Lesson 3: What Historical Developments Influenced Modern Ideas of Individual Rights?
How did the American emphasis on individual rights develop? (Video)
Ancient classical republican philosophers focus on political communities, interdependence, good citizens and their obligations, and civic virtue; Christianity's focus on individual relationship with God; hierarchical organization of Catholic church; divine right of kings; and individuals' subservient to divine will of Church and kings.
Student Questions: Unit 1, Lesson 3, Sections 1-2 (pdf download)
How did the Protestant Reformation and the Renaissance affect American political thought? (Video)
Influence of Renaissance and Protestant Reformation; focus on individual; ideas that all believers equal in eyes of God, all have right to read and interpret the Bible and their influence on individual rights and the relationship of the individual to the state; rise of capitalism; end of feudalism and rise of the nation-state.
Enlightenment Ideas to US Government (Video)
This video gives a detailed explanation of how Enlightenment ideas relate to American founding documents.
Enlightenment Ideas & American Democracy (Video)
This video provides a broad outline of the contribution of Enlightenment thinkers to American constitutionalism.
Protestant Reformation (Video)
An audio/video discussing the Reformation.
60-Second Civics, Episode 118: The Enlightenment, Part 3 (Audio)
Continued discussion of the Enlightenment.
60-Second Civics, Episode 117: The Enlightenment, Part 2 (Audio)
Continued discussion of the Enlightenment and philosopher Francis Bacon.
60-Second Civics, Episode 116: The Enlightenment, Part 1 (Audio)
The beginning of a discussion of the Enlightenment.
60-Second Civics, Episode 115: Rise of Capitalism, Part 3 (Audio)
Two influences on capitalism.
60-Second Civics, Episode 114: Rise of Capitalism, Part 2 (Audio)
How capitalism empowered a new class of citizens.
60-Second Civics, Episode 113: Rise of Capitalism, Part 1 (Audio)
The rise of capitalism.
60-Second Civics, Episode 112: Rise of the Nation-State, Part 2 (Audio)
A discussion of nation-states and ideas about government and rights.
60-Second Civics, Episode 111: Rise of the Nation-State, Part 1 (Audio)
The rise of the nation-state.
60-Second Civics, Episode 110: The Reformation, Part 5 (Audio)
The origin of American Puritans.
60-Second Civics, Episode 109: The Reformation, Part 4 (Audio)
How the Reformation contributed to the development of modern individualism.
60-Second Civics, Episode 108: The Reformation, Part 3 (Audio)
How the invention of the printing press aided the Reformation and encouraged freedom of conscience.
60-Second Civics, Episode 107: The Reformation, Part 2 (Audio)
The roots of the Protestant Reformation.
60-Second Civics, Episode 106: The Reformation, Part 1 (Audio)
The beginning of an examination of the Protestant Reformation and its contribution to ideas about rights.
60-Second Civics, Episode 105: The Rennaisance, Part 2 (Audio)
Continued discussion of the Renaissance and its contributions to ideas about rights.
60-Second Civics, Episode 104: The Rennaisance, Part 1 (Audio)
The Renaissance and how it contributed to ideas about rights.
60-Second Civics, Episode 103: Medieval and Classical Republican Similarities (Audio)
Similarities between medieval and classical republican ideas about society and government.
60-Second Civics, Episode 102: Feudalism, Part 3 (Audio)
The final two ideas, out of four, about feudalism.
60-Second Civics, Episode 101: Feudalism, Part 2 (Audio)
The first two of four ideas about feudalism.
60-Second Civics, Episode 100: Feudalism, Part 1 (Audio)
Feudalism in medieval society.
60-Second Civics, Episode 99: The Church in the Middle Ages (Audio)
How the church came to be a powerful force in the Middle Ages.
60-Second Civics, Episode 98: The Judeo-Christian Tradition, Part 2 (Audio)
How the Christian view of the individual influenced the Founders.
60-Second Civics, Episode 97: The Judeo-Christian Tradition, Part 1 (Audio)
How Judeo-Christian tradition influenced the political ideas of the Founders.
