Political Influences on the United States

Magna Carta 1215 The Magna Carta was signed by King John in 1215. It asserted the right of British citizens to A trial by jury No imprisonment without a trial No taxation except by approval of Parliament

English Bill of Rights 1689 Passed by Parliament in 1689. English rights reinforced: no taxation right to petition individual rights

American Revolutionary Period

1776 Declaration of Independence signed. Start of the Revolutionary War. United States established as an independent nation.

Representative Government A system of government in which power is held by the people and their will is carried out by elected representatives.

Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776 Written by Thomas Jefferson American colonies declare independence from England List of grievances against King George III

Declaration of Independence The Declaration states the two major principles on which the Constitution is based: Government gets its power from the consent of the governed. All men are created equal and have unalienable rights.

Thomas Jefferson Main author of the Declaration of Independence 3rd President

Unalienable Rights Rights/Privileges according to the Declaration of Independence. These rights cannot be taken away. Unalienable Rights are: Life Liberty Pursuit of happiness

Grievances = Complains

Colonial Grievances Taxation without consent (permission) No representation No trial by jury Quartering troops Standing armies in peace time

Revolution Armed rebellion Uprising against the government or authority A period of great change

Independence Free from influence or control of other nations, sovereign.

American Revolution The war of independence fought between Britain and 13 of its colonies in North America 1775-1783

George Washington Leader of the Continental Army during the Revolution 1st president of the United States

Treaty of Paris (1783) Ended the Revolutionary War. British recognized colonists’ independence. British gave colonists all the lands stretching west of the Mississippi River.

Confederation An alliance of states where states have the majority of the power and retain their sovereignty.

Articles of Confederation First government of United States from 1781 – 1788. State sovereignty Weak national government No standing army No power to tax No courts No executive

U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights

1787 U.S. Constitution written at Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia Ratification of Constitution and Federalist Papers in 1788.

Philadelphia Convention 1787 Constitutional convention resulted in creation of FEDERAL government (separate executive, judicial and legislative branches) Convention replaced the Articles of Confederation and wrote the U.S. Constitution

Principles of the U.S. Constitution Basic law and government of the United States Based on 7 principles: Republicanism Popular sovereignty Federalism Limited government Separation of power Checks and balances Individual rights

Republicanism The idea that government is controlled by the people who hold power and elect representatives, giving those representatives power to make and enforce laws.

Popular Sovereignty All political power rests with the people who can create, alter, and abolish government.

Limited Government Limits are placed on the powers of government Everyone, including all authority figures, must obey the laws

Checks and Balances Each branch of the government shares its power and checks the other two. Prevents any branch of government from becoming too powerful.

Federalism Distribution of the powers of government between a central (federal) government and the regional (states) governments.

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Separation of Powers Form of government organized in three branches A legislative branch (Congress) An executive branch (the President) A judicial branch (Supreme Court)

Individual Rights The rights of the people protected in the Bill of Rights including: Economic rights related to property Political rights related to freedom of speech and press personal rights related to bearing arms and maintaining private residences

Federalist Papers Newspaper articles in New York state. Explained reasons why people should adopt the new US constitution. Authors: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay.

Ratify Approve

Amendments The way of making changes to the U.S. Constitution

Bill of Rights First ten amendments to the Constitution (ratified in 1791)

First Amendment: Religious and Political Freedom States that “Congress shall make no law” restricting freedom of: Speech Press Religion Assembly Petition

Second Amendment: Right to Bear Arms Guarantees the right of states to organize militias, or armies, and the right of individuals to bear arms.

Third Amendment: Quartering of Troops Soldiers cannot be housed in people’s homes unless it is approved by law.

Fourth Amendment: Search and Seizure Protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures. If a judge believes the search is reasonable, a search warrant will be granted.

Fifth Amendment: Rights of the Accused This amendment protects an accused person from having to testify against him or herself (self-incrimination). It bans double jeopardy (tried twice for the same crime) It guarantees that no citizen may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law – certain legal procedures that must be carried out before a person can be punished.

Sixth Amendment: Right to a Speedy, Public Trial Guarantees a fair and impartial trial to those accused of a crime. Accused must be told of the charges. Accused has a right to a trial by jury. Accused has a right to be represented by a lawyer.

Seventh Amendment: Trial by Jury in Civil Cases Guarantees individuals the right to a jury trial in many non-criminal matters.

Eighth Amendment: Limits of Fines and Punishment Federal courts can not require an unusually high bail. No one can be punished in an cruel and unusual way.