 27 Amendments -
Legislative Branch
The Constitution set up our government with 3 branches.
Legislative – Executive - Judicial
Legislative - the Congress was established under Article I
Congressmen are elected by the people of the USA
Senate
2 Senators for each state,
100 Senators total
House of Representatives
based on a states population, bigger states = more ‘reps,
435 Representatives total
Create our laws
Raise or lower our taxes
Declare war -
Executive & Judicial Branches
Executive – the President was established under Article II
Commander of the Military
Signs bills into law
Appoints Supreme Court judges Judicial – Supreme Court was established under Article III
“Marbury v Madison” gave Supreme Court the power of Judicial Review, to determine if a law follows the Constitution.
Lower courts across the USA
9 Justices on the Court -
The Bill of Rights
When the Constitution was first created in 1787, not everyone thought it did enough to protect our individual rights.
The Federalist Papers helped convince many that the Constitution would work. -
First Amendment (1791)
Congress cannot establish a state religion and Congress cannot stop individuals from practicing their own religion.
Congress cannot make laws limiting someone’s freedom of speech.
Congress cannot make laws limiting freedom of the press.
Congress cannot make laws prohibiting people from peacefully assembling.
People have a right to petition their government to correct wrongs. -
The Bill of Rights (1791)
Protections of Individual Freedoms
Second Amendment: citizen’s have right to bear arms.
Third Amendment : No Quartering of soldiers.
Protections of the Rights of the Accused
Fourth Amendment: No unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.
Fifth Amendment: established a series of ‘due process’ protections.
Sixth Amendment: Fair and impartial trial.
Eight Amendment: No cruel of unusual punishments; no excessive bail or fines. -
Key Individuals of American Revolution
George Washington – served as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, and as our first President.
Thomas Jefferson – wrote most of the Declaration and later served as 3rd President.
John Hancock – President of the Continental Congress and signed his name in LARGE print on the Constitution.
John Jay – Helped to write the Federalists Papers, was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and negotiated the Treaty of Paris ending the war. -
19th Century America (1830s – 1865)
During the 1800s (19th century) the Industrial Revolution introduced the factory system and output of products soared.
Manufacturing, especially in the North, became the primary source of income.
The South also experienced growth in manufacturing, but only at a fraction of the rate.
The West had fewer factories than the North or South. -
Period: to
The Civil War (1861-1865)
Timeline of Civil War –
1861 the war starts as South attacks North at Ft. Sumter, SC
1863 Emancipation Proclamation issued by Lincoln freeing slaves in Confederate states.
1863 Battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln gives Gettysburg Address.
1865 South surrender to North at Appomattox Courthouse in VA.
1865 Lincoln assassinated 5 days after Civil War ends -
The Civil War and Civil Rights
13th Amendment
Abolished slavery, 9 million people were now free
Many Southerners didn’t agree with this.
14th Amendment
All citizens have ‘due process’ & ‘equal protection’ under the law.
13th had freed the slaves, but many in the South attempted to limit the rights of these newly freed slaves with laws called black codes.
15th Amendment
Made it illegal to deny a person suffrage or (right to vote) based on their race.
Gave former male slaves the right to vote. -
The Bill of Rights 9th & 10th Amendments
9th Amendment
Just because the Constitution doesn’t list a right doesn’t mean we don’t have it.
the people have all rights not specifically given to the government. 10th Amendment
The federal government has only those powers specifically given to it in the Constitution.
All other powers are reserved for the states or the people!
