What have you been studying about, and what does your textbook say?

- they understood that societies need rules to survive peacefully.
- They recognized some things from the British system of government worked very well and modeled part of our government after the British systems of parliament and courts.
- They recognized some things from the British and other systems of government did not work as they wished. For example, our founding fathers wanted a democracy with no monarchy (kings and queens), and they didn't want the church and state combined or for them to have influence over one another
- They recognized that some decisions are best made locally so let the states keep some of those lawmaking powers local.
- They recognized, though they limited it to white men at the time, the initial concept of human rights and wanted to ensure that those rights were protected.