1. Government!!

2. The Rights of Englishmen
1215, Magna Carta: a document guaranteeing certain rights to Englishmen
King couldn’t take property
They would be tried by a Jury of their peers
It limited the King’s power
Colonists expected that they would have the same rights as Englishmen
The Rights of Englishmen

3. Parliament and Colonial Government
One of the most important rights was the right to elect members to parliament
Colonists could not elect members to parliament, but each colony had its own assembly called General Assemblies or House of Burgesses (VA)
Even though the colonies didn’t have representatives in Parliament, Parliament still made laws about them all the time.
Parliament and Colonial Government

4. England’s Glorious Revolution
King James II tried to unite all the New England Colonies plus New York and New Jersey into one mega colony- “THE DOMINION OF NEW ENGLAND”
Parliament was outraged by King James’ power grab
They managed to kick him out and install his daughter and her husband as King and Queen (William and Mary)
Parliament forced them to sign the English Bill of Rights
This stated that parliament would make laws and strengthened citizen’s rights
England’s Glorious Revolution

5. Shared Power in the Colonies
Colonies shared power between a governor, Council and Colonial Assembly
Despite having much power through the governor, in the 1700’s England largely ignored the colonies
This was called salutary neglect
Shared Power in the Colonies

6. Was tried by the government, but was acquitted
1735 publisher John Peter Zenger stood trial for criticizing the governor of New York
Was tried by the government, but was acquitted
established the freedom of the press
Zenger Trial