Celebrate Freedom: Our Democratic Ideals The Declaration of Independence And The Constitution Constitution Day is september 17

“E Pluribus Unum” Out of many, we are one Found on our currency Found on the Great Seal since 1782

“In God We Trust” Taken from fourth verse of “The Star- Spangled Banner” On coins since 1864 Became official motto in 1956 On paper currency since 1957

Unit 1 What is democracy? What is “majority rule”? What is a right? Note: Democratic societies must balance the rights and responsibilities of individuals with the common good.

We gain insight into the sacrifices made for freedom and the values of a country by studying the founding documents of its government. Name three important documents in American history, produced by our “founders”. How do these documents define what it means to be an American?

Name this document! Where is the original?

The Preamble to The Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Read aloud our philosophy of government “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Two Documents 1776, Philadelphia Author--Jefferson The Declaration of Independence The U.S. Constitution 1776, Philadelphia Author--Jefferson “our birth certificate” Refers to the tyrant, King George III “unalienable rights” 1787, Philadelphia Author—Madison Our plan of government Refers to rights that had been violated by the British Bill of Rights

How were things different after these documents? The Declaration of Independence The Constitution We became a new country called The United States of America We created a Democratic Republic under The Articles of Confederation We no longer lived under the weak Articles of Confederation We had a strong federal government with three branches: legislative, executive and judicial

Declaration of Independence Who wrote it? When? Where? Why? Who does it call a tyrant? What are unalienable rights? Name the unalienable rights. “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are _______ _________ and that they are endowed by their ______with certain unalienable rights; that among these are ____, ______, and the _______ of ________.”

The Constitution Who wrote it? When? Where? Why? What document did it replace? How many articles are in The Constitution? What is an amendment? What are the first ten amendments called? Name the three branches and what they do. Recognize the ideas of The Bill of Rights. How many amendments do we have today? What 5 freedoms are listed in the first amendment?

Find the similarities (compare) Declaration of Independence see p. 50 Constitution see p. 81 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

What do the similarities tell us about the U. S What do the similarities tell us about the U.S. and our philosophy of government?

Two Founding Documents

Alexis de Tocqueville He was a French historian who visited the U.S. in the 19th century and observed that the U.S. needed five values to be successful as a constitutional republic: Liberty Egalitarianism Individualism Populism Laissez-faire

Terms Democracy Republicanism Impeach Treason Popular sovereignty First amendment Bill of Rights Articles of Confederation Unalienable rights Judicial review Separation of powers Checks and balances

Three Branches: Legislative, Executive, Judicial Congress—two houses—makes laws—Capitol Senate is upper house, Congress and states can pass amendments Presidency—enforces laws—White House Electoral College Courts—interpret laws—Supreme Court w/9 justices Neo-Classical architecture in Washington, D.C.

Test Review Two major documents—purpose, author, signers, organization, place Constitutional ideas: federalism Separation of powers, checks and balances Strict constructionist (letter of the law) Federalist Papers and ratification Litigation (lawsuit) De Tocqueville’s 5 values The Political Spectrum—moderate, liberal, conservative, reactionary, radical American Revolution ideas—boycott used against high taxes

What are our rights and responsibilities as citizens or residents of The United States? Our Responsibilities