Discussion Summaries -- TAH Seminar – January 12, 2004 Main Ideas – Constitution Concept of Union Voice of the nation not individual states Improvement of existing government Concept of “more perfect” Need for a strong national government Importance of “We the people” The purpose of government Main Ideas – Declaration of Independence Disagreement about lack of (non) representation All men are created equal Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness Organized government for safety and happiness Consent of the governed Natural rights come from God, not the King Three parts of Declaration of Independence People’s right to alter the government Power of government comes from the people Complaints/grievances Pledge of the signers Powers of a government Small “u” united States (as an adjective) Negative powers of government Vocabulary -- Constitution Welfare Posterity Tranquility Ordained Liberty Justice Preamble Defense insure Vocabulary – Declaration of Independence unanimous unalienable tyranny usurpations despotism dissolution domestic transient self-evident petition “property” MAIN IDEAS OF DOCUMENTS: BY GRADE LEVEL Grade 4: Who are the contributors? (Especially Virginians) Disagreements over non-representation Consent of the governed House of Burgess connection to Virginia Main outcome or result of the Declaration of Independence Enumeration of the complaints and grievances Concept of a Union Form of the document was a letter Grade 6: List of grievances Disagreement and lack of representation God-given rights – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness Power of government comes from the people Right to change government Concept of Union vs. individual states Middle School: Blessings of liberty Japanese internment Sedition Act All men are created equal Do the Amendments fulfill that promise? Consent of the governed Idea of general welfare compared to notions of welfare in the 20th century Justice with regard to Civil Rights Purposes of government High School: Philosophy and goals of government Summarize the ideas of the Declaration of Independence Philosophies of what led up to the construction of the Declaration of Independence Consent of government Importance of Virginians Commitment of the Founders Other acts of British tyranny that connect to events prior to signing of document e.g. Irish rebellion Why was it a written document? Responsibilities of living in a free society vs. Jeffersonian notions of happiness Structure of the document – its syntax, language, spelling, grammar