Forming a New Government
FORMING A NEW HIGH SCHOOL Imagine that you re building and opening up a new high school for next year. Create a plan for forming your new high school. With your partner, address the following: 1. Would you look to other schools for guidance, or ideas? Explain. 2. How would a Principal be selected? Future Principals? 3. How would teachers, counselors, & office staff be selected? 4. How would the school colors and mascot be selected? 5. How would the school rules be determined? 6. What would be some difficulties in organizing a new school?
Forming a New Government After the American colonies declared their independence from Britain in July of 1776, their next political step was to form a new government. To do so: They drew on a wide range of political ideas, and models of self-government, which they borrowed from other countries, other time periods, and philosophers.
Forming a New Government In partners: 1. Match the images with the correct definitions. 2. Write the definitions on your handout.
7 A. MAGNA CARTA: In 1215, the English nobility created a document signed by King John that made the king subject to law. It: 1. Limited the power of the king 2. Granted some individual rights 3. Trial by jury 4. King required to seek advice on laws and taxes
5 B. ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS: passed in 1689, declared the supremacy of Parliament. As a result, the people s representatives had a strong voice in England s government. It: 1. Limited King s power to spend money by keeping the king or queen from passing new taxes. 2. Forbade the King to keep a standing army during peacetime. 3. Forbade the King to change laws without Parliament s consent.
1 C. MAYFLOWER COMPACT: in 1620, 41 of the male passengers on a ship called the Mayflower signed the colonies first legal contract. 1. Represents one of the first attempts at self-government in the English colonies. 2. They agreed to have fair laws to protect the general good.
4 D. JOHN LOCKE - An Enlightenment thinker who argued that English monarchs did not have a divine right to rule. Instead, the true basis of government was a social contract among free people. He presented his political arguments in his book Two Treatises of Government: 1. The purpose of government was to protect people s natural rights: life, liberty, property and in exchange for this protection, people gave government the power to rule on their behalf. 2. A government s authority was based on the consent of the governed (people), and government could be overthrown if it failed to respect people s rights.
6 E. BARON DE MONTESQUIEU: An Enlightenment thinker who said: When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty. He presented his political arguments in his book The Spirit of Laws: 1. He believed the best way to protect political liberty was to divide power among three branches of government: legislative (make laws), executive (enforce laws), judicial (interpret law). 2. Separation of powers: no branch can become too powerful so there is balance in government.
2 F. SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS: Independence Hall in Philadelphia became the principle meeting place for the Continental Congress. The Continental Congress whose purpose was to establish a Continental Army, declare independence from Great Britain, and organized a national government. 1. The Continental Congress appointed a Committee of Thirteen, with one member from each colony, assigned to discuss and draft the Articles of Confederation.
3 G. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION: the Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777. 1. Ratification (approval) by all thirteen states did not occur until March 1, 1781. 2. The Articles created a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. 3. A stronger Federal government soon became apparent and led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 to revise the Articles.