Unit 1--Cornell A
“What are America’s most
important founding ideals and
where did they come from?”
“Unit 1—Cornell A Interactive
Notes”
Survey on American Ideals:
1.
All Americans are equal.
a. strongly disagree
b. mildly disagree
c. mildly agree
d. strongly agree
2.
Some Americans have
more rights than others.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Strongly disagree
mildly disagree
mildly agree
strongly agree
Survey on American Ideals:
“Interactive Notebooks”
3. Americans have
all the freedoms
they deserve.
a. strongly disagree
b. mildly disagree
c. mildly agree
d. strongly agree
4.
All Americans have
opportunities to
succeed in life.
a. strongly disagree
b. mildly disagree
c. mildly agree
d. strongly agree
Survey on American Ideals:
“Interactive Notebooks”
5. Wealthy people have a more powerful voice in
American democracy than do others.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Strongly disagree
Mildly disagree
Mildly agree
Strongly agree
American Ideals
Equality
Rights
Liberty
Opportunity
Democracy
Interactive Notes
American Ideals
Read the second paragraph of the
“Declaration of Independence”—Thomas
Jefferson.
 Find the sentence (s) that each of the 5
founding ideals are located and underline
word or phrase that is directly linked to an
ideal. May use the some sentences more
than once.

Key Content Terms
Write the following terms & definitions in your Notebook

Equality = The condition of being equal

Rights = Basic conditions guaranteed to each person

Liberty = The freedom to think or act without being limited by
unnecessary force

Opportunity = The promise that people should have the chance to
attain their hopes and dreams

Democracy = A form of government that places power in the
hands of the people

Question: “What’s the difference between ideals and ideas ?”
II. Whose Ideals?
Enlightenment
Great
Awakening
Founding Ideals
Native
Americans
III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?
The Enlightenment – Illuminate – shed light
 From: Europe – When: 1700’s (18th century) –
 Definition: INTELLECTUAL movement based on

SCIENCE & RATIONAL thought (reason) arise and dominate
European thought over old RELIGIOUS doctrines.
III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?

Explanation: Inspired by
the work of people like
Copernicus, Galileo, and
Newton –
 They were early “scientists”
who wish to “discover”
WHY the universe &
NATURAL world operates
the ways it does
 Why do objects fall when
dropped? How do the
planets move around the
sun?
III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?

Consequences:
 1) They claim that
NATURAL Laws
provide the answers,
and that we can “FIND”
these laws if we closely
OBSERVE and use our
REASONING.

How does it affect political
thinking?
III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?
2) Some NATURAL
Laws might apply to
human SOCIETY &
 GOVERNMENT
 so –“political
philosophers” begin
thinking about new
ideas, like
 “DEMOCRACY”

III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?
3) American colonists were profoundly
influenced by EUROPEANS…… (Voltaire,
Hobbes, Locke, etc.)—
 ”Interactive notes”
 ….who say that government (and kings)
must bow to the “natural RIGHTS” of
individuals.
 This leads to the idea that government is
“LIMITED” and that it cannot do whatever
it wants, it is limited by SOCIETY.

III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?




Great Awakening
From: COLONIAL
AMERICA – When:
EARLY 1700’s –
Definition: RELIGIOUS
movement based on
feelings – despair
followed by
“CONVERSION” and
feeling of being “SAVED”,
led by ministers like
Jonathon EDWARDS
III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?



Consequences:
1) Religious “REVIVALS”
brought new followers into
organized churches
2) Older churches were
challenged and new
DENOMINATIONS were
created (Baptists, Methodists,
etc.)
III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?



Jonathan EDWARDS – a
leader in the Great
Awakening -- said that
people must do more
than attend church –
they must “FEEL” God’s
love—”Sinners in the
hands of an angry god”
MINISTERS cannot do
this for them – this
DIRECT relation with God
opened up greater
INDIVIDUALITY /freedom
for people.
III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?




Native Americans -From: American
FRONTIER -- When:
1500-1700’s -Definition: Exchange of
IDEAS between “Indians”
and colonists helped make
Americans more selfRELIANT
Lured many colonists to the
freedom and beauty of
living closer to a “state of
nature”
III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?





Explanation: On the FRONTIER where Americans &
Indians INTERACTED—KNOWLEDGE, TECHNOLOGY and
lifestyles were exchanged on both sides.
Examples --- Indians got METAL TOOLS, GUNS,
CLOTHING, ect.
while Americans got CORN, HERBAL MEDICINCES,
MILITARY TACTICS, etc.
Most Indians also had their own GOVERNMENT, with
many DEMOCRATIC ideas
Colonists like Ben FRANKLIN observed and learned from
them.
III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?
Consequences:
 1) Colonists see
“savages” living well
in an alien
environment and they
COPY new lifestyles
based on
PRACTICALITY and
self-RELIANCE

III. What are these ideas &
who came up with them?
2) Indians ideas
about government =
leaders serve the
PEOPLE; democratic
DECISION-making;
IMPEACHMENT;
 individual rights &
responsibilities
(including WOMEN)

How were American colonists changed by
these Movements and their experience with
Native Americans ?
Summary:
 Enlightenment:
human REASON –
 Colonists learn to
question traditional
 Great Awakening:
AUTHORITY (Political
individual
and Church leaders)
RELATIONSHIP with
God and less
 stress importance of
importance of old
the INDIVIDUAL
Church rules)
(independent and free
thinking)
 atmosphere for the
AMERICAN Revolution
