Transcript File

Blueprints for a
Democracy
• The Charters of the VA Company of London
• The VA Declaration of Rights
• The VA Statute of Religious Freedom
• The Declaration of Independence
•Articles of Confederation
•U.S. Constitution
BEGIN
The Charters of the Virginia
Company of London
King James I
gave a charter
to the Virginia
Company of
London.
April 10, 1606
Purpose of the Charters
•They authorized the Virginia Company to
start a colony.
•They allowed for a representative
government.
•They gave the colonists the
same rights as Englishmen.
The Virginia Declaration
of Rights
Served as the model for the
BILL OF RIGHTS – the
First 10 Amendments to the U.S.
Constitution
June 12, 1776
Written By:
George Mason
The Declaration of Rights
•This was an introduction to
the Virginia Constitution
•George Mason believed all
Virginians should have certain
rights.
Virginia Declaration
of Rights:
•Freedom of Religion
•Right to a fair trial
•Freedom of
the press
Thomas Jefferson used
the Virginia Declaration
of Rights as a basis for
the first 10 amendments
(the Bill of Rights) to
the United States
Constitution.
This was a giant step toward
freedom and Democracy.
Virginia Statute for Religious
Freedom
Written
by:
Thomas
Jefferson
What did the Virginia
Statute for Religious
Freedom do?
 Separated church and state

Established religious freedom
The Basis for the
First Amendment
Congress shall make no
law respecting an
establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of
speech, or of press; or
the right of people
peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the
Government for a
redress of grievances.
Click here to view a movie
about the Declaration of
Independence.
The Declaration of Independence
Written by:
Thomas Jefferson
The
Declaration of
Independence
as it appeared
in the
“Pennsylvania
Packet”
July 8, 1776
Reason for Declaration
Stated grievances against the
king of Great Britain
Declared the colonies’
independence from Great Britain
 Affirmed Unalienable Rights Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of
Happiness
 All people are created equal
under the law
 Unalienable Rights - Life,
Liberty and the Pursuit of
Happiness
 All people are created
equal under the law
“We hold these
truths to be
self-evident, that
all men are
created equal…”
Our first form of national
government!
• After declaring independence in 1776,
Congress tried to unite the states under one
national government called the Articles of
Confederation. This created a loose
association of states. There were many
problems with the Articles.
Our first form of national government!
• Individual states maintained the majority of
power
• Weak national government
• No power to tax or enforce laws
• The failure of the Articles led to the writing
of the U.S. Constitution
What were the weaknesses of the Articles
of Confederation?
The United States Constitution
and the Bill of Rights
• Establishes the structure of our government
• Guarantees equality under the law with
majority rule and the rights of the minority
protected
• Affirms the individual worth of all people
• Protects the fundamental freedoms of
religion, speech, press, assembly and
petition
The Bill of Rights protects our individual freedoms.
Historical Document
Fundamental Principle(s)
Charters of the Virginia
Company of London
Guaranteed the rights of Englishmen to the colonists
Virginia Declaration of
Rights
Served as a model for the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States of America
Virginia Statute for
Religious Freedom
Stated freedom of religious beliefs and opinions
Declaration of
Independence
stated grievances against the king of Great Britain
declared the colonies’ independence from Great Britain
affirmed “certain unalienable rights” (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness)
established the idea that all people are equal under the law
Articles of Confederation
established the first form of national government for the independent states
maintained that major powers resided with individual states
created weak central government (e.g., no power to tax or enforce laws); led to the writing
of the Constitution of the United States of America
List the basic principles of the Constitution & the Bill of Rights in the space below:
•established the structure of the United States government
•guaranteed equality under the law with majority rule and the rights of the minority protected
•affirmed individual worth and dignity of all people
•protected the fundamental freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
QUIZ – Historical Documents
• Select the best answer for each question.
•Select the best answer for each question.
1. What document served as the model
for the Bill of Rights?
A. Charters of Virginia
B. Declaration of Independence
C. Articles of Confederation
D. Virginia Declaration of Rights
2. “I came to Jamestown, but I still expect
to be guaranteed the same rights as men
living in England.” What document
promises a colonist these rights?
A. Virginia Declaration of Rights
B. Charters of the Virginia Company of
London
C. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
D. Articles of Confederation
3. What document listed the grievances the
colonists had against the king of Great
Britain?
A. Virginia Declaration of Rights
B. Charters of the Virginia Company of
London
C. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
D. Declaration of Independence
4. Which rights listed below are
‘unalienable rights’?
A. education, religious freedom and the right
to marry
B. life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
C. freedom of speech, press and assembly
D. voting, paying taxes and owning property
5. Which document
guarantees the rights shown in
the picture?
A. Virginia Declaration of Rights
B. Charters of the Virginia Company of
London
C. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
D. Declaration of Independence
“We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights…”
6. This quote is from the:
A. Virginia Declaration of Rights
B. Charters of the Virginia Company of
London
C. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
D. Declaration of Independence
7. Which historical document established
freedom of religious beliefs and opinions?
A. Virginia Declaration of Rights
B. Charters of the Virginia Company of London
C. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
D. Declaration of Independence
8. Name the document that stated the
colonies were free from Great Britain.
A. Declaration of Independence
B. Charters of the Virginia Company of
London
C. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
D. Virginia Declaration of Rights
9. What document was the first government
of the United States?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
Declaration of Rights
10. What document said that “everyone
was equal under the law”?
A. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
B. Articles of Confederation
C. Charters of the Virginia Company of
London
D. U.S. Constitution