Roots of our DemocracyWhat ideas gave birth to the world’s

first democratic nation?

In your research paper you should be answering the question,

“What ideas did the United States use from this person or group of people when creating the US government?”

800 B.C.Greece had a direct democracy

509 B.C.Roman Republic:

representative democracy begins

1215 A.D.King John Signs the Magna Carta:Gives English people basic rights

1776The USA becomes a country

1787The framers write the

Constitution

1000-1400 ADThe Iroquois Nation writes their constitution:

The Great Law of Peace

1600s-1700sEuropean Philosophers come up with ideas

for the purpose of government

1620Pilgrims sail from England on the Mayflower:

Write a contract to govern themselves in new colonyusing direct democracy in towns

Greek Democracy

All adult male citizens could vote on laws and voice their opinion at meetings.

Women, slaves, and children could not vote.

Roman Democracy = Republic

Romans elected people to represent them in government.

Rich men elected two leaders every year and they had a senate and an assembly.

Senators advised the two leaders.The men in the assembly wrote laws.

English Laws and Traditions

3 Important Ideas and Traditions:1. Law and order2. Limits on government3. Representative democracy

Document: Magna CartaThe king signed the paper giving nobles

rights:4. The king could not raise taxes without the

noble’s permission5. Nobles should be judged by their peers

(equals)

Iroquois Nation

The idea of semi-sovereign states, and connected under one federal government.

The states would elect leaders to come together to make laws for all the states.

Everyone is quiet when one person is speaking at the meeting.

English and French PhilosophersEnlightenment Thinkers

1. Government was a social contract between the people and the government.

2. All people were born with natural rights that no government could take away.

3. Governments should be organized in a way that prevents any one person from having too much power. 3 braches of government.

4. Government must be based on popular sovereignty, that the people are the ultimate source of power.