u.s. constitution establishing a form of democracy
TRANSCRIPT
The Intellectual Roots of America
The Age of Enlightenment1600s-1700s
The Status Quo• Tradition• Orthodoxy• Faith• Religious Dogma• Monarchy/Aristocracy• Inequality• Obedience to Authority
The New Age• Innovation/Exploration• Reason• Science• Religious Toleration• Democracy• Equality• Liberty/Freedom
Just a FewEnlightenment Thinkers
In Europe• John Locke• Isaac Newton• Adam Smith • David Hume• Mary Wollstonecraft• Catherine Macaulay• Immanuel Kant• Voltaire• Jean-Jacques Rousseau• Montesquieu• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe• Johann Sebastian Bach• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
In the Americas• Francisco Javier Clavigero• Simón Bolívar• Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla• Thomas Paine• Thomas Jefferson• Benjamin Franklin• James Madison
Grito de Dolores "Cry of Dolores”
September 16, 1810
Miguel Hidalgo y CostillaParaphrase of the call to independence:
My children: a new dispensation comes to us today. Will you receive
it? Will you free yourselves? Will you recover the lands stolen three
hundred years ago from your forefathers by the hated Spaniards?
We must act at once… Will you defend your religion and your rights as true patriots? Long live our Lady
of Guadalupe! Death to bad government! Death to the
gachupines!
‘Grito’ Mexico City, September 16, 2012
Mexico War of Independence
1810-1821
Mexico Map1821
CaliforniaTerritory of Mexico1821-1848
CaliforniaTerritory of Mexico1821-1848
Treaty of Córdoba1821
A Few Developments in
Mexican California1821-1847
• Mexico shut down the California mission system in 1834.
• Mexico gave the CA mission lands to well-connected Mexicans to create 800 very large cattle ranches or ‘ranchos’.
• To populate the vast area, Mexico encouraged foreigners to settle in and develop California.
• Mexico and the California Territory experienced constant political turmoil and instability.
Mexico decided the CA Missions were …
• Ineffective
• Expensive
• Offensive to the spirit and values of the new country
Foreigners in Mexican California
• Trappers & Hunters
• Ranchers
• Farmers
• Businessmen
• Sailors
• Political Envoys
Mexican California Population 1845
Native Peoples < 100,000
Mexicans 11,500
Foreigners 2,500
Birth of the U.S.
Timeline1776 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...."
1781 Articles of Confederation (1st U.S. Constitution)
1783 Treaty of Paris U.S. granted independence by England
England gave US land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River
Birth of the U.S.
Timeline1776 Declaration of Independence
1781 Articles of Confederation (1st U.S. Constitution)
1783 Treaty of Paris U.S. granted independence by England
England gives US land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River
1787 New Constitution Written
1789 U.S. Constitution Ratified
1791 Bill of Rights Added (Amendments 1-10)
Contents of the
U.S. ConstitutionThe Preamble Article 1: The Congress (Senate and House of Rep) Article 2: The Executive (President) Article 3: The Judiciary (Supreme Ct. and Lower Cts.) Article 4: The States Article 5: Process to Amend the Constitution Article 6: Constitution is Supreme Law of the Land Article 7: Process to Ratify this Constitution
Amendments 1-10 (Bill of Rights) Amendments 11-27
10 Pages
27 Amendmentsin 220 Years
Read the ConstitutionRead the Constitution
House CommitteesAgriculture
AppropriationsArmed Services
BudgetEducationEnergy
FinanceHealth
Homeland SecurityJidiciary
Nat. ResourcesScience
Small BusinessTransportation
Veterans AffairsEtc.
Senate CommitteesAgriculture
AppropriationsArmed Services
BudgetEducationEnergy
BankingHealth
Homeland SecurityJidiciary
Nat. ResourcesScience
CommerceTransportation
Veterans AffairsEtc.
Executive DepartmentsState Dept.
Treasury Dept.Defense Dept.Justice Dept.Interior Dept.
Agriculture Dept.Labor Dept.Health Dept.
Housing Dept.Education Dept.
Homeland Security Dept.Veterans Affairs Dept.
Lower Federal Courts
Circuit Courts (12)
District Courts (94)
The U.S. Government Organization
A system of
Checks & Balances
is built into the structure.
A system of
Checks & Balances
is built into the structure.
The Essential Elementsof Democracy
Just One View
How did the original
US Constitution
measure up to these
criteria ?
The Original US Constitution
Components of Democracy “We the People…” (made a bold philosophical statement)
Established a constitutional, representative, democratic form of government
Entitled some people to vote for their representatives
Created a system for holding representatives accountable
Separated and placed checks on the government’s exercise of power
Read the ConstitutionRead the Constitution
The Original US Constitution
Limitations on Democracy Document debated and written by elite white males Allowed and supported the practice of slavery Senators selected by state legislatures, not directly by the people President selected by Electoral College, not directly by the people Judges selected by President & Senate, not directly by the people Voting rights limited to white, male taxpayers Provided little protection for minorities from the will of the
majority Made no provisions for publicly-funded, mass education
Read the ConstitutionRead the Constitution
Almost immediately…Amendments 1-10…in 1791
Bill of Rights1. Freedom of religion, speech,
press, assembly, petition2. Right of people to bear arms3. Soldiers shall not be quartered
in private homes4. Right to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, etc., and against unreasonable searches
5. Right to notice of charges, protection from double jeopardy, testifying against oneself, and punishment without due process of law
6. Right to speedy trial by jury, to confront witnesses, to counsel
7. Right to trial by jury8. Protection against excessive
bail, and cruel and unusual punishment
9. These stated rights do not mean that people could not have other rights, as well
10. Powers not given to the US in the Constitution are reserved for the States
How have changes or amendments to the U.S. Constitution
Impacted Democracy ?
Have amendments to the US Constitution
restricted or expandeddemocracy?
Amendments 11-27Amendments 11-27