What Influenced Colonial Government?• Jon Dickinson “ No nation has existed that

ever so perfectly untied those distant extremes, private security of life, liberty and property with excertion of public force..or so happily blended together arms, arts, science, commerce and agriculture.”

• England ruled by monarchs (King or Queen)• Nobles also had great power

• Given to them by monarch in exchange for loyalty, tax payments and military support

Section 1

• Creation of The Magna Carta:King John inherited throne in 1199 and treated nobles horribly1215 Nobles rebelled and forced England to sign Magna Carta “Great Charter”

What Influenced Colonial Government?

1. Protected nobles’ privileges and upheld their authority

2. Landowner rights: trial by peers3. No one was above the law, not even King or

Queen

Section 1

• Henry III helped representation of people grow and even included “common” people– The group grew into a Legislature

(Lawmaking body) known as Parliament- equal to our Congress

– The Glorious Revolution-Parliament removed King James II from power and

– invited his daughter Mary to rule– Transfer of power began- from that point on no ruler was more powerful then the legislature

What Influenced Colonial Government? (cont.)

English Bill of Rights:created to clarify new relationship

Document stated:1. Monarch could NOT suspend Parliament’s laws2. Could not create special courts3. Raise army without Parliament’s consent4. Impose taxes without Parliament’s consent5. Members would be freely elected and have free

speech6. Citizens would be given right to fair trial7. Unusual punishments banned

Common Law:

•In the beginning England had NO written laws• People developed rules to live by and these

customs begin COMMON LAWS•Court System established and these common laws became framework of laws to uphold• Courts would look for Precedent (ruling in an earlier

case to justify sentence to verdict)

•System is still around today in modern England• Worked well• The USA’s written laws are based on England

common law

Section 1Colonial Traditions of Self-Government • America1600-1700’s England established

colonies (group of people in one place but ruled by a parent country elsewhere)

• First establishment in North America = Jamestown (modern day Virginia)-- Set up by a charter (document granting

authority to set up colonial governments– Formation of the House of Burgesses ( first

representative assembly in North America)– 2 people from each county– Little power

Section 1

• 1620 New group of Colonists arrive:

– Pilgrims built settlement Plymouth (modern day Mass)

– Mayflower Compact:– 41 men aboard Mayflower ship wrote

plan for government– Set up direct democracy– Members would meet in town hall to

vote on important issues

Colonial Traditions of Self-Government (cont.)

Section 1

• Success of Jamestown and Plymouth led to 13 other colonies stretched from Mass to Georgia

– Many similarities among them– Governor – either elected or appointed

by King– Legislature –modeled after Parliament

Colonial Traditions of Self-Government (cont.)

Problems at home:

England was dealing with issues at home • Changes name to Great Britain after unification with Scotland•Leads to increased power and responsibilities of the America colonies• Colonies grow used to making own decisions• Built towns, roads, schools, hospitals• Economy thriving without Britain's help

Section 4Colonial Resistance 1700’s British government starts to tighten grasp

on coloniesThe theory of mercantilism (country should sell

more goods than it buys)– Used the colonies as a source of cheap, raw

materials– A favorable balance of trade– Colonies had to buy British goods at high

prices while they had to sell their goods at low prices

– Situation worsened as Great Britian fought a long and costly war with France

Stamp Act: Britain required expensive tax stamps on all newspapers and legal documents to help raise money

“no taxation without representation”Colonists believed that Parliament had to right

to tax them if they could not be representedColonists began to boycott ( refuse to buy) British goods

It worked as Britain repealed ( cancelled) Stamp Act

Parliament makes it worse!Declaratory Act/ Townsend Act

“Parliament had the right to tax and make all decisions for American Colonies”•Imposed new taxes on goods imported into country• Glass, tea, and lead• American colonies had no choice but to pay because

they did not produce these items•Tea Act: gave British East India Company the right to ship to American colonies without paying tax and let them sell tea directly to shopkeepers at low prices• Gave favorable advantage over colonial merchants

Boston Tea Party

Colonists blocked all entry of BEI Company except for Boston port

Colonists dressed up as Native Americans and dump 342 chests of British Tea into Boston Harbor to protest taxation

Parliament responds with passing of:Coercive Acts: •Restricted colonists’ rights, including •right to trial by jury•Allowed British soldiers to search and move into colonists’ homes