Those who contributed to the development of selfgovernment in

Those who contributed to the development of selfgovernment in colonial America Citizenship. The student understands the importance of voluntary individual participation in the democratic process. The student is expected to: (A) explain the role of significant individuals such as Thomas Hooker, Charles de Montesquieu, John Locke, William Blackstone, and William Penn in the development of self-government in colonial America;

Thomas Hooker Father of American Democracy Founder of Connecticut Creator of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut Thomas Hooker (July 5, 1586 – July 7, 1647) was a prominent Puritan colonial leader, who founded the Colony of Connecticut after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts. He was known as an outstanding speaker and a leader of universal Christian suffrage. Called today “the Father of Connecticut,” Thomas Hooker was a towering figure in the early development of colonial New England. He was one of the great preachers of his time, an erudite writer on Christian subjects, the first minister of Cambridge, Massachusetts, one of the first settlers and founders of both the city of Hartford and the state of Connecticut, and cited by many as the inspiration for the "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut," cited by some as the world's first written democratic constitution that established a representative government.[2]

Charles de Montesquieu Philosopher who influenced the Founding Fathers and the Constitution The Founding Fathers were heavily influenced by French philosopher Charles Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu when drafting the Constitution, most notably in connection with the separation of powers. Born on January 18, 1689, in Bordeaux, France, Montesquieu was trained in the classics as well as the law. In 1722 he began his literary career when he published The Persian Letters, a famous, insightful satire of Parisian and French society. Although he published other works as well, his most influential volume was The Spirit of the Laws (1748). The Founding Fathers, most especially James Madison, drew upon Montesquieu’s theory of the separation of powers when drafting the Constitution. Montesquieu argued that the best way to secure liberty and prevent a government from becoming corrupted was to divide the powers of government among different actors who would check each other. For example, Montesquieu warned that “Were the executive power not to have a right of restraining the encroachments of the legislative body, the latter would become despotic; for as it might arrogate to itself what authority it pleased, it would soon destroy all the other powers.” Madison and the Founding Fathers took heed of Montesquieu’s warning by establishing an independent executive (the President), legislative (the Congress), and judiciary (the Supreme Court) in the federal Constitution. Madison masterfully protected the separation of powers by establishing a thorough system of checks and balances as well. Montesquieu died on February 10, 1755.

John Locke Life, Liberty, and the right to own property John Locke was a philosopher who lived hundreds of years ago and believed that people needed a system of government and laws to protect them from what he called “living in a state of nature.” A state of nature means that people live naturally, with no laws or government to guide their decisions or tell them what to do. At first, you might think this sounds great—after all, who wants rules? Who wants to be told what to do? Well, John Locke believed that without a government, life would be very challenging. There would be violence and fighting, and the more dominant (stronger people) would take over and force the weaker people to follow their will. He also felt that the natural rights of people would be threatened—even the right to life itself. John Locke believed that in order to prevent this “state of nature” there needed to be a system of government for the purpose of protecting three basic rights. He called this system a “social contract” because it was a contact agreed upon by the people in order to protect their rights. What were these three basic rights? He believed all people should have: 1) the right to life, 2) liberty and 3) the right to own property. The founders of the United States really seemed to agree with Locke’s ideas. Perhaps they felt this way this because they had seen these rights taken away by King George III of England. So, if a social contract means you have to agree to give up certain freedoms, how can it possibly be good? Well, throughout history, we have seen that when people can do whatever they want, the strongest people tend to “take over” and force their will upon others. By agreeing to a reasonable system of rules for everyone to follow, this can be avoided and people gain protection of their rights. In other words, the main purpose of a social contract is to protect you! And guess what America’s social contact is called? You’ve got it: the Constitution of the United States. Discussion and Evaluation Now it’s up to you to decide: was John Locke right? Do you think living in a state of nature would really be dangerous and challenging? And what about the need for a social contract? Do you think people need to agree to a set of rules in order to protect their most basic rights? Finally, what rights do you think are the most important? Do you agree that life, liberty and the right to own property should be a basis for our Constitution? Why?

William Blackstone A member of the British Parliament who’s ideas influence the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. William Blackstone is known for his writings on English Law. He published a four volume set titled, Commentaries on Laws of England. This four volume series focused on documenting all of English Law. The series deals with the Rights of Individuals, Property Rights, Civil and Criminal Law. In doing this he created the basis for the modern day legal system. I guess he can be called the Father of the modern Legal System. He believed that English men had rights that could not be violated, but rather protected by the British Government. If the government did not protect the rights of its citizens, he believed they had the right to protest or even rebel against that government. He felt that the government could not tax a people who were not represented in Parliament. He believed in the individuals right to Life, Liberty, and Property. He is even responsible for creating the idea of separation of government’s powers. He is a very significant influential figure in American history. Founding fathers such as, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and John Jay to name a few.

William Penn Founded Pennsylvania for Quakers who were escaping religious persecution, Established the idea of religious tolerance under the law, he believed that no law could be created to change a persons belief in God, or force them to worship in a particular way He also believed that people of different faiths could coexist peacefully together.

http://www.americassurvivalguide.com/montesquieu.php http:// teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/english-language-le arners/24139 http://www.laissez-fairerepublic.com/blackstone.htm