What did the Founders think

about constitutional government?

WtheP Lesson 1

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What were some

characteristics of colonial America?

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1. Treaty of Paris

• Led by Benjamin Franklin, with John Adams & John Jay

http://www.marylandsar.org/SAR-Images/articles/wagner-treaty-of-paris.jpg

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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

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2. Languages spoken in colonies

• English• Dutch• French• German• Norwegian• Spanish• Swedish

• Welsh• Scottish Gaelic• Finnish• Irish• African languages• Native American languages

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3. Native Americans

• Disease reduced population

• Viewed as people to be conquered & assimilated

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/photos-nativeamerican/FoundingFathers.jpg

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

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

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How did the Founders

learn about government?

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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

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/images/aristotle.jpgMs. Ramos

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

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• Self-restraint & limits to action for sake of self interest

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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

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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

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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

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6. William Blackstone

• 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

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/news/events/blackstone.png

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Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 9

• Argued history is not a good guide for creating government, because of many bad examples—Greece & Italy

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