1. Our English Heritage
Chapter 2

2. Influences from England’s Early Gov’t
The English brought a history of limited and representative gov’t
England was ruled by a monarch but eventually nobles held much of the power.

3. Magna Carta
In 1215, nobles forced King John to sign this document giving nobles certain rights, especially over land ownership
Showed the king would now have limits to power by guaranteeing no one was above the law - Rule of Law
Because of this its viewed as the most important document in the history of government - Established the concept of limited government

4. Magna Carta

5. King Henry III (King John’s son) met with nobles and church officials regularly
Developed into Parliament or the legislative/ law making body for England
Britain moved from an Authoritarian Absolute Monarchy to a Democratic Constitutional Monarchy by the late 1300s
Parliament

6. 1688 – Parliament removed King James II from his position
1688 – Parliament removed King James II from his position. His daughter Mary and her husband where chosen to rule
Showed parliament was the true power of England

7. English Bill of Rights
Parliament drew up the English Bill of Rights, it required the monarch to get Parliament’s consent to:
- impose taxes
- raise an army
- create special courts
It guaranteed free elections, free speech, fair juries, no cruel and unusual punishments

8. In its early days, England had no written laws; King Henry II (1154) People developed rules to live by which eventually came to have the force of law. Judges made rulings consistent with precedents, or rulings in earlier cases that were similar This system of law based on custom and precedent is known as common law; U.S. laws are based on English common law. Important for consistent rulings