Origins of Constitutional Principles Democracy, Republicanism, the Social Contract and Limited government, 300BCE-1770s

American Political leaders drew upon historical knowledge and examples

The American people examined many ideas about government. English constitutional documents like Magna Carta (1215) and English Bill of Rights (1689) limited power of king (executive) and balanced individual rights with the common good The Enlightenment concepts of natural rights (individual rights/civil rights), popular sovereignty (people rule/self-government), and social contract (constitution/ “covenant”)

American Models of Government Early models of self-government (popular sovereignty) were town meetings, the Virginia House of Burgesses, and the Mayflower Compact, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. The constitution of each state limited government and protected rights of citizens (balance individual rights w/ common good). Thomas Jefferson’s ideas on religious freedom were written in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Many state constitutions provided suffrage, or the right to vote, to most white men who paid taxes.