Roots of American Democracy Our English Heritage

Define the following: colony: a group of people in one place ruled by a parent country legislative branch: makes the law bicameral: 2 house legislature: Eng: House of Lords and House of Commons; US: House of Reps/Senate executive branch: carries out the law; US-President/Eng-Prime Minister judicial branch: interprets the laws bill of rights: guarantees freedoms/legal protection to citizens

Founding Documents Magna Carta-1215 (Great Charter): weakened King John; guaranteed landowners certain rights-later given to all English citizens (trial by jury, protection of personal property) English Bill of Rights-1689-clarify the relationship btw the King/Parliament; restricts kings power-free elections to P, eliminates cruel/usual punishments, royal judges’ ruling created common law. Foundation of US Law: a) Roman Law-Justinian Law-Napoleonic Code (LA) b) English common law-law based on court decisions -precedent-when judges decided a case they looked in the books for a similar case and followed the earlier ruling

Founding Philosophies Enlightenment (promotion of reason/spread of knowledge) Thinkers John Locke (pg. 34)-English writer (1632-1704) -people were born free, equal, and independent -Natural Rights: rights no govt could take away-life, liberty, property -Social Contract: people give up some freedom to govt for protection of natural rights   Montesquieu (pg. 35)-French writer (1689-1755) -separation of powers: divide different branches of govt to balance each other so that no one branch becomes too powerful and threatens indy rights

Establishment of Colonial Govt-Partners Define: charter, compact Rd The Magna Carta on pg. 768. Rd The Mayflower Compact on pg. 769. -Why was it created? Answer Ques #6 on pg. 37.

New England Colonies The Middle Colonies Southern Colonies The English Colonies New England Colonies The Middle Colonies Southern Colonies

Types of Colonies Joint-Stock Company: colonies granted to private companies in the hopes of creating profits from colonization Proprietary Colony: land granted to individuals for the purpose of creating colonies; the individuals had the right then to grant land to whomever they chose Royal Colony: colonies headed by the English crown/government itself

The American Colonies What did the English colonies look like at the end of the 17th century? Write out and answer Questions 1 and 2 for the map on pg. 40.

New England Colonies New England society was much more stable than other colonies: New England Pilgrims/Puritans migrated to America as families Marriage was easy as most people shared common values Colonists lived longer due to more a dispersed population, purer water, & a cooler climate New England towns regarded education as fundamental family responsibility; towns began to create elementary schools funded with local taxes: NE had, by far, the highest literacy rate in America In 1638, Harvard became America’s first college

Religion in NE Since most New England colonies were founded on a belief that the colony existed through a ‘covenant’ with God, religion and state were often one and the same Local town governments ensured the good order of Puritan society Suffrage rights and political opportunities commonly depended on one’s membership in the local church

Triangular Trade Though there were no plantation elite in New England, there did arise a powerful merchant class The New England merchants profited from shipping manufactured rum, and other goods received from Southern colonies and the Indies, to Africa to be exchanged for slaves

Southern Colonies “Normal, English” family life was impossible in Virginia: 70-85% of immigrants were young male indentured servants High death rate (average age was 10-20 years lower than NE) One married spouse often died within a decade Children often never knew their parents (let alone grandparents) By 1680, social mobility in the Chesapeake was limited: An American-born elite class had emerged (this social aristocracy was absent earlier) The plantation economy & ownership of slaves allowed the gentry to produce more tobacco High death rates halted the development of schools & towns

The Middle Colonies The Middle Colonies were a mixture of Southern and New England societies There were both large landowners and also wealthy merchants There was broad religious diversity Quakers, Catholics, Anglicans, Puritans, etc… There were diverse ethnic backgrounds English, Scots-Irish, Dutch, German, Swiss, etc… Indentured Servants: -Over half of settlers in the southern and middle colonies were indentured servants… -someone whose passage to the colonies was paid for in turn for an agreement to be a source of labor for an agreed period of time (usually 5-7 years)

Slavery in Early Colonial America The importation of African slaves was based on a “need” for labor: NA decimated by disease Indentured servant-pool waned after 1660 An estimated 11 million slaves (mostly males) were brought to the English American colonies By 1720, the African population became self-sustaining Slaves were originally treated as indentured servants but the growing black population in VA by 1672 prompted stricter slave laws: Africans were defined as slaves for life; slave status was passed on to children By 1700, slavery was based exclusively on skin color

Origins & Destinations of African Slaves, 1619-1760

The American Identity Freedom of Religion Education-spurred by religious leaders so people could read the Bible Family-the foundation of colonial society Egalitarianism-the idea of equality; colonists believed they possessed the same rights as native English people-the problem?