Early Government
Democratic Roots
Athens and Rome

Athens:
Republic: Leaders elected by male citizens
(US:______________________________)
 Direct democracy: All male citizens were members of
the legislative branch called the Assembly (US:
Legislative branch = _______)
 Jury System: male citizens were chosen in large
numbers by lot to serve as jurors to try cases
 Salaries for Public Officials: enabled poor citizens to
take part in government service (could leave their
jobs)

Athens and Rome

Rome:
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Veto: elected leaders could veto (______) laws
passed by the government (checks and balances)
Representative democracy: Citizens chose other
citizens to represent them in the gov’t assemblies
Roman Law (Codified Law): by writing laws down (all
areas of society) in a orderly manner, all citizens can
know them

Consistent but flexible, and impartial
Enlightenment

17th and 18th Century
produced a new way of
thinking/new philosophies
on life and gov’t

John Locke: natural rights
(life, liberty, and property);
gov’t gets it’s power from
the people (social
contract); gov’t could be
changed if it doesn’t meet
the people’s need
Enlightenment
Voltaire: Natural rights and religious
freedom
 Montesquieu: Gov’t should have limits;
separation of powers (3 branches:
Legislative, Executive, Judicial)
 Rousseau: people give the gov’t it’s power

Democracies/Republics in the New
World
Virginia House of
Burgesses: started in
1619
 1st such assembly in
America



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Legislative body
elected by the people
Meet once a year in
Jamestown
Elected body was
called burgesses
Democracies/Republics in the New
World

Mayflower Compact



Signed by males on
the Mayflower
Needed organization
before Pilgrims formed
Plymouth
Set up a gov’t
structure
American Revolution

Events leading
towards war:

Taxes and Acts:





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Sugar Act
Stamp Act (No Taxation
without Representation)
Townsend Act
Boston Massacre
Tea Act (Boston Tea
Party)
“Intolerable Acts” (took
away local gov’t)
American Revolution

Declaring War:
First Continental Congress (1974): met in Philly to
agree to fight for American rights and liberty for the
colonies
 Patrick Henry “..give me liberty or give me death.”
 Declaration of Independence:

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Thomas Jefferson
1- Reasons for Separation (win public support/propaganda
against the king)
2- Theory of Gov’t (unalienable rights and natural rights/
gov’t protects these rights and gets its power from the
people)
3- Declaration of War
American Revolution

Declaration cont….




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July 2, 1776 > 2nd Continental
Congress met to vote on
Declaration
Debated Jefferson’s document
(Jefferson almost left the
convention)
July 4, 1776 > ratification of
Declaration with some
changes
12-0 (New York makes it 13-0
on July 15)
August 2, 1776 > signing of
the Declaration

“we all must hang together or
we shall hang separately” Ben Franklin
Battles of the Revolution

Lexington and
Concord (1775) >
British march to
destroy Patriots’
supply of ammunition
> Paul Revere’s ride
> “shot heard ‘round
the world
Battles of the Revolution

Trenton and Princeton
(1777) > Washington
crosses Delaware
River to surprise
Redcoats > British
withdraw from
western New Jersey


Saratoga (1777) >
turning point of the
Revolution > patriots’
stop two offensives by
British > were
outnumbered>
counterattack and force
British army to surrender
Yorktown (1781) >
official surrender of
British army ending
Revolution