2-1 The Colonial Period

Objectives To explain why the colonist expected representative government

An English Political Heritage The English colonists brought with them a heritage of freedom and principles of government that helped shape the development of the United States. The colonies were established and governed by England

Magna Carta The concept of limited government, dating from the Magna Carta in 1215, was an accepted part of the English system.

Petition of Rights The Petition of Rights in 1628 signed by Charles 1 severely limited the power of the English monarch because they could not collect taxes without Parliament’s consent

The Colonist The colonists believed in the limits on the ruler’s power and the freedoms protected in the English Bill of Rights, passed by Parliament in 1688.

Representative Government The colonists firmly believed in representative government, following the model of Parliament. - In a representative government the people elect delegates to make laws

John Locke The ideas of the seventeenth-century English philosopher John Locke deeply influenced the American colonists. He believed in life, liberty and property His ideas were the textbook of the American Revolution

Government in the Colonies The present system of American government evolved largely from the colonial governments and their practices. - The Mayflower Compact was the original colonial government - The Great Fundamentals was the original colonial law

Key concepts of the Colonial Government The division of government powers among the governor, the colonial legislatures, and colonial courts helped establishes the principle of the separation of power Written plans of government were a key feature of the colonial period.

Government Concepts Representative Assemblies elected by the people helped establish the traditional of representative government in America. - The first legislature in America was the Virginia House of Burgesses The division of government powers among the governor, the colonial legislatures, and colonial courts helped establishes the principle of the separation of power

Magna Carta English Bill of Rights Mayflower compact American Principal of Limited Government American Principal of Representative Government Magna Carta English Bill of Rights Mayflower compact House of Burgesses