1. EARLY GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS

2. JOHN LOCKE’S “TWO TREATISES OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT” WRITTEN IN 1690 IDEAS IN THE DOCUMENT: THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE TO PROTECT THE PEOPLES NATURAL RIGHTS. KINGS SHOULD NOT HAVE ABSOLUTE POWER… SO POWER SHOULD HAVE LIMITS PEOPLE SHOULD FOLLOW LAWS IN EXCHANGE FOR THE PROTECTION THAT LAWS SHOULD GIVE THEM HOW IT CHANGED THINGS AT THE TIME IT WAS WRITTEN: IT WAS VERY INFLUENTIAL IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING WHAT DID THE US GOVERNMENT GET FROM THIS DOCUMENT: THE FOUNDING FATHERS GOT IDEAS FROM THIS DOCUMENT EXAMPLE, THOMAS JEFFERSON WROTE ABOUT NATURAL (UNALIENABLE) RIGHTS IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

3. THE MAGNA CARTA WRITTEN IN 1215 IDEAS IN THE DOCUMENT: GOVERNMENTS ARE BASED ON AN AGREEMENT OR CONTRACT RULE OF LAW—MEANT THAT BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNED MUST OBEY THE LAW HOW IT CHANGED THINGS AT THE TIME IT WAS WRITTEN: IT WAS A MAJOR STEP IN THE GROWTH OF ENGLISH CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT WHAT DID THE US GOVERNMENT GET FROM THIS DOCUMENT: PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE—DUE PROCESS LIMITED GOVERNMENT

4. THE ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS WRITTEN IN 1689 IDEAS IN THE DOCUMENT: ELECTIONS TO PARLIAMENT MUST BE FREE THE PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND CARRY WEAPONS IT TOLD KINGS AND QUEENS SPECIFIC THINGS THAT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DO HOW IT CHANGED THINGS AT THE TIME IT WAS WRITTEN: GAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS TO ENGLISHMEN AND FURTHER LIMITED THE POWERS OF THE KING IT GAVE PARLIAMENT THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT WHAT DID THE US GOVERNMENT GET FROM THIS DOCUMENT: THE COLONISTS BROUGHT WITH THEM THE ENGLISH SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT TO NORTH AMERICA