Anglais S2 : America caw caw caw !!!!!

1607 : Jamestown, Virginia

First US colony

Walter Raleight

Explorer of Jamestown

Purpose of settlement

commercial, a project of the Virginia Company to generate profit for the investors. Royal charter granted by James I=right to colonize Virginia

John Smith

aimed to develop trade and to mine gold (Jamestown)

Inhospitable environment (Jamestown)

• swampy site

• hostile Native American tribes

• diseases and starvation + no farming skills

• cannibalism

1620 : Plymouth (Massachusetts)

2nd US colony

Pilgrims

Founded the Plymouth colony

Pilgrims motives

religious motives. Settlers fleeing religious persecution in Europe

Pilgrim Fathers

group of Protestant Puritans

Puritans

radical protestants

• reform of the anglican church

• challenge for its authority

⇒persecuted

How did they travel to the New World ? (Pilgrims)

⇒gathered investors who financed their voyage (North Virginia Company)

⇒sailed to America aboard the Mayflower

Dec 16th, 1620

Pilgrims landed on Cape Cod, in the “New England”

Virginia

Where were Pilgrims were originally planning to land ?

The Mayflower Compact

Before landing : Pilgrims signed a covenant (first framework for government even written in North America)

Symbolism of the Plymouth colony

⇒came to symbolize freedom and self determination

⇒the pilgrims = pioneers of the religious freedom

The truth about religious tolerance in new Englands

Puritans started to forbid dissension in their turn

⇒encouraged the creation of other colonies in New England

Puritans belief

thought they were an elect people predestined to settle in a promised land granted to them by God

John Winthrop “A city upon hill” and american exceptionalism

⇒settlers had a godly mission

⇒would be a model for all nations 

===>mission = to propagate freedom

1775-1783. 

american revolution 

The Stamp and Sugar Acts

The acts affirmed their submission to the British Parliament : 

⇒imposed further taxation

⇒increased political control on the colonies

the Virginia Resolves of May 1765. 

assemblies voted resolutions to reject the measure (stamp and sugar acts)

“no taxation without representation”

Protesters’ slogan against taxation

British reactions to the rebellions

⇒passed other acts to restrict the powers of local governments, to reassert the authority of the British Pmt. (18th century)

 Boston Tea Party (political party)

⇒tea act

⇒colonists disguised as Indians went aboard tea-ships in Boston harbor. 

⇒dumped hundreds of cargoes of tea into the ocean

⇒the British escalated military pressure

1775

Beginning of the American war of independence (after Boston tea party) :

⇒A continental army was organized

⇒george washington appointed general and commander in chief

1774

First Continental Congress in Philadelphia : delegates from the 13 colonies

common Sense by Thomas Paine (January 1776)

radical pamphlet which advocated American independence + attacked the British monarchy

4th July 1776

declaration of Independence adopted by the Continental Congress = Official Birth of the US

The declaration of independence

written by Thomas Jefferson (and others) 

⇒the founding fathers

declaration of independence

• justification for the American Revolution

• Since their government had become tyrannical, Americans could legitimately overturn it. 

Settlements

Settled in new lands to the West. “territories”>60 000 inhabitants⇒states

Purchases

A way of territorial expansion

1848

the US won a war with Mexico ⇒negociated the territories in the South-West (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California). 

“Manifest Destiny”

American destiny = to expand to the Pacific in order to spread their democratic institutions⇒justification for expansionist policies. 

Native americans 

⇒deprived of their lands and removed further West

⇒sent to reservations

Articles of confederations

They created an American confederation = a loose association of states (with a great degree of autonomy)

 flaws of the Articles

central government = ineffective⇒calls for a stronger national government

Philadelphia, May 1787

First constitutional convention

Mission of the 1st constitutional convention

revise the articles of Constitution

September 17th, 1787

Final version of the first constitutional convention voted

1789

Washington became the first president of the US

June 1788

Constitution ratified by the states

federalists

in favour of a strong central government

anti federalists

in favour of a small central government= advocated the rights of the states 

A Republic and a federation

What pol system did the C establish exactly ? 

Control of the judicial banch and the legislative

courts of justice can strike down laws passed by Congress if they violate the Constitution 

 Bill of Rights

⇒defined fundamental rights and protected civil liberties

⇒composed of 10 amendments

adopted in 1789, ratified in 1791

Bill of Rights date

Important amendments

• 1 : freedom of speech and religion

• 2 : right to bear arms

• 6 : right to a public and speedy trial by jury

27

How many amendments today ?

Some other amendments

• 13 : abolition of slavery 

• 18 : prohibition of liquor⇒invalidated 

How can the Constitution be amended ?

approval of ⅔ of Congress + approval of ¾ of the states

The debate during the Constitutional Convention

debate over the q° of representation. How many representatives would each state have ? 

Most populated states in the constitutional convention

in favor of a legislature representing the population of each state.

Smaller states in the constitutional convention

In favor of a system of equal representation

Solution of the C convention

⇒bicameral legislature

⇒double sovereignty : of the people (H of R) + of the states (Senate)

congressmen/women or representatives. 

Members of the house of representatives

⇒435 representatives

⇒elected for 2 years

The House of representatives today 

Republican majority + speaker of the House = Mike Johnson

The House of R since the election in November 2024

The Senate

1 state = 2 senators 

Senators

6 years term, elected + 1/3 renewed every 2 years.

JD Vance

President of the Senate = Vice-president of the US

government trifecta

Having the presidency, the Senate and the House of R

mid term elections (2026)

all the seats in the House + ⅓ of the seats in the Senate are renewed. 

 How does Congress work ?

==>makes and passes laws

⇒can declare war

⇒regulate interstate and foreign commerce

⇒raise taxes

⇒control spending policies 

What do representatives and senators do ? 

⇒introduce bills (proposition de loi)

⇒serve on committees

⇒table amendments

⇒vote on bills

State laws

each state = own legislature. All bicameral (except Nebraska)

The legislative process

• Bill introduced either in the House of Representatives or the Senate

• Bill examined by committees

• If approved in stage 2⇒debate, amend and vote. Goes to the second chamber and follows the same procedure. 

president

signs and has the right to veto a bill

Congress can override the veto

2/3 majority in both houses

Trump : did not veto bill imposing sanctions on Russia (2017)

knew veto would be overridden = pol defeat

government gridlock

If Congress is not okay with the executive branch’s actions

⇒can refuse to approve the budget

If no compromise is found

= all non-essential government activity shut down

2019

Congress refused to fund Trump’s plan to build a wall on the southern border. ⇒lockdown continued for 35 days⇒Trump gave up

to stop a filibuster

a cloture motion (requires a majority)

Filibustering

senators talking indefinitely to sabotage a bill

The For the People Act 2019

The Senate Filibuster

The Republicans

AKA the Grand Old Party

purple

swing states

In the UK

1. The House of Lords very rarely blocks legislation

2. No possibility of a veto once Pmt has passed a bill

3. Strict party discipline (whip system)

1848

Congress Act election is to be held on Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 

22nd Amendement (1951)

 2 terms maximum

3 conditions to become POTUS

1. Be a resident for 14 years

2. 35 years old or older

3. Be a natural born citizen of the US

The primaries

⇒each party organizes one to choose one candidate for the G elections. 

⇒ are held in the states by secrecy ballot of the party members

national convention

Each party will ultimately endorse (=approve) ONE nominee

Financing a campaign

1. Personal Funds 

2. Individual donations

3. PACs (political actions committees) : ex : NRA 

How are states visited by candidates ?

all must be visited according to the primaries’ schedule

slate of electors

liste de gds électeurs

Prerogatives of the US president (art 2)

1. Commander in chief of the US armed forces and Navy

2. Pardon

3. Signs treaties : to be ratified and applied ⅔ of Senate must concur 

4. Nomination of federal judges

5. Executive orders

Commander in chief (president)

decides on military operation on US territory and overseas + can initiate the launching of missiles such as nuclear warheads

Pardon

cannot do it if it’s someone who has been convicted by the Congress in an impeachment case (checks and balances)

Nomination by the president only

• federal court judges

• heads of departments (=ministres)

President’s nominations with senate’s approval 

• US supreme court justices 

• Ambassadors, consuls

Executive orders

can be struck down by federal Court

Impeachment

process by which a legislative body brings charges against a high official of government. 

Empeachment Step 1

power of impeachment in the hands of the House of Representatives==>simple majority

Empeachment Step 2

the trial : US Senate==>⅔ majority for conviction

Removal = automatic (no possibility of appeal)

Acts that may lead to impeachment : Art II of the C

“treason, bribery (=corruption) or other high crimes and misdemeanors” 

4 president involved in an impeachment case

• Johnson

• Nixon

• Clinton

• Trump

Nixon

Republican

June 1972

5 men were arrested in the DNC headquarters (Watergate). They were all in their 40s and 50s. There wasn’t much to steal. They were wearing rather elegant suits and surgical gloves.