What did the Founders think about constitutional government? WtheP Lesson 1 Ms. Ramos

What were some characteristics of colonial America? Ms. Ramos

1. Treaty of Paris http://www.marylandsar.org/SAR-Images/articles/wagner-treaty-of-paris.jpg Led by Benjamin Franklin, with John Adams & John Jay Ms. Ramos

Articles of peace accomplished: Boundaries for new nation Resolved prewar debt Plan to remove UK troops Restored confiscated property of Americans who were loyal to UK Signed Sept. 3, 1783 Ms. Ramos

2. Languages spoken in colonies English Dutch French German Norwegian Spanish Swedish Welsh Scottish Gaelic Finnish Irish African languages Native American languages Ms. Ramos

3. Native Americans Disease reduced population Viewed as people to be conquered & assimilated http://www.legendsofamerica.com/photos-nativeamerican/FoundingFathers.jpg Ms. Ramos

Ms. Ramos http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects/webunits/vahistory/images/sign.gif

4. Indentured Servants ½ to 1/3 of immigrants Colonial gov offered 50 acres per servant to landowners as incentive Most 4-7 yr term Ms. Ramos

How did the Founders learn about government? Ms. Ramos

1. Aristotle Student of Plato, teacher of Alexander the Great Wrote on gov, logic, rhetoric, ethics, poetry, bio Place ideas & objects in categories based on similar properties Ms. Ramos http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/images/aristotle.jpg

2. Cicero Orator, lawyer, politician, philosopher Elected to all major offices in Rome De Officiis- morality & moral duty as applied to public life. Influenced Western civ. http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/cicero.jpg Ms. Ramos

Self-restraint & limits to action for sake of self interest Ms. Ramos

3. Thomas Hobbes Leviathan w/o gov, live in “state of nature”– “state of war” To avoid death, set state w/ strict authority & pwr Book forbidden by Catholic Church- challenged divine right of kings http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/poli/images/Thomas_Hobbes.jpg Ms. Ramos

4. John Locke Second Treatise of Government Used state of nature to justify ltd gov & preservation of rights Life, liberty, property After abuse of natural rights, revolution http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/ga/ul/955004900041/inlineimg/Y/John_Locke.jpg Ms. Ramos

Banned by Catholic Church for “liberal” views Separation of pwrs 5. Montesquieu The Spirit of the Laws Banned by Catholic Church for “liberal” views Separation of pwrs Checks & balances http://demokrato.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/500px-montesquieu_1.png Ms. Ramos

6. William Blackstone Commentaries on the Laws of England http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/news/events/blackstone.png Commentaries on the Laws of England English Common Law Rights of persons, rights of things, private wrongs (torts), public wrongs (crimes) Statutory & common law guarantee life, liberty, & property Ms. Ramos

Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 9 Argued history is not a good guide for creating government, because of many bad examples—Greece & Italy Ms. Ramos