English colonists brought with them the idea of limited government. Our Political Heritage English colonists brought with them the idea of limited government. Colonists believed that they, too, enjoyed the rights guaranteed in the English Bill of Rights. The Founders followed the English system of law as described by Sir William Blackstone. The colonists believed in representative government such as Britain’s Parliament. Enlightenment ideas of government as a social contract and of people’s natural rights influenced colonial thinking.

The Colonies on Their Own The American colonies were able to grow and expand without much interference. Following the costly French and Indian War, Britain tightened control over the colonies. King George III and Parliament imposed taxes to generate revenue, which led to protests. Opposition to British policies united the colonists and developed an American sense of community. Committees of correspondence developed a communication network among colonies.

Independence The First Continental Congress imposed an embargo on Britain and agreed to boycott British goods. The Second Continental Congress prepared for war and drafted a document of independence. The Declaration of Independence drew on Enlightenment ideals to justify the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. The colonies began operating as independent and self-governing states, and most wrote constitutions containing a bill of rights.

Ch. 2 - Origins of American Government Government Under the Articles of Confederation Confederation 2/24/2019 Delegates to the Second Continental Congress debated the distribution of power between the national and state governments. The Articles of Confederation established a loose union among independent states with only a simple central government. The central government had no court system, no executive, and a unicameral legislature with only the powers named in the Articles. Each state had one vote in Congress and all other powers not named in the Articles. Government - Townsend

Ch. 2 - Origins of American Government Problems in the Confederation Period Confederation 2/24/2019 The new states operated independently, issuing individual currencies and imposing tariffs on one another. The weak national government could not force states to give it money and had to rely on state courts to enforce and interpret national laws. Key achievements of the Confederation were the treaty with Britain, laws for organizing western land, approving money for a navy, and creating cabinet departments. Government - Townsend

Ch. 2 - Origins of American Government ` Need for a Stronger National Government Confederation 2/24/2019 Shays’s Rebellion spread unrest to other states, and American leaders believed the national government was vulnerable to anarchy. Following Shays’s Rebellion, delegates proposed changes to the Articles of Confederation to make the national government more effective. Congress consented to a convention with the sole purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation. Government - Townsend