Roots of American GovernmentBy: Shirley Lombardi

The

ConstitutionRome

Enlightenment American

Experience

English

Tradition

Magna

Carta

English

Bill of

Rights

Ancient

Greece

1

The

Constitution

Ancient

Greece

2

Athens, Greece

• Home of world’s first direct democracy –

a form of government in which laws are made

directly by the citizens

*An example is colonial town meetings and

voting on local issues

3

The

Constitution

Rome

Ancient

Greece

4

Roman Example

• Constitutional Convention delegates wanted

to create a republic –

a government in which citizens rule themselves

through elected representatives

5

Virtues

(moral goodness; righteousness)

• Independence and public service of its

citizens were admired by Americans.

• Romans served in public office out of

devotion to the republic, not for money.

6

BEWARE!

• Roman citizens lost their feelings of

independence and devotion to the republic.

• Rome became a dictatorship ( a government

in which one person or small group holds

complete authority)

• Without knowledgeable and devoted

citizens, a republic will die.

7

The

Constitution

RomeEnglish

Traditions

Magna

Carta

Ancient

Greece

8

Magna Carta’s First Basic Idea

• The monarchs had to obey the law.

* Our presidents must obey the law.

• The “Great Council” had to be consulted

before the monarchs could raise taxes (the

Great Council became Parliament).

*We have Congress, which is very similar to

the British Parliament which acts to

limit/check the president’s powers

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Second Basic Idea: Rights of

Citizens

• The Magna Carta stated certain rights

given to English nobles, among them were:

1. Rights to private property

2. Rights to a trial by jury

*These rights were later given to other

citizens as well.

10

The

Constitution

Rome

English

Traditions

Magna

Carta

English

Bill of

Rights

Ancient

Greece

11

English Bill of Rights

• Elections to Parliament should be held on a

regular basis.

• Maintained the right to a trial by jury

• Allowed citizens the right to bear arms

• Supported the right of habeas corpus (the

idea that no person could be held in prison

unless first being charged with a specific

crime)

12

The Constitution

Rome

English

Traditions

Magna

Carta

English

Bill of

Rights

American

Experience

Ancient

Greece

13

• Representative Government in America:

- Birthplace was Virginia’s House of Burgesses

(colonists elected burgesses to

represent them)

• Reliance on written documents

- Mayflower Compact

- Colonial charters issued by the

king or Parliament

14

The

Constitution

RomeEnglish

Traditions

Magna

Carta

English

Bill of

Rights

American

ExperienceEnlightenment

15

John Locke

• Believed all people had natural rights to life,

liberty, and property

• Suggested the government is an agreement

between the ruler and the ruled

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Baron de Montesquieu

• Suggested three separate branches of government:

1. Legislative – make laws

2. Executive – enforce laws

3. Judicial – interpret meaning

of laws

• Separation of Powers: dividing government power among legislative, executive and judicial branches (checks and balances =guard against tyranny)

17

Personal Experience/Constitution

• President was made “Commander in Chief

of the Army and Navy. . . and of the militia

of the several states.”

• A court system was created to be

independent of the President and legislature.

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“As we say at sea, huzza for the new world

and farewell to the old one!”

- John Adams

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