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Foundation Of Modern America
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Hobbes
Hobbes believed in a single leader with absolute power (Monarchy) he is credited with the philosophy that all people are inherently evil. This is the modern basis of the saying that "Trust people to be people". Everybody has the natural instinct of survival and will do what it takes to self preserve. Greed is also a very powerful corruptive thing that takes over men once placed in power. This has been proven time and time again in history. -
John Locke
John Locke is considered the founder of the enlightenment era he is credited with the idea of classical liberalism. This is the security of freedom in an individual by limiting the power the government has over this said individual. This is the idea in which the Bill of Rights is based off of. -
The Enlghtenment Era
The Enlightenment Era began around 1650 and ended arond 1800. This was a time of reason and a revolution in human thought. It was a time when people began to think more rationally and gave up blind faith in their governing body and their religous teachings. This caused an uproar amongst the government and the clergy. Their were numerous great minds that kick started the enlightenment. Amongst these were Hobbes, Voltaire, John Locke, Rosseau, and Montesquieu. -
Montesquieu
Montesquieu is credited with the idea of the seperation of powers. Or checks and balances as referred to in todays terms in the U.S. This prevents one branch from becoming to powerful. -
Voltaire
Voltaire lived from1695 to 1778. Voltaire's thoughts are the foundation of the first amendment. He believed in the seperation of church and state. This stopped the government from using religion as a tax or power over the people. However he also believed in the freedom of religion. That you should be able to worship as you wish. The freedom of expression is also credited to Voltaire. He believed that you should have the freedom to speak your mind without fear of being persecuted by the governmen -
Rousseau
Rousseau believed that the origin of inequality came from the government. He believed that the people needed protection from the government. That their was a great need for a Bill of Rights. He also believeed in the social contract. This is the belief socialism was based off. This is when everybody has equal freedoms because they all serve an equal purpose in the government. They also all get equal shares of wealth for their service.- -
George Washington
On April 30, 1789, Washington took the oath of office and began his new job as President of the United States of America. He had traveled from Mount Vernon to New York City slowly, accompanied by celebrations, cannon salutes, and parades. Soon afterwards he fell very ill. A tumor was discovered in his leg. When the surgeons went to remove it (they had no anesthesia then) they were certain they would kill him. Jefferson feared that his death would sink the government. But Washington recovered. -
John Adams
John Adams might be best remembered as one of the most influential voices of the American Revolution. He became the 2nd president of the United States in 1797. Adams entered the presidency with the country on the brink of war with France, which was still angered by Jay's Treaty. Adams' peace mission was initially rebuffed, only to be met with an offer of a meeting with French officials in exchange for a bribe. The publication of the offer in America, in what came to be known as the XYZ Affair. -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was born April 13, 1743 in the rural Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In two years as governor, Jefferson suffered greatly amidst the push and pull of the Revolutionary War. He retired to Monticello in 1781 to care for his ailing wife, who died the following year, leaving two healthy daughters behind. Jefferson grieved profusely, ensconcing himself in his estate for weeks. Eventually, Jefferson recovered and re-entered the world of politics. -
Northwest Ordiance
The Northwest Ordinance was the first annexation of a large group of states into the U.S. This outlined the precedents required to add new states into the union. This process stated the amount of people and size the state had to be to become a state. -
James Madison
James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, was born on March 16, 1751. He excelled at his studies, graduating early in 1771. He was frail and sickly, however, and suffered a nervous disorder that affected his spirits greatly as a young man. He lacked ambition until the outbreak of the American Revolution, when he devoted himself entirely into politics. -
No Taxation Without Representation
The unfiarness Great Britain Presented to the U.S. is what mainly kickstarted the Revolution. Examples of this unfairnes is "Taxation without Representation" Great Britain was able to tax the colonies without resistance because we had no representatives in the British parliament. Also Great Britain housed their soldiers in the homes of the colonists without their consent this caused an uproar later leading to the creation of the 3rd amendment in the Bill of Rights. -
Revolutionary War
The American Revolution had profound consequences, not only for the American colonists but for the rest of the world as well. Never before had a body of colonists so boldly declared their monarch and government incapable of governing a free people. The Thomas Jefferson–penned Declaration of Independence was as unique as it was reasonable, presenting a strong, concise case for American rebellion against a tyrannical government. -
Declaration Of Independance
The Decleration of Independance was completed and signed on July 4, 1776. It marked the official separation between the 13 colonies. The formal declaration of independence established the new American revolutionary government and officially declared war against Great Britain. The primary purpose of the declaration was to assist the Second Continental Congress in obtaining aid from foreign countries. -
Federalism vs Anti Federalism
Federalism:
Federalism is the belief in a strong centeral governing body controlling over the union in its entirety. This is the type of government we have today for example the FEDERAL government. Where the president leads and watches over the whole nation
Anti Federalism:
Anti-Federalism is the belief that the government should be more individualized like each individual state in the U.S. should act like its own country. This is similar to the government we had during the Revolutionary War. -
Constitution
After America's win in the Revolution, they had to find a way to establish a powerful centralized government without it being tyranical. As a result, the first U.S. constitution, the Articles of Confederation, created a decentralized new government. The Articles established the United States as a confederation of states—a system in which the states were largely independent but were bound together by a weak national congress. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is a list of laws protecting the citizens from the U.S. government. The Bill of Rights was the main reason why the Articles of Confederation was replaced with the constitution. It is made up of 10 amendments. These are the first 10 amendments to the constitution. These are laws such as the right to bear arms (2nd amendment) and the freedom of speech (1st amendment).
