US Civics Guide and Education
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UNITED STATES CIVICS, GOVERNMENT & Early History

UNITED STATES CIVICS, GOVERNMENT & Early HistoryUNITED STATES CIVICS, GOVERNMENT & Early HistoryUNITED STATES CIVICS, GOVERNMENT & Early History

Your Guide to the American Constitutional - Republic System 

Welcome to US Civics Education!

There's much to see here. 

 Take your time and look around the pages & topics.

All content is educational - reliable, unbiased government & academic 

sources & resources.

U.S. civics Guide - Website Content

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This page: Early North America History; American Traditions & Principles; Flags; Site Guide; Links

This page: Early North America History; American Traditions & Principles; Flags; Site Guide; Links

This page: Early North America History; American Traditions & Principles; Flags; Site Guide; Links

This page: Early North America History; American Traditions & Principles; Flags; Site Guide; Links

This page: Early North America History; American Traditions & Principles; Flags; Site Guide; Links

This page: Early North America History; American Traditions & Principles; Flags; Site Guide; Links

Does The Constitution Give Citizens Their Rights?

 No.

The Constitution does not give citizens their rights.  The People already had their rights before they created the Constitution. 

It guarantees to protect them. 

 

The Constitution defines & limits the powers of the government body.

(source: U.S. Congress. Constitution Sesquicentennial Commission)


Before The U.S. - colonization Efforts by kings & queens of spain, france & england

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    the First Time the term united States was Used in America

    The geographic location called "America" comes from the name of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci

    "While the colonies may have established it, “America” was given a name long before. America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who set forth the then revolutionary concept that the lands that Christopher Columbus sailed to in 1492 were part of a separate continent.  A map created in 1507 by Martin Waldseemüller [above] was the first to depict this new continent with the name “America,” a Latinized version of “Amerigo.” 

    (Source:  How Did America Get Its Name? | Library of Congress Blog (loc.gov) )

    * * * 

     In 1493, after reports of Columbus’s discoveries had reached them, the Spanish rulers Ferdinand and Isabella enlisted papal support for their claims to the New World in order to inhibit the Portuguese and other possible rival claimants. To accommodate them, the Spanish-born pope Alexander VI issued bulls setting up a line of demarcation from pole to pole 100 leagues (about 320 miles) west of the Cape Verde Islands see Cabo Verde. Spain was given exclusive rights to all newly discovered and undiscovered lands in the region west of the line. Portuguese expeditions were to keep to the east of the line. Neither power was to occupy any territory already in the hands of a Christian ruler. 

    Source:  Treaty of Tordesillas | Summary, Definition, Map, & Facts | Britannica 

    America's land was claimed by Spain, France, Russia & England

    Over the centuries, rulers of several countries made claim to the lands in the "new" world called America.

     Under the strict authority of kings and queens, subjects, (many hoping to gain status & wealth) were used to:

    discover; 

    fight for;

    and labor (often forced) over 

    valuable resources in America for the support and expanded power of royal elites. 





    Want to learn more about the government systems before and during colonial times? 

     Click on the link below. 

    Find out more

    About 175 years after 1st colonies were settled in North America, came "United" States of America

    About 175 years after 1st colonies were settled in North America, came "United" States of America

    1776 - The United States of America.


    English colonists living in America UNITED to break ties with a tyrant king & gain independence.


     The first time the term united States was used was in the Declaration of Independence.

     

    Thomas Jefferson referred to the thirteen united States in the Declaration of Independence 

    [from the king of England's rule].

    (source: U.S. Constitution Sesquicentennial Commission, 1935).



    "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, 

    When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, 

    the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them . . ." 

    - The Declaration of Independence, 

    July 4, 1776


    Learn About Declaration of Independence

    the old world brought thousands of years of normalized oppression to the US & change took time, blood & bravery

    North America Map 1750

    North America Map 1750

    U.S. History

    1500s Spain classified racial lineage

    U.S. Colony

    1600 - English Colony classifications

    Colonial Punishment - Stocks 
Public torture & humiliation
Methods imported from Europe

    Colonial punishment - Stocks

    Public humiliation was common.

    Indentured Servant in Colonial America

    Indentured Servants - Advertisement 

    White slaves for a specified time period.

    Native Americans

    Native Americans

    Slaves - Human trafficking

    Advertisement

    Slaves - Human trafficking

    Stocks as punishment

    Public punishment - humiliation as a deterrent brought from the old world.

    Religious Freedom

    Many came to America in search

    of religious freedom 

    American Revolution against British rule

    British subjects

    Restless for Freedom

    King George Proclamation against Rebellious Colonists

    King George Proclamation against Rebellious & Seditious Colonists

    Colonial America
Tarred and Feathered

    British loyalist & tax agents 

    were tarred and feathered 

    as public humiliation 

    and intimidation.  

    Don't Tread on Me

    Message of warning by colonist to King- Rattler is deadly when provoked.

    Colonial Publications

    Although many were illiterate,

     printed news spread the word 

    through public town square & 

    private aloud readings.

    Declaration of Independence

    After Declaration was signed, statue of King George III was toppled.

    George Washington

    A true Patriot, George Washington was the United States 1st President.

    First 10 Amendments to U.S. Constitution
    U.S. Constitution Debate Photo by John Trumbull

    Founders - Debating the

     foundation of the Republic

    "Out of Many, One"

    Ellis Island Immigration entry

    New York -  From 1892 to 1924, Ellis Island was America's largest and most active immigration station, where over 12 million immigrants were processed. 

    Immigration

    Ellis Island Immigration in New York.

    Doctor conducts health check.

    Law & Order

    Law & Order comes to "Wild West"

    19th-20th Century Immigrants 
Pledging allegiance to US, while holding to their cultural traditions.

    20th Century Immigrants 

    Assimilation & allegiance to US, while holding to their old county's traditions.

    U.S. Immigration and acculturation

    2nd generation immigrants reap 

    the benefits of a free education 

    to take advantage of many 

    opportunities in American society.


    Education cures poverty

    21st Century American 

    Education cures poverty

    American Principles & traditions

    The American Flag

    (Pictured above is original flag with 13 stars representing the 13 colonies)    

     

    Today, the 50 white stars on a blue field represent the 50 states.  

    The colors on the flag represent:


    • Red:  valor and bravery


    • White:  purity and innocence


    • Blue:  vigilance, perseverance 

    and justice


    • Stripes: The flag’s 13 alternating red and white stripes represent the original colonies   




    *


    Delicate Cluster


    Delicate cluster! flag of teeming life!

    Covering all my lands - all my seashores lining!

    Flag of death! (how I watch'd you through the smoke of battle pressing! How I heard you flap and rustle, cloth defiant!)

    Ah my silvery beauty - ah my wooly white and crimson!

    Ah to sing the song of you, my matron mighty!

    My sacred one, my mother! 


    - Walt Whitman, 1871


    Learn Flag Etiquette

    The Pledge of Allegiance


    "I pledge allegiance to the flag 

    of the United States of America, 

    and 

    to the republic 

    for which it stands, 

    one nation 

    under God, 

    indivisible, 

    with liberty 

    and 

    justice for all." 


    *



    In Support of Allegiance 

    to the Republic


         U.S. Constitution, Article IV, Section 4: 


     The United States 

    shall guarantee 

    to every State in this Union 

    a Republican Form of Government, 

    and 

    shall protect each of them 

    against Invasion; 

    and . . . 

    against domestic Violence. 











       

      

    Basic Rights & Responsibilities of Citizens

    Right to Life 

    Right to Liberty

    Right to Pursuit of Happiness 

    Right to Equality under the law


    * 

    The people had all their rights and liberties before they made the Constitution.


    The Constitution was formed, among other purposes, to make the people's liberties secure - secure not only as against foreign attack but against oppression by their own government.


    They set specific limits upon their national government and upon the States, and 

    reserved to themselves all powers 

    that they did not grant. 


     (source: U.S. Constitution Sesquicentennial Commission, established by a 

    Joint Resolution of the Congress of 

    the United States, 

    approved August 23, 1935).   

    *
           

             

    A Citizen's Responsibilities:


    Loyalty - to the United States and the words and spirit of the Constitution


    Obey - the laws of the United States


    Vote – Learn about your representatives and determine who will represent your interests best and the interests of America.


    Jury Duty – Participate in the court system as a juror to decide facts in legal cases involving peers in your community. 




     


    Excerpt from the 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, 

    that among these are 

    Life, Liberty, and 

    the Pursuit of Happiness. 

         Governments are instituted 

    among Men, 

    deriving their 

    just Powers from 

    the Consent of the Governed,

     that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, 

    it is the 

    Right of the People to 

    alter or to abolish it, and 

    to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles . . .


    We mutually Pledge to each other,

    Our Lives, Our Fortunes and

    Our Sacred Honor . . ."  

    July 4, 1776    


    * Unalienable - Permanent; cannot be removed

    The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution

       We, the people of the United States,


    1.  In order to form a more perfect union;


    2.  Establish justice;


    3.  Insure domestic tranquility;


    4.  Provide for the common defense;


    5.  Promote the general welfare; and,


    6.  Secure the blessing of liberty to 

    ourselves and our posterity,  

        do ordain and establish 

    this Constitution for 

    the United States of America.  



    The Economic System in America

         There are two standard terms to describe America's economic system:  

       

      Capitalism  and  Free-Market


         This American economic system is 

    based on the market-system of 

    supply and demand 

    of goods and services. 


     Rather than the government controlling what to produce and who to produce it,  

    private citizens, as entrepreneurs* own businesses (as a method of financial support and creating wealth). Entrepreneurs use

    the "free" market system to try & determine which products & services people want and need.  Entrepreneurs try to meet the supply of those needs & wants and consumers are free to choose what to purchase (demand). 

         

        * An Entrepreneur is one who 

    assumes financial 

    & other risks 

    to undertake a private 

    business venture.

              

    The war of independence - The American revolution

    "Join, or Die" - Promoting the 1754 Albany Plan

    Benjamin Franklin wrote an article in the Pennsylvania Gazette promoting the Albany Plan - A union of the Colonies.  This cartoon (left) was published with his article.  The snake cut into parts represents the separate colonies. Franklin's point was the colonies would not survive external threats if they did not join together.

    The Gadsden Flag - "Don't Tread On Me"

      Journal of the South Carolina Provincial Congress, 9 February 1776: "Col. Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy; being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattle-snake in the middle, in the attitude of going to strike, and these words underneath,

     "DON'T TREAD ON ME!"  

     By the time of the War of Independence, the rattlesnake, frequently used in conjunction with the motto "Don't Tread on Me," was a common symbol for the United States, its independent spirit, and its resistance to tyranny.

      

    https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/banners/usnavy-jack.html)

    Learn About American Revolution

    America's National Anthem - The Star Spangled Banner

    A Brief History of the Song

    The Song - America's National Anthem

    The Flag that Inspired the Song

    National Anthem

      

     

    Attorney Francis Scott Key witnessed the twenty-five hour bombardment of Fort McHenry from a British troopship anchored some four miles away.  He was aboard the ship to negotiate the release of an American civilian imprisoned by the British. 


    On September 14, 1814, while aboard the British ship during the bombardment of Ft. McHenry, Francis Scott Key witnessed at dawn the failure of the British attempt to take Baltimore. 

    Based on this experience, he wrote a poem that poses the question, 

    "Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave?" 


    Almost immediately Key's poem was published and wedded to the tune of the "Anacreontic Song." 

    Long before the Civil War "The Star Spangled Banner" became the musical and lyrical embodiment of the American flag. . . 




    The Flag that Inspired the Song

    The Song - America's National Anthem

    The Flag that Inspired the Song

    Star Spangled Banner Flag

     

     On July 26, 1889, the Secretary of the Navy designated "The Star Spangled Banner" as the official tune to be played at the raising of the flag.  

    During Woodrow Wilson's presidency, it was chosen by the White House to be played wherever a national anthem 

    was appropriate. 

    Still the song was variously criticized as too violent in tone, too difficult to sing, 

    and, by prohibitionists, 

    as basically a drinking song.  

    But on its side 

    "The Star Spangled Banner" had a strong supporter in 

    John Philip Sousa who, in 1931, 

    opined that besides Key's

     "soul-stirring" words, "it is the spirit of the music that inspires." 

    That same year, 

    on March 3, President Herbert C. Hoover signed the Act establishing Key's poem and Smith's music as the official anthem of the United States. (source: Library of Congress.gov)  


    Go to Interactive Flag to Learn More!

    The Song - America's National Anthem

    The Song - America's National Anthem

    The Song - America's National Anthem

    Star Spangled Banner

     


    The Star Spangled Banner


    O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
    What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
    Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
    O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
    And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
    Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
    O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
    O’er the land of the free 

    and the home of the brave?

    (excerpt of song)



    Every Citizen Must Pledge Allegiance

    As part of the journey to become an awesome Citizen, a person must take an oath of allegiance to the United States of America and renounce all other allegiances to their former country.

    The Oath of Allegiance

    The Executive Branch

    The Legislative Branch

    The Legislative Branch

    The President, Vice President & Cabinet 


    Duties & History United States Civics and Government

    Learn more

    The Legislative Branch

    The Legislative Branch

    The Legislative Branch

    Congress 


    The Senate

    The House of Representatives


    Duties & History united states civics and government

    Learn more

    The Judicial Branch

    The Legislative Branch

    Colonial Government Systems

    The Supreme Court 

    District Courts

    Circuit Courts


    Duties and History

    Learn more

    Colonial Government Systems

    Colonial Government Systems

    Colonial Government Systems

    King George's Government System

    The Continental Congress & 

    Articles of  Confederation

    Learn more

    U.S. Constitution 101

    Colonial Government Systems

    Declaration of Independence

    Learn facts, history and read the text

    Click here

    Declaration of Independence

    Colonial Government Systems

    Declaration of Independence

     The Declaration of Independence from English rule under King George III was made at a time when individual freedom and liberty was only imagined.  

    Read the Document

    Amendments to U.S. Constitution

    Read

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