US History to 1877 A Quick Overview. Founding Documents and Rights of Englishmen The Magna Carta English Bill of Rights Representative Self Government.

US History to 1877

A Quick Overview

Founding Documents and “Rights of Englishmen”

The Magna Carta English Bill of Rights Representative Self Government

The Magna Carta (1215)

The English King agreed that his power was not absolute and that government should be limited in what it could do.

English Bill of Rights (1688)

Limited the King’s power and reserved rights for the people including a fair and speedy trial with a jury of their peers and no “cruel and unusual” punishment.

Representative Government

Houses of Parliament - The two house system; Commons and Lords.

Houses of Burgesses 1619 Virginia - was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America.

Mayflower Compact 1620 - was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony.

New England Town Meetings - in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government.

American Documents

Thomas Paine’s Common SenseThe Declaration of IndependenceThe United States Constitution and the

Bill of Rights

Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of Independence

Three Main parts –

1) Defines Human Rights

2) List of grievances

3) Decision to leave England

John Locke and Thomas Jefferson on John Locke and Thomas Jefferson on “Unalienable Rights”“Unalienable Rights”

Locke: people’s natural rights include “life, liberty and estate”

Jefferson: “unalienable rights” of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”

Declaration of Independence Declaration of Independence and “unalienable rights”and “unalienable rights”

“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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…..”

Articles of Confederation

What is it good for?– Concluded the Revolution– Set up procedure for a territory to become a state– Addressed the slavery issue– Set up means for education in federal territories

Constitutional Convention – Constitutional Convention – The Question of RepresentationThe Question of Representation

The Connecticut (Great) Compromise –

A bicameral legislature (two houses)

Senate – each state gets two votes

House – votes based on population

Constitutional Convention –Constitutional Convention –The Question of SlaveryThe Question of Slavery

The 3/5 Compromise

Every slave would count as 3/5 of a free person for both taxation and representation purposes.

3 Free Citizens = 5 Slaves

Seven Principles of Democracy

Popular SovereigntyPopular Sovereignty Limited GovernmentLimited Government FederalismFederalism Representative GovernmentRepresentative Government Separation of Powers (Three branches of Separation of Powers (Three branches of

Government)Government) Judicial ReviewJudicial Review Checks and BalancesChecks and Balances

The Bill of Rights – Why?

Not everyone liked the idea of a strong central government.

Federalists – favored ratification- wrote many essays in support “The Federalist Papers”

Anti-Federalists – felt the Constitution did not go far enough to protect the rights of the individual as well as the state.

First AmendmentFirst Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

GuaranteesNo state sponsored religionFree exercise of religious beliefsFreedom of speechFreedom of the pressFreedom of assembleFreedom to petition

LimitationsLimitations

No state sponsored religion

- Use of “God” on money and other state sponsored items

Free exercise of religious beliefs

- As long as the exercise does not violate the rights of others

Freedom of speech

- As long as that speech doesn’t defame or cause disruption

Freedom of the press

- Cannot knowingly print false information

Freedom to assemble

- Has to be a peaceful assembly

22ndnd, 3, 3rdrd, and 4, and 4thth Amendments Amendments

2nd Amendment – Right to bear arms to maintain a well regulated militia.

3rd Amendment – No quartering of troops in people’s homes in times of peace.

4th Amendment – Protection against “unreasonable searches and seizures” and any evidence obtained illegally cannot be used.

The 5The 5thth Amendment Amendment

Assures the right not to be deprived of “life, liberty, or property without due process of law”, including protections against double jeopardy, self-incrimination, and government seizure of property without just compensation.

66thth, 7, 7thth and 8 and 8thth Amendments Amendments

6th Amendment – Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.

7th Amendment – Assures the right to a jury trial in cases involving the common law.

8th Amendment – Protects against excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment

The Founding Fathers – Children of the Enlightenment

Thomas Jefferson Ben Franklin George Washington John Adams Alexander Hamilton James Madison

Founding Fathers According to the State

Benjamin Rush – doctor of the Revolution – on a mission from God

John Hancock – One of the wealthiest Americans; President of the 2nd Continental Congress

Charles Carroll – only Roman Catholic to sign D of I Jonathan Trumbull – Royal and Revolutionary governor of

Connecticut John Peter Muhlenburg – Lutheran minister who leaves the

pulpit to fight for the Revolution John Jay – negotiated the Treaty of Paris 1783, 1st Supreme

Court Justice; firm believer that the “notables” should control the government

John Witherspoon – Minister and New Jersey signer of the Dof I.

The Country Grows

Louisiana Purchase 1803 Florida 1819 Texas 1845 Oregon Territory 1846 Mexican Cession 1848 Gadsden Purchase 1854

Problems of Expansion

Native Americans – What to do with them?– Indian Removal (Andrew Jackson)– Growth of military– Treaties (Broken)

Problems of Expansion

What about the people of European ancestry in areas?

American laws vs. European laws for property

How to settle the land?

Problems of Expansion

Division of Free vs Slave Who makes the decision? - State vs. Federal

Economic differences – Manufacturing vs. Plantations

Dred Scott Decision – Slaves are not protected by the constitution and are not citizens of the US.

Bleeding Kansas/John Brown’s Raid – Anti-Slave vs. Pro-Slave. Kansas would eventually join the Union. John Brown tried to start an armed slave revolt.

The 1860 Election

The Civil War

Secession – 11 states secede, 4 slave states remained loyal to the federal government.

Bloody War – over 650,000 Americans killed. Why important – preview on how bloody wars can

be in the modern era and how war will now affect civilians.

Most important the US finally living up to the Declaration of Independence.

Turning Point Battles

Bull Run – 1861 Confederate victory in the largest American and bloodiest battle up to that point.

Shiloh – Union victory in 1862.

Antietam – Union victory was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Union soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000 casualties on both sides.

Gettysburg and Vicksburg – Union victory and turning point in the Civil War.

Sherman’s March (Total War) - inflicted significant damage, particularly to industry and infrastructure as well as to civilian property throughout Georgia.

Key Legislation

1st draft in US History – Conscription of men into the armed forces.

Pacific Railway Act - Promoted the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the United States through authorizing the issuance of government bonds and the grants of land to railroad companies.

Homestead Act – U.S. federal law that gave an applicant ownership at no cost of farmland called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River.

Morrill Land Grant Colleges Act - United States statute that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges (Texas A&M).

National Currency – Now backed by bank holdings of U.S. Treasury securities

Civil Rights

The Emancipation Proclamation Jan. 1 1863

13th – Prohibition of Slavery (1865)14th – Citizenship, Due Process, Equal

Protection (1868)15th – Right to vote not to be denied by

race, color or previous servitude (1870)

Reconstruction

Presidential Reconstruction Congressional Reconstruction What’s the best way to rebuild the South and

heal the nation