Founding Fathers and the U.S. Constitution

Cause and Effect in History

• Understanding historical events requires analyzing the causal relationships and chronological order of events.
• World War I directly led to World War II as a result of economic shifts in power, lingering grudges between countries, and aggressive nationalist movements.
• The League of Nations' failed appeasement policy emboldened aggressors, leading to World War II.

Ancient Laws

• Hammurabi's Code (1750 B.C.): One of the earliest examples of a legal code to regulate a society.
• It suggests a presumption of innocence and provides a basic framework for law, although primitive.
• It was heavily influenced by an "eye for an eye" principle.
• Justinian's Code of Laws (early 500 A.D.): A compilation of Roman laws.
• It served a foundational role in jurisprudence during the Renaissance and later eras.

Origins of Democracy

• Democracy: A form of government in which all members of a society participate in decision-making.
• Ancient Greece (599 BC), particularly Athens, is considered the birthplace of democracy, although other early societies exhibited democratic principles.
• Direct Democracy: A system in which all eligible citizens vote directly on every issue.
• Representative Democracy: A system where eligible citizens elect representatives to take decisions on their behalf.
• The United States is an example of representative democracy.

Dark Ages and Democracy in Europe

• After the collapse of the Roman Empire, serfdom and monarchies were common in Europe.
• The Magna Carta (1215): Established the concept of limited government, establishing that the king did not hold absolute power.

The English Civil War

• A power struggle resulted between the Stuart monarchs and Parliament.
• The English Civil War (1642-1651) was the outcome, with Presbyterian Puritans opposing nobles (Roundheads versus Cavaliers).
• Oliver Cromwell led the Commonwealth of England during the Interregnum.
• The monarchy was eventually reinstated with Charles II.

Enlightenment

• An intellectual movement in the 17th century, engaging with new ways of thinking about society and government.
• The Enlightenment spurred rational and secular philosophy.
• Philosophers like Hobbes and Locke were prominent thinkers during this period.

Major European Periods of Thought

• Illustrates the sequence of historic periods in Europe, indicating the dates of each.
• Shows the connection between different periods and ideas.

European Exploration & Colonization

• Following the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Europe sought alternative trade routes.
• The Age of Exploration resulted in European colonization of the Americas.
• Colonists from Spain, France, England, and the Netherlands began settling in the Americas.

Spanish Exploration

• Spain was initially motivated to reach the East Indies (Asia).
• Christopher Columbus's voyages led to the initial encounter with the Americas.
• Spain's primary goals in exploration were God, gold, and glory, leading to the conquest of several empires.
• This involved the extraction of precious metals from lands, the conversion of the Indigenous peoples to Christianity, and the settlement of land.

French Exploration

• French explorers, such as Jacques Cartier, initially sought a Northwest Passage to Asia.
• The focus on fur trade led to the establishment of settlements in North America, particularly in Canada and the Great Lakes region.

English Exploration

• England, facing economic pressures within Europe but interested in colonies, sought colonies.
• The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 gave England a crucial advantage, establishing them as a major European naval power.
• Early English colonization focused on the eastern seaboard.

Dutch Exploration

• The Dutch initially focused on establishing trading posts and colonies in the Caribbean and North America (New Amsterdam, later New York City).
• Commerce in North America primarily focused on exporting furs and fish to Europe.

The Columbian Exchange

• The global exchange of goods, flora, fauna, and cultural practices between Europe and the Americas.
• This exchange facilitated European economic growth.
• The exchange also resulted in devastating impacts on Indigenous populations due to European diseases.

Mercantilism

• A theory of economic practices in Europe that dominated during 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
• Believed a nation's power depended on its gold reserves (measured by exports exceeding imports).
• It fostered the establishment of colonies for raw materials and as markets for finished goods.
• Led to many wars and conflicts between European powers

The French and Indian War (1754-1763)

• Conflicts stemming from land disputes between British colonists and French fur trappers in the Ohio River Valley.
• The war drew in various Native American tribes.
• The result was a victory for Great Britain but also caused significant debt for the British crown which in turn instigated many of the events leading to the American Revolution.

The Proclamation of 1763

• Issued by the British King to prevent further westward expansion within North America.
• This led to great discontent amongst many English colonists.

The Enlightenment and the American Revolution

• Ideals for individual liberty and democratic government spread, greatly influencing the American Revolution in the late 18th century.
• Many colonists resented British taxation policies without representation in Parliament.
• Key events surrounding the Revolution include the Stamp Act, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, and the Intolerable Acts.

The American Revolution (1775-1783)

• The American colonies fought for independence from Great Britain, influenced by Enlightenment ideas.
• The American victory in the Revolutionary War solidified their sense of nationhood.
• Resulted in the creation of the United States of America.
• Conflict was also influenced by economic crises and political tensions.

The Constitution

• The US Constitution established a new form of governance for the United States and is a landmark document for democracy around the world.
• The Bill of Rights guaranteed fundamental rights and freedoms to American citizens.
• It consists of seven articles that outline the structure and functioning of the federal government, including power division and the checks and balances system.

The American Revolution

• The American colonies rebelled against British rule.
• Led to U.S. independence.
• The aftermath saw conflict between states' rights and a stronger national government
• Included a massive amount of armed conflict involving multiple countries

Key Moments Shaping the U.S. and the World

• The 19th Amendment (1920)
• The Great Depression (1929-1939)
• World War II (1939-1945)
• The Cold War (1947-1991)
• The rise of Communism
• The rise of Fascism
• The Civil Rights Movement (1950s-1960s)
• The Cold War tensions
• Decolonization
• The rise of globalism.