Our Politcal Beginnings

*Colonists, the people who first came to America from Europe, started with 3 ideas from Britain (England) for their new government.

 

1. Ordered government- This means that a government's rules should help people get along.

 

2. Limited government- This means government only has certain powers because people have rights too.

 

3. Representative government- This means the people tell the government what it can and cannot do.

 

IMPORTANT ENGLISH DOCUMENTS

 

Three famous English documents helped colinists remember the three basic ideas of government.

 

1. Magna Carta (1215)- States the king does not have absolute power. It also introduces the rights of trial by jury and due process of law.

 

2. The Petition of Right (1628)- It also limited the kings power. He could not use the military to rule during peace time or have soldiers live in peoples homes.

 

3. English Bill of Rights (1698)- It did not allow an army during peace time, guaranteed a fair and speedy trial, and made all parliamentary elections free.

 

GOVERNMENT IN THE COLONIES

 

The government in each of the 13 American colonies started with a charter that said the British king gave it permission to govern. All colonies had governers with limited powers and legislatures that made laws.

 

Each type of the three types of colonies had different governments. The British king controlled royal colonies. Their legislatures were bicameral, or made up of 2 houses. The king decided who would be governor. The governor had a council that shared the power to tax and spend. The king approved all laws. In proprietary colonies, the king gave land to a wealthy proprietor, or owner. The owner appointed a governor and ran the colony as he chose. Charter colonies were self-governing because the king gave the people land to form the colony. Men who owned land elected the governor.

 

FLOW OF IDEAS FROM BRITAIN TO AMERICA

 

British Govt.-----Ordered Gov.-----Limited Gov.----- Representative Gov.-----to Colonial Govt.

 

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