1. Colonial Development

2. Influences from England’s Early Government

3. Limited and Representative Government
England was ruled by a monarch with influence of noble families
Land was given to nobles in exchange for
Loyalty
Taxes
Military support
1215 Nobles rebelled and forced the king to
sign the Magna Carta

4. Magna Carta
Protected nobles’ rights and gave certain rights to all landholders
Rights included
Equal treatment under the law
Trial by one’s peers
Guaranteed that no one would be above the law…not even the king

5. Birth of the legislature
Henry III followed King John and had a group of nobles who advised him
Group increased in size and included representatives of the common people
By 1300s this became a legislature, known as Parliament

6. Glorious Revolution
1688 Parliament removed King James II from throne
Placed his daughter Mary and her husband William on the throne
Peaceful change in power and led to the English Bill of Rights

7. English Bill of Rights
After the Glorious Revolution Parliament was stronger than the monarch
1689 Parliament creates the English Bill of Rights
Monarch could not place taxes or create an army without the consent of Parliament
Members of Parliament would be elected
Citizens gained the right to a fair trial by a jury
Outlawed cruel and unusual punishment

8. Common Law English had no written laws
Laws were based on the decisions of the courts and precedent set by court decisions
The system of law became known as common law and based on court decisions
Would be foundation of laws in the US

9. Bringing the English heritage to America

10. Colonial America
1600s and 1700s, England was setting up colonies in America
Early colonists in America were loyal to England
The first permanent settlement in North America was Jamestown
Jamestown was settled with a charter from the Virginia Company

11. Jamestown
Governed by a governor and a council appointed by the Virginia Company
1619 colonists chose two representatives from each community to meet with the governor and the council (called burgesses)
Made up House of Burgesses (lawmaking body)
Start of self government in American colonies

12. Plymouth 1620 Pilgrims settled Plymouth in what is now Massachusetts
Arrived in America on the Mayflower
On the way decided a written plan of government was needed and signed the Mayflower Compact

13. Mayflower Compact
Stated that the government would set up just laws for the good of the colony
The people who signed promised to obey these laws
Set up a direct democracy and allowed all men to vote
Called for majority rule

14. Early Colonial Governments
Each colony set up its own government
Each had a governor
The governor was either elected by the colonists or appointed by the English monarch.
Each had a legislature
Free adult males elected the members of the legislature
Most were modeled after the English Parliament

15. Great Britain
The English monarch and Parliament were paying attention to other matters
England became known as Great Britain in 1707, when the country united with Scotland
The colonists soon became used to taking care of themselves and making their own decisions. This would cause problems when Great Britain began to interfere.

16. The Birth of Democratic Nation

17. Increased Gov’t Control
Mid 1700s Great Britain becomes more involved in the colonies
GB operates on the principle of mercantilism
A country should sell more goods to other countries than it buys
Expectation that the colonies would provide raw materials AND purchase goods from GB (at an increased price)

18. 1763 GB won the French and Indian War
Gained French territory in the colonies
War was very costly
American colonies were taxed and resented it
Ex. Stamp Act (1765) tax on newspapers and legal documents
Colonists resent not having representation in British gov’t
Protest (No taxation w/o representation)

19. Protests worked But temporary
Stamp Act repealed but other taxes put in place
Townshend Acts (1767)
Taxes on things the colonists imported such as tea, paper, lead
1773 Tea Act- more taxes

20. Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)
Limited the rights of colonists
Limited the right of trial by jury
Allowed British troops to search and move into colonists homes

21. Means of Colonial Protest
Propaganda pamphlets (in their writings)
Literal protesting- in the streets (mild)
Boycott (influenced repeal of some taxes)
Harass the tax collectors
Raids on products (Ex. Boston Tea Party
More aggressive

22. Movement Toward Independence

23. September 1774 12 colonies send delegates to Philadelphia
PURPOSE- to discuss concerns
First Continental Congress
Send documents to King George III to demand the restoration of their individual rights
Colonists also decide to continue boycott and to meet again if GB does not meet demands

24. King’s Response Military action (April 1775)
British and Colonists fight two battles in Massachusetts
Lexington and Concord
First battles of the Revolutionary War

25. May 1775 Second Continental Congress Some favor independence
Some fear there is no way the colonists could defeat Britain
Some are still loyal to GB
As they debate independence becomes a dominant goal

26. Common Sense January 1776 Published by Thomas Paine
Called for complete independence from Britain
More than half of the delegates at the Second Continental Congress agree with Paine- independence will be declared.

27. Declaration of Independence
Second Continental Congress acts as the government of the colonies
Committee is established to create a document declaring America’s independence
Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration of Independence

28. The Declaration Explained why the colonies wanted independence
Included colonists’ beliefs about individual rights
Government is based on the consent of the people
If government ignores the rights of the people the people have the right to overthrow the government
Influenced by the ideas of John Locke (an English philosopher)

29. July 4, 1776 The Second Continental Congress approved The Declaration
Freedom for the colonies would come after the end of the Revolutionary War and Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation

30. The nation’s first governments
State Constitutions
Articles of Confederation
Constitution

31. Early State Constitutions
Colonies began to replace colonial charters with new constitutions
Constitution
A written plan for government
Sets up the powers and limitations of government

32. Early Constitutions Each state government included a legislature
Most were bicameral (2 houses)
Each had a state governor whose job was to carry out laws
Each had judges and courts to interpret the law
Many included a bill of rights that guaranteed citizens certain basic freedoms

33. Massachusetts
Last to draw up a constitution and it was a little different
Power was divided among the legislature, governor, and courts
Governor and courts were given the power to check the legislature
The constitution was created through a special convention of delegates instead of by the legislature
State citizens then approved the constitution
The Massachusetts constitution would later become the model for the US Constitution

34. The Articles of Confederation