1. The American Colonies and Their Government Chapter 4

2. Influences on American Colonial Government Lesson 1
Essential Questions:
How does geography influence the development of communities?
Why do people create, structure, and change governments?
It Matters Because:
Ancient peoples and the great thinkers of the Enlightenment influenced how the Founders shaped our government in ways that still affect us today

3. The Foundations of Democracy
Democracy- a government in which citizens hold the power to rule
Direct Democracy
Representative Democracy
Direct Democracy- a form of democracy in which the vote first hand
Representative Democracy- a government in which citizens choose a smaller group to govern on their behalf
Republic
Constitutional Monarchy

4. Ancient Democracies Ancient Greeks created the first direct democracy
400s B.C, Athens
Men 18 and older could take part in the assembly
Decisions made by council of 500
Citizens took turns serving on the council
Members were paid for their services

5. Republic The Romans created the first republic-
a representative democracy where citizens choose their lawmakers
Government was put in the hands of the senate
Senate members were wealthy upper class members called patricians
Senate elected two members called consults
The consults lead the government

6. Early English Influences
Since the collapse of the Roman Empire (A.D 476)
Kings and Queens and Lords ruled Europe for the next 700 years
Lords- noblemen who usually inherited land, wealth and power
Overtime the growth of towns as business and trade centers weakened the power of the lords
Kings gained greater control of their kingdoms
Nobles resisted this change
In England they rose up against King John in 1215
He was forced to sign a document called the Magna Carta
Latin for “Great Charter”

7. The Magna Carta Limited the power of the King
Forbade him from placing certain taxes on nobles without their consent
It gave rights to free men
Right to equal treatment under the law
Right to trial by one’s peers
Right to rebel if the King broke his part of the agreement

8. Limited Government
Limited Government- the idea that a ruler or government is not all powerful
At first the Magna Carta rights only protected the nobles
Overtime those rights came to apply to all English people
The Magna Carta established limited government

9. Parliament
After King John, Kings were advised by noble and church officials
Gradually these advisors grew to include representatives of the common people
By the late 1300s the advisors had become a legislature
Legislature- a group of people that make laws
English monarch remained strong
1625- King Charles I dismissed Parliament and ruled alone
Petitions of Right- like the Magna Carta, Charles I, was forced to sign it
Civil war broke out when Charles I didn’t abide by the terms
Charles I was removed as King, beheaded, and Parliament ruled for 20 years
King James II the son was place back on the throne

10. The English Bill of Rights
In 1688 Parliament forced King James II from the throne
The son of Charles I
His daughter Mary and husband William were asked to rule
This transfer of power was known as the “Glorious Revolution

11. The English Bill of Rights
Mary and William had to accept rules set by Parliament
English citizens had rights that no king could violate
Citizens had the right to a fair trial
They could not be taxed unless Parliament agreed
These Rights became known as the English Bill of Rights
The signing of the English Bill of Rights brought an end to the struggles between Parliament and the monarch

12. Influence of the Enlightenment
Guiding Question: How did Europe’s Enlightenment influence ideas about government in what became the United States?
The conflict between Parliament and the monarch produced new ideas about Government

13. Enlightenment
Enlightenment- a large cultural movement in Europe driven by ideas
1600s, scientific discoveries led to the belief that God had created an orderly universe
The laws that controlled the universe could be discovered through human reasoning
Apply the laws that ruled nature to people and society
This change in how some people saw their world is called the Enlightenment
It had a great effect on political thinking in Europe and the Americas

14. Enlightenment Thinkers
Niccolo Machiavelli
Renaissance writer , wrote the book The Prince
“it is safer for a ruler to be feared than loved”
Although he praised republics as the best form of government
Many enlightenment thinkers look to Machiavelli

15. Enlightenment Thinkers
Thomas Hobbes
Early enlightenment thinker (English)
Experienced the English Civil War first hand
Believed that a social contract existed between the people and the government
People agreed to give up some freedom and be ruled by government
Government had to protect the people’s rights
He believe that people needed a strong leader because they were too selfish to be able to rule themselves

16. Enlightenment Thinkers
John Locke English
Influenced by the events of the Glorious Revolution
Published “Two Treatises of Government”
A treatise is a long essay
All people are born equal with certain God-given rights called natural rights
Rights to life, freedom and to own property
He also believed in a form of social contract
If the ruler failed to protect the rights of people, the contract was broken

17. Enlightenment Thinkers
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
He wrote “The Social Contract” -1762
“Man is born free, yet everywhere he is found in chains”
He was referring to Europeans living with little freedom
He believed that people should have right to decide how they should be governed

18. Enlightenment Thinkers
Baron de Montesquieu , French
Developed the idea that the power of government should be divided into branches
He believed no one branch would become to strong and threaten peoples rights
The idea of separation of powers

19. Enlightenment Thinkers
Francois-Marie Arouet (Voltaire)
People should have liberty
Supported freedom of religion and freedom of trade
Social contract, natural rights, and separation of powers influenced the writers of
The Declaration of independence
U. S. Constitution

20. The First Colonial Governments
Guiding Question: How were first English colonies in America shaped by earlier ideas about democracy and government?
Colony- an area of land in one place controlled by a country in another place
Early colonists were loyal to England
They brought to America the traditions, beliefs, and changes that had shaped England’s government
Individual rights and representative government

21. Jamestown First permanent English settlement
Located in what is now Virginia
Founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company
A business owned by a group of London merchants
Ruled by a governor and a council
The company appointed the officials

22. Jamestown Government
In 1619 the Virginia Company allow the colony to make their own laws
This attracted more settlers
Colonists elected leaders to represent them in an assembly
Leaders were called burgesses
The assembly was called the House of Burgesses
The beginning of self-government and representative democracy in colonial America

23. Plymouth Settlement Pilgrims arrived in 1620
They set sail for Virginia on the ship Mayflower
They were seeking religious freedom
Blown off course by a storm
Landed off the coast of Massachusetts
To survive they needed to form their own government

24. Mayflower Compact
Before they went on land they drew up the Mayflower Compact
Written agreement
They agreed to choose leaders and work together to make their own laws for the colony
They agreed to obey the laws
The people in Plymouth held town meetings to discuss problems and make decisions

25. Lesson 2 Settlement, Culture, and Government of the Colonies
Essential Question:
How does geography influence the development of communities ?
Why do people create, structure and change governments?
It matters Because:
The reasons early settlers came to America and the economies and governments that grew helped to shape the new United States and continues to influence American culture today.

26. Settling the English Colonies
Settlers mostly came from England
Others came from:
Scotland, Ireland, and Wales
Germany
Africa (Slaves)
Amsterdam (Dutch)
Sweden

27. Economic Opportunity
Most settlers settled here for a chance to earn a living
The colonies had land for farming and other jobs
Those who could not afford to pay for the voyage came as indentured servants
Indentured servants- a worker who contracted with American colonists for food and shelter in return for his or her labor
They worked for 4-7 years or until the debt was paid

28. Religious Freedom There was much religious unrest in England
Some groups were persecuted or treated harshly because of their religious beliefs
Some groups decided to come to the English colonies for religious freedom
Puritans founded Massachusetts
They were called Puritans because they wanted to reform or purify the church in England
Puritans were dissenters- one who opposes official or commonly held views

29. Religious Freedom Puritans wanted to worship God in their own way
They did not allow others the same freedom
They forced others to leave their colony
Rhode Island- founded by Roger Williams
Known for its religious freedom
Connecticut- founded by Thomas Hooker
Connecticut developed America’s first written constitution
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
Colonists would elect an assembly of representatives from each town
They also elected a governor

30. Colonial Life
Guiding Question: How was life in the colonies shaped by where people lived?
People lived in different ways depending on where they settled
The features of its geography influenced each colony’s economy
By 1733 England had 13 colonies along the Atlantic coast
Three economic regions were developed

31. New England Colonies
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island
Located farthest north
Most people lived in towns
Cold climate and rocky soil made farming difficult
Many of the colonists were Puritans
Their religion stressed the value of thrift and hard work
Worked as shopkeepers, and other small businesses
Shipping and fishing
Hunting for fur, trading with Native Americans

32. Middle Colonies New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware
Located south of New England
Climate and soil were better for agriculture
Cash crops- are grown in large quantities to be sold, not just to feed family
Many crops were sold oversees
Many businesses were owned by colonists from Germany, Holland and other European countries
Rich in Natural resources
Lumber, metals and natural harbors
Sawmills, mines, ironworks and other businesses grew

33. The Southern Colonies
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
Warm climate, long growing season, and rich soil
Large-scale agriculture
Tobacco and rice became the main cash crops
Plantation- large farms
Many workers were needed
Indentured servants were used at first
Plantation owners became dependent on labor of enslaved Africans
Smaller farmers- further inland
Poorer soil and they mainly grew what they needed
Depended less on enslaved labor

34. Colonial Government
Most colonies shared their English heritage and were loyal to England
England was far away
Colonists began to depend on their own governments and legislatures
Colonists began to think of themselves as Americans rather than English subjects

35. Governing the Colonies
In the beginning England’s government paid little attention to the colonies
Parliament was in a political struggle with the King
The purpose of the colonies was to benefit England
1650s Parliament began passing laws to regulate the colonies’ trade
These laws were hard to enforce
Colonists began to resent having less rights than people living in Great Britain

36. Lesson 3 Disagreements with Great Britain
Essential Question: Why do people create, structure, and change government
It Matters Because:
The events that led American colonists to declare independence affected the choices they made about a new government

37. Social and Political Changes in the Colonies
Guiding Question: What events and movements affected colonial attitude?
The Great Awakening- religious movement from 1740s to 1760s
Swept across the colonies
Fiery preachers stressed the value of personal religious experience
They rejected the teachings of church leaders
Urged people to build a direct relationship with God
Pressed colonists to question traditional religious, and political authority

38. Liberty
The Great Awakening movement created a strong spirit of liberty or personal freedom
Colonists wanted the same rights as people in Great Britain
Parliament created laws for colonists and most governors where appointed by the king
Growing resentment in the 1760s towards British rule

39. The French and Indian War
Colonies were expanding westward (1750s)
France claimed those lands (Ohio Valley)
The tension led to war
The French and Indian War
In Europe England and France were at war
The war in Europe spread to America
The British won the war and took control of French lands
The war was over so the colonists expected the British troops to leave
The British troops did not leave

40. New Laws and Taxes French and Indian war left Britain in a lot of debt
Colonists caused the war by moving west
King George decided the colonists should pay for the war
He issued new taxes
He wanted to keep peace with the Native Americans
He issued an new proclamation or official statement that forbade the colonists from settling in the land won from the French
He placed over 10,000 British troops in the colonies to keep order
These actions enraged the colonists

41. New Taxes
King George asked Parliament to tax the colonies to pay for war debt
In 1765 Parliament passed the Stamp Act
Colonists had to buy and place tax stamps on many kinds of documents
Colonists protested and called for a boycott, refused to buy, British goods
The believed only their representatives had the right to tax them
1766 Parliament repealed or canceled the Stamp Act

42. Colonial Dissatisfaction Grows
Guiding Question: What events increased colonists’ anger toward British rule?
Townshend Acts- placed duties (taxes) on a variety of goods the colonists imported from overseas
Colonists again resisted with boycott and protests
Parliament repealed all duties except for a tax on tea

43. General Search Warrants
One of the Townshend Acts allowed for general search warrants
Combat smuggling- illegally moving goods in or out of a country
Warrants were called writs of assistance
Could enter any business or home to look for smuggled goods
Colonists were greatly angered
John Hancock’s ship –The Liberty

44. Tea Act- 1773 The Tea Act of 1773 was not a tax
It allowed a British company that grew tea in India to import tea into the colonies without paying existing taxes
Colonies still had to pay taxes on their tea
Made the British companies tea cheaper
December Boston Tea Party
Colonists boarded British ships in Boston Harbor
In protest they dumped 342 chests of the British company’s tea into the water

45. Parliament Response to Boston Tea Party
Parliament passed the Coercive Acts
These laws were meant to punish Massachusetts, especially Boston
They closed Boston Harbor
The laws were so harsh, colonists referred to them as the Intolerable Acts

46. Steps Toward Independence
Guiding Question: What ideas about government influenced the Declaration of Independence?
Parliament thought that the Coercive Acts would frighten the colonists
Instead they had the reverse affect
The other colonies banded together to help Massachusetts and challenge British authority
Boston Massacre –Engraving by Paul Revere

47. The First Continental Congress
September Delegates from 12 Colonies met in Philadelphia
They met to plan a united response to the Coercive Acts
What should be done about the issues with Great Britain
They decided to send a letter to the King
Asked that Britain respect the colonists’ rights as British citizens
They also organized a total boycott of British goods, and a ban on all trade with Britain
King George’s response was for stronger measures
“Blows (a fight) must decide whether they are subject to this country or independent.”

48. Second Continental Congress
The delegates met again in May 1775
April 1775, British troops and colonial militiamen had fought at Lexington and Concord, in Massachusetts
Congress had to decide whether to work towards peace or to split with Great Britain
They debated for months
Support for independence grew in the colonies
January 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet titled Common Sense –more than 500,000 sold
He used John Locke’s ideas to make a case for independence
By spring more than half of the delegates favored independence

49. The Declaration of Independence
A committee was chosen to explain why the colonies should be free
John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman
The committee chose Thomas Jefferson to write the document
He was influenced by the writings of
Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire
The Declaration of Independence was approved July 4, 1776
John Hancock was the first to sign the document