United States - Bill of Rights + Founding fathers

Bill of Rights

Creation (1789) ; ratification (1791)

1) Article: Freedom of

• speech
• press
• religion
• Assembly (peacefully)
• Petition

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2) Right to keep and bear arms

Original intention: protect Americans from British soldiers

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3) “Quartering” amendment

No soldier can quarter a house, no citizen shall be forced to quarder soldiers at their home

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4) Right to search and seizure

The police cannot come into your house without a search warrant

• prohibits unreasoanable arrests and searches

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5) Right for people accused of a crime

• “I plead the fifth”
• No person shall be held to answer for a crime unless before a jury
• Protection against self-incrimination

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6 and 7) Legal system

6) Right to a lawyer and to call a witness

7) Right to speedy, public and impartial jury trial - IMPARTIAL process

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8) Protection against cruel and unsual punishment

• Sets limits to bails and penalties
• Prohibits excessive bails and fines
• Controversy: What about death penalty in some states?

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9 and 10) Non-right amendments

• States must decide in regard to other rights.

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Key documents:

• Declaration of Independence (1776)
• Articles of Confederation (1781)
• United States Constitution (1789)

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Key events:

Stamp Act (1765)

Who? Parliament of Great Britain

What? Tax on colonies

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Boston Tea Party (1773)

• Cause: Tea Act
• Response: Throwing the tea into the Boston Harbor
• Result: Intolerable Acts

^^No taxation without representation!^^

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Intolerable Acts (1774)

• Punitive measures passed by the British Parliament after the B.T.P
• Example: Boston Port Act

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American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

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Declaration of Independence (4th July 1776)

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Treaty of Paris (1783)

• Ended the American Revolution
• Formally recognized the U.S as an independent nation

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Founding Fathers

American Revolutionary Leaders, who:

• United the 13 colonies
• Oversaw the war for the indepence of Great Britain
• Established the U.S
• Created a framework of government for the new nation

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Revolutionary Era (1765-1791)

• George Washington
• Benjamin Franklin
• Thomas Jefferson
• Alexander Hamilton
• John Adams
• John Jay
• James Madinson

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The Federalist Papers

to? ratify the Constitution

where and when? Philadelphia, 1787

what? 85 essays

who?

• Alexander Hamilton (majority of them)
• James Madison
• John Jay

Goal: Serve as defence of the federal system

U.S Constitution

ratified (1787)

• supreme law of the U.S
• doctrine of the separation of powers
• rights and responsabilities of states
• first 10 Amendments: Bill of Rights

^^We the people of the U.S… ^^

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Article 1: Legislative

Congress

• Senate
• House of Representatives

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Article 2: Executive Branch

Duties of the president and vice-president

• P: Head
• Commander in Chief of the U.S Armed Forces

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Article 3: Judicial Branch

• Supreme Court

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