Ideas behind the Constitution Lesson 3

I. Lessons of Rome’s Republic Delegates of the convention wanted to create a republic A republic is a govt. in which citizens rule themselves through elected representatives Few republics in history had survived for very long. To create a lasting one they looked at ancient examples like Greece and especially Rome. The founding fathers liked the virtues of service and independence they saw in the Roman Republic Roman officials did not serve for money but because they were devoted to the republic

II. Rome’s warning Founding Fathers also realized that when the Roman Republic fell, it was no longer a republic but a dictatorship under the rule of Caesar Augustus They believed Romans stumbled once they began to value luxury and comfort over service They knew in order for the republic to last the citizens had to remain independent and devoted to public service. Republics do not always die because of invasion from the outside. Without educated and dedicated citizens, they can decay from within

III. Britain’s Influence Despite the war with Britain they respected the traditions of freedom. Founding Fathers looked to the Magna Carta for inspiration. 1. States that English monarchs had to follow the laws they enforced 2. States that people hold certain rights that can not be taken away: private property and trial by jury

C. Founding fathers took examples from the English Bill of Rights 1 C. Founding fathers took examples from the English Bill of Rights 1. Government elections should be held regularly 2. Trial by jury 3. The right to bear arms 4. It affirmed the right of habeas corpus

IV. Ideas from the Enlightenment Most of the ideas in the Constitution came from the ideas from the European Enlightenment. Founding fathers drew from John Locke and his writings on Natural Rights life, liberty, and property C. He said the government is an agreement between the ruler and the ruled. If a ruler violates the people’s natural rights the people can rebel D. Framers of the Constitution wanted to protect natural rights

E. French Enlightenment thinker Baron de Montesquieu influenced how the government was formed. 1. In his book The Spirit of the Laws, stressed the importance of the rule of law. 2. Stated “ powers of government should be clearly divided up and split up” Legislative, Executive, Judicial 3. Separation of power- designed to keep any person or group from gaining too much power F. The Founding Fathers drew on many traditions , but in the end, the new system of government was not quite like anything that came before it.