American Government Independence In this section you will • travel back in American history to the time of the thirteen colonies struggling to free themselves from the rule of the British monarch. • be provided with helpful information about the creation of the Declaration of Independence - a dramatic story. • The power and strength of US government come from the people in a democracy. The word “democracy” comes from two Greek words: “demos” meaning “people” and “kratos” meaning “power” or “authority.” • Some countries have autocratic governments. The word “autocracy,” the opposite of democracy, comes from the Greek words: “autos” meaning “self” and “kratos” meaning “power.” In an autocratic government, one person or group holds all the power, without the participation, or sometimes even the consent, of the people. Independence: Democracy • During America's first 150 years, most of the settlers came from Great Britain. Along America's Atlantic coast, these colonists built settlements that became what are commonly called the "Original Thirteen Colonies." • The British settlers lived under the rule of the King of England. They worked hard building homes, farms and towns, even though they did not own these places. Therefore, they wanted to be involved in making decisions about their lives and property. • The British knew that the colonists wanted independence. But the British, instead, tried to take more control of the colonists. Colonists objected to British interference with their practices. The Original Thirteen Colonies • The Revolutionary War broke out on April 19, 1775. • In May 1775 the Second Continental Congress met to discuss stronger action for independence, tensions in the American colonies ran very high between "Patriots" and "Loyalists." . • On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed a committee of five men to write a Declaration of Independence from British Rule. Those five men were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. - Jefferson wrote the first draft. - The committee presented the document to the Congress after making a few corrections. - Following a few more changes, Thomas Jefferson's work was approved. • Church bells rang out on July 4, 1776, the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the nation was officially born. The Declaration of Independence • The Declaration of Independence has five parts. They are the Preamble, the Statement of Human Rights, Charges Against Human Rights, Charges Against the King and Parliament, and the Statement of Separation and Signatures. • The main purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to - announce the colonies separation from England. - the principles that were the foundation for seeking independence. • The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal and are entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." These ideas would be expressed again in the new republic's Constitution. These ideas form the basis of our beliefs about the role of our government in American lives today. The Declaration of Independence Constitution This section covers the history of the Constitution of the United States including information about: - the writing the Constitution, - the Great Compromise, - the Constitution’s signers, - the Bill of Rights, - the Amendments to the Constitution - what they mean to Americans, - and much more. • The Constitutional Convention of May 1787 was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The delegates worked for 4 months behind closed doors of the State House to draft a new document known later as the "Constitution." • In Philadelphia, more than fifty delegates from twelve of the original thirteen colonies met to begin writing the Constitution of the United States. • These delegates were selected by their states. They were educated, patriotic, and experienced men, ranging from the ages of 40 to 81. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate. Some men were landowners and some were lawyers or judges. This group is sometimes called the "Founding Fathers." There were no women or minorities. Delegates to the Constitutional Convention They wanted to make sure that - the new nation and its citizens would be free and independent. - the government of the United States would protect the people So the writers of the Constitution planned a very special kind of government and put their plan in writing. • Washington was elected to be the president of the Constitutional Convention because they held him in high esteem. His job as the president was to keep the meetings orderly and effective. • Before the Constitutional Convention began, a rules committee decided how the process would work. - No matter how many delegates a state sent, each state was given only one vote. - Any delegate could voice an opinion. - All proceedings would be kept secret until the Constitutional Convention presented a finished Constitution. The Work Begins • The Constitutional Convention met for 4 months. • The 55 delegates were seldom all together at once because the weather was bad and travel was difficult. • About 35 delegates were present during the process of writing the Constitution. Writing the Constitution [...]... over 218 million people act through their representatives - issues of the most importance to world history are decided - laws are made - billions and billions of dollars are budgeted out of the taxes Americans pay into the Treasury of the United States  . American Government Independence In this section you will • travel back in American history to the time of the thirteen colonies struggling. the Second Continental Congress met to discuss stronger action for independence, tensions in the American colonies ran very high between "Patriots" and "Loyalists." . • On. republic's Constitution. These ideas form the basis of our beliefs about the role of our government in American lives today. The Declaration of Independence Constitution This section covers the history