Government_Structures_via_US_History_Rev

In Pursuit of Freedom: Understanding Government through US History : 

In Pursuit of Freedom: Understanding Government through US History Brian Surkan The Walker School Civics 8

Government American Indians : 

Government American Indians No pre-existing government structure Each person conducts himself as he chooses What is the role of competition between Regions and countries Political and economic systems Individuals and families No laws = Total freedom? Why do societies create governments?

Anarchy: No Government : 

Anarchy: No Government No formal government exists Strong impose their desires on the weak Weak often over-taxed Productivity declines Much energy spent on protecting property High risk of losing wealth discourages work As fewer work, more property is taken from them Everybody’s quality of life ultimately falls Anarchy = Mob rule? / Anarchy = Chaos?

Monarchy: Rule by One : 

Monarchy: Rule by One A single person wields the power Legislative: Creates laws (or rules by whim) Judiciary: Judges infractions Executive: Enforces laws / whims / verdicts Can have help, but only monarch rules Not necessarily cruel / unfair Can be enlightened despot: Just government -> more production -> more taxes Primogeniture: Hereditary leadership Creates incentives for long-term thinking

Absolute Monarchy : 

Absolute Monarchy What keeps monarchs from despotism? Competition: people leave to better countries Economics: economy declines = less taxes Revolution: people / military overthrow government How can monarchs secure support Offer land in exchange for service / loyalty Offer soldiers the spoils of battle for fighting Offer church officials land / spoils for loyalty How to fund a monarchy? Direct taxation (very awkward and unpopular) Taxation of trade and production (tariffs, excise taxes) Spoils of war (taking wealth from foreigners) Selling titles of nobility Selling monopolies Selling / renting land rights Inflation of monopoly currency (print more money / debase coin)

Monarchy: Securing Authority? : 

Monarchy: Securing Authority? The voluntary support of the people A beloved monarch has authority of his people Brute force Those who disagree are brutally suppressed Theocracy / Divine Right of Kings God granted the monarch authority Awkward to disagree with deities Particularly useful among ignorant citizens Aristocracy Secure the support of powerful citizens

Case Study: British Monarchy : 

Case Study: British Monarchy 1066 William of Normandy Conquered England Distributed land to his nobles Nobles consulted for major decisions 1215 Magna Carta King John required consent of royal council to tax King John repealed it soon afterwards 1265 First elected Parliament Only tax-paying nobles invited to vote 1295 Parliament of two houses House of Lords: Nobles and High Clergy House of Commons: Lower nobles, knights, burgesses Both houses must agree for new taxes to be imposed

British Monarchy (2) : 

British Monarchy (2) 1509 – King Henry VIII Created Church of England (Anglican Church) Gave himself more power (he was new Pope) Enabled him to seize Catholic church wealth Otherwise just like the Catholic church in practice 1558 – 1603 Elizabeth Sponsored Sir Francis Drake

British Monarchy (3) : 

British Monarchy (3) 1603 – James I 1606 - Chartered Virginia Company of London 1607 (May 14) – Jamestown 1620 (Dec 21) – Plymouth 1625 – Charles I 1628 Assembled new Parliament to pay for war Parliament required Petition of Right to limit King’s power 1629 – 1640 Ruled without Parliament 1640 – 1642 Called Parliament for war v. Scotland and France

Petition of Right : 

Petition of Right Taxation without Parliament's consent Forced loans Arbitrary arrest Imprisonment contrary to Magna Carta Arbitrary interference w/property rights Lack of enforcement of habeas corpus Forced billeting of troops Imposition of martial law Exemption of officials from due process

British Monarchy (4) : 

British Monarchy (4) 1642 - 1651 English Civil Wars (x3) Parliamentarians v. Royalists: Parliament wins 1649 – Charles beheaded for treason v. Parliament 1653-1659 Protectorate: Oliver Cromwell British learn they need a king to check Parliament power 1652 Charles II invited back from exile Treads lightly to avoid offending parliament 1685 James II (Catholic) Disliked by people and parliament 1688 Bloodless / Glorious Revolution Dutch William of Orange & Mary 1689 Bill of Rights Limited power of British Monarchy

British Monarchy (5) : 

British Monarchy (5) 1707 Union with Scotland Motivated by Darien Debacle / South Sea Bubble 1714 George I Shared power with ministers Sir Walter Walpole (first “prime minister”) 1727 – 1750 George II Cabinet and parliament rose in power 1750 – 1820 George III King took power back from parliament

British Government Lessons : 

British Government Lessons Checks & Balances of power are important Legislative – Parliament Needs King to keep them from infighting Executive – King Wars are expensive Monarchs perpetually in debt Needs parliament to collect taxes (consent) Protestantism provided independence No more papal power over the people Loss of American Colonies taught them More respect of their colonists / self-government

Early Colonial Life : 

Early Colonial Life Who were the early colonists? Poor Religiously persecuted minorities Prisoners Entrepreneurs Generally lower classes What were they all seeking A BETTER life through their own efforts “The American Dream” Why didn’t the upper class emigrate? Life was good in the old world Why take risks in the new world?

Colonial Government Forms : 

Colonial Government Forms Three forms of Colonial Government Charter: Created by a company charter (VA) Governor appointed by company / charter stipulation Proprietary: Owned by a specific person (PA) Governor appointed by proprietor / constitution Royal: Owned by the King (NY) Governor appointed by the British Monarch To whom are governor’s loyal? Those who appoint / elect them Those who pay their salaries Their colonists who could overthrow them

Colonial Government (2) : 

Colonial Government (2) Early government very representative Early attempts at communal property failed Human nature dictated private property rights Representative houses demanded by people Unicameral - House of Burgesses (1619) Bicameral – Popular after MA (1644) Supported by a rising two-class system Upper class: Free landowners & wealthy businessmen Lower class: indentured servants, natives & poor (immigrants) Social & Economic mobility allowed people to become upper class by working hard (American Dream)

Colonial Authority : 

Colonial Authority De Jure (officially) King and parliament controlled the colonies Official Economic Policy: Mercantilism Colonies required to trade exclusively via Britain Raw resources from colonies traded for mfg. goods Britain exports more to colonies than it imports De Facto (effectively) Few restrictions on trade enforced / enforceable Colonies practiced free trade with all countries Colonial governments beholden to their citizens

Quiz : 

Quiz What is the Latin term for a two house parliament? To which THREE parties/groups should Royal Colonial Governors be loyal What was the Petition of Right What is the primary reason why British Kings needed parliament’s help

Colonial Trade: Everybody Wins : 

Colonial Trade: Everybody Wins Trade flourished Colonies mainly traded with Britain Most developed world economy Familiar, well-established contacts with colonies Many investors lived in Britain British traders / entrepreneurs became wealthy British government tax revenues from trade rose Labor shortage in colonies Poor, criminals & troublemakers left Britain Indentured servants filled the gap Slaves used mainly in southern plantations

Slavery v. Indentured Servants : 

Slavery v. Indentured Servants Slaves Kept for life Right to the offspring Different language More likely to flee Better suited for heat Precious “machinery” Domestic better! Less disease Speak English Used to the system Indentured Servants Limited contract (~5yr) Received land at end Often skilled Similar culture / lang. No rights to offspring Poorly suited to heat

American Economy Flourished : 

American Economy Flourished Entire coastline developed New immigrants kept moving west Appalachians provided natural barrier Louisiana Included all waters flowing into Mississippi R. Inhabited by Indians who traded w/French Claimed by France (1682) Included New Orleans René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle Obstructed American expansion

French-Indian / 7 Years War : 

French-Indian / 7 Years War Fight over colonization of the mid-west French wanted to dominate trade with Indians English colonists wanted to move West French and English fighting over other colonies India / Canada / West Indies Expensive military campaign in America British went heavily into debt to fund war (9 yrs) Colonials treated as second class soldiers Sought re-imbursement from colonists via taxes

Absolute v. Constitutional Monarchy : 

Absolute v. Constitutional Monarchy Absolute Monarchs: Few constraints on powers Rule by whim Generally unpopular Fear revolutions Brutally suppress oponents Constitutional Monarchs Powers limited by law Agree to follow / enforce objective laws Relinquish some / all of the legislative power Often relinquish taxing authority to parliament Sell titles, monopolies & privileges for extra $

British Colonies : 

British Colonies Who came over? Why did they come? How did distance from Britain affect them? What type of government… Would the colonists prefer? Would the London Company prefer? Would the British Government prefer?

Pure Democracy: Rule by People : 

Pure Democracy: Rule by People Citizens vote on every law Who should vote? Everybody? Property owners? (Pole) tax payers? Adults? Men? Requires considerable time from citizens Makes it slow and awkward to pass laws Very awkward in times of crisis and war Tyranny of the Majority? Is the majority always fair? Does the minority have any unalienable rights? Who pays to carry out the decisions?

From War to Revolution : 

From War to Revolution 1754 – 1763 French – Indian War 1763 Proclamation Act Restricted migration west of Appalachians Intended to pacify the Indians Raise Taxes to Pay for War 1764 April 5 – Sugar Act: sugar, wine, coffee, dyes, cloth April 19 – Currency Act forbids paper money 1765 March 22 – Stamp Act: tax on paper goods May 15 – Quartering Act: colonists to house soldiers 1765 (Oct) – Stamp Act Congress 1766 (March) – Parlm’t. repeals Stamp Act

Road to Independence : 

Road to Independence 1767 Townshend Acts: tax on tea, lead, glass, paper, paint Restraining Act: Suspends NY legislature 1768 Soldiers arrive in Boston To enforce customs laws 1769 Treason trials moved to Britain 1770 Boston Massacre: five killed Soldiers defended by Adams and acquitted 1773 Boston Tea Party

Road to Independence (2) : 

Road to Independence (2) 1774 Boston Harbor Closed Trials from MA moved to England 1774 Quebec Act Intended to make peace with French Canadians Expanded territory considered part of Quebec Restored French civil law use in Quebec Allowed practice of Catholicism 1774 Sep – Continental Congress meets in Philly Protests Intolerable Acts 1775 April 19 – Lexington and Concord

1776 : 

1776 January – Common Sense: Thomas Paine March – Wealth of Nations: Adam Smith Mercantilism impossible: Against human nature Humans motivated by self-interest Free markets self-regulate via COMPETITION July 2, 4 – Continental Congress Declaration of Independence August – British forces arrive in New York December 24 – Washington @ Delaware

Sources : 

Sources Colonial Government Types http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/colonial/book/chap10_5.html Louisiana http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_(New_France) Timeline to Revolution http://www.ushistory.org/March/timeline.htm http://faculty.washington.edu/qtaylor/a_us_history/am_rev_timeline.htm Declaration of Independence http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/index.htm