Bell Ringers  Read the quotation on page 141. Which liberties does Mather say are restored to the colonists?  What phrase implies that eligible colonists have the right to vote?

By Josh Ginck

The Rights of Englishmen  The Englishmen thought that they should have rights. King John was forced into accepting the Magna Carta by some English noblemen. ○ The Magna Carta gave important rights to noblemen and freemen. They could not have their property seized by the king or his officials. They could not be taxed, in most cases, unless a council of prominent men agreed. They could not be put to trial based only on an official’s word, without witnesses. They could be punished only by a jury of their peers, people of the same social rank. ○ It limited the force of the king. ○ It soon came into effect to all English people. What rights from the Magna Carta remain rights in America today?

Parliament and Colonial Government  England was controlled by the Parliament and the King. The colonies were too far away for the Parliament and the King to manage. ○ So, the colonies formed their own government. The first one of these is Virginia’s House of Burgesses. ○ England still had authority over these independent governments, even though they governed themselves. Why did the colonies dislike laws passed by Parliament?

A Royal Governor’s Rule  King James wanted to have all authority of England and the colonies. Certain colonies have been smuggling items and disregarding the Navigation Acts which control the colonies’ trading. ○ King James took notice and defied the people of Massachusetts who replied, that England had no entitlement to make laws for them.

A Royal Governor’s Rule (continued) The Northern colonies were merged into one Dominion of New England by King James, ran by a royal governor named Edmund Andros. -The colonists were angered by him for a couple of reasons, such as ending their representative assemblies and permitting town meetings to be held annually. -Because of this, some colonists refused to pay taxes. The loudest protesters were imprisoned. How did King James II weaken self-government in the colonies?

England’s Glorious Revolution  King James was overthrown for not following the English Parliament’s rights.  James’s Protestant daughter and her husband, Mary and William acquired the throne and were the new monarchs of England. This was called England’s Glorious Revolution.

England’s Glorious Revolution (continued)  After becoming monarchs, they to endorsed the English Bill of Rights. This regarded the entitlements of English citizens and of Parliament. The monarchy could not repeal laws or enforce taxes unless Parliament approved. People also had rights to complain to the King or Queen without being arrested. The Glorious Revolution ended when Boston learned of King James’s overthrow, they captured Andros and requested Parliament to revert to the old government. What happened in England during the Glorious Revolution?

Shared Power in the Colonies  The Massachusetts colonists reclaimed some of their self-government after the Glorious Revolution. They still had a governor chosen by the crown.  The royal governor shared power with his council and the colonial assembly. The governor could disapprove laws passed by the assembly, but they were in power of his paycheck, so they could control his earnings.  The laws with trade were rarely enforced. The colonists got used to being independent.

Shared Power in the Colonies What was Parliament’s policy toward the colonies after the Glorious Revolution?

The Zenger Trial  The colonists were working for getting the right of freedom of the press. John Peter Zenger, a publisher, was summoned into court for criticizing New York’s governor by print. It was unlawful to criticize the government in print. Why was the Zenger trial a step toward freedom of the press?

Terms and Names  Magna Carta – “Great Charter;” a document guaranteeing basic political rights in England, approved by King John in  Parliament – England’s chief lawmaking body.  Edmund Andros – a royal governor who ruled New England and disliked by the colonists.  Glorious Revolution – the overthrow of English King James II in 1688 and his replacement by William and Mary.  English Bill of Rights – an agreement signed by William and Mary to respect the rights of English citizens and of Parliament, including the right to free elections.  Salutary neglect – a hands-off policy of England toward its American colonies during the first half of the 1700s.  John Peter Zenger – the publisher of the New-York Weekly Journal who stood trial for printing criticism of New York’s governor.