Founding Documents
Basics of Declaration of Independence
and Constitution
Complete Bill of Rights
Declaration of
Independence
• “Break up letter” between American
colonists & King George III of England
• Key Principles
– Natural Rights (Basic rights to all humans)
– Consent of the Governed (I get to have a say in my
government)
• List of grievances against the King (what he
was doing wrong)
US Constitution
• Explains our government
– Article I – Legislative Branch (Pass bills/laws,
impeachments, pass budget, approve treaties)
– Article II – Executive Branch (command armed
forces, enforce laws, sign treaties, sign/veto laws sent
by Congress)
– Article III – Judicial Branch (Interpret laws,
decide Un/Constitutionality)
• Limits our government
– Example: Gov’t can’t take your land unless they pay
you fair value for it
Three Branches
Legislative Branch
Seven Principles of Gov’t
• Popular Sovereignty -a government in which the people rule
(demonstrated best by voting)
• Republicanism –people elect representatives to make decisions
• Federalism- power shared/divided by national and state
governments
• Separation of Powers - the division government roles into three
branches
• Checks and Balances - each branch of government can exercise
checks, or controls over the other branches
• Limited Government – government is limited in its power and
must obey laws like citizens
• Individual Rights - personal liberties or privileges
The Bill of Rights
The First 10 Amendments to the Constitution
Start a table like this. Only do the title row. (You don’t know how much
room you will need for each.) We’ll add more as we go.
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1
Rights Guaranteed
Picture for Each
Right
Amend?
• What does Amend mean?
– To change or alter
• So why change the rules of
government?
– The first 10 Amendments were simply to
guarantee personal rights
– Beyond those - because society changes
• Example: 19th Women can vote, 18th Alcohol
should be illegal, 21st Oh wait, that didn’t go
well, no it shouldn’t.
1st Amendment
• The 1st Amendment guarantees freedom of
religion, speech, the press, assembly, and petition.
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•
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This means that we all have the right to:
practice any religion we want to
to speak freely
to assemble (meet)
to address the government (petition)
to publish newspapers, TV, radio, Internet (press)
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
2nd Amendment
• The 2nd
Amendment
protects the right
to bear arms, which
means the right to
own a gun.
3rd Amendment
• The 3rd Amendment says “No soldier
shall, in time of peace be quartered in
any house, without the consent of the
owner, nor in time of war, but in a
manner to be prescribed by law.”
• This means that we cannot be forced to
house or quarter soldiers.
4th Amendment
• The 4th Amendment protects the people
from unreasonable searches and seizures.
• This means that the police must have a
warrant to enter our homes. It also means
the government cannot take our property,
papers, or us, without a valid warrant based
on probable cause (good reason).
5th Amendment
• The 5th Amendment protects people from
being held for committing a crime unless
they are properly indicted, (accused)
• You may not be tried twice for the same
crime (double jeopardy)
• You don’t have to testify against yourself
in court. (Self-incrimination)
• If gov’t is going to “take” your property,
they must pay you (Eminent Domain)
6th Amendment
• The 6th Amendment
guarantees a speedy trial
(you can’t be kept in jail for
over a year without a trial)
• an impartial jury (doesn’t
already think you are guilty)
• that the accused can
confront witnesses against
them
• the accused must be allowed
to have a lawyer
7th Amendment
• The 7th Amendment guarantees the
right to a speedy civil trial.
• A civil trial differs from a criminal trial. A
civil trial is when someone sues
someone else. A criminal trial is when
the state tries to convict someone of a
crime.
8th Amendment
• The 8th
Amendment
guarantees that
punishments will be
fair and not cruel,
and that
extraordinarily
large fines will not
be set.
9th Amendment
• All rights not stated in the Constitution
and not forbidden by the Constitution
belong to the people.
• This means that the just because a right
isn’t listed, it doesn’t mean people/states
don’t have it.
10th Amendment
• The 10th Amendment states that any
power not granted to the federal
government belongs to the states or
to the people.
• This is where the South argued
state’s rights to keep slavery…
But wait…There’s more…
• Now go back and highlight all the
amendments that deal with rights of the
accused…
• Which amendments are they?
– Fourth
– Fifth
– Sixth
– Eighth