CHAPTER 2. Roots of American Democracy

Transcription

1 CHAPTER 2 Roots of American Democracy

2 Section 1 Our English Heritage

3 Influences from England s Early Government The English brought with them a history of LIMITED and REPRESENTATIVE government. England was ruled by a monarch a king or queen, but nobles held much power.

4 The Magna Carta The nobles forced King John to sign the MAGNA CARTA (Latin for Great Charter). This document upheld rights of landowners including equal treatment under the law and trial by one s peers. It LIMITED the POWER of the king or queen.

5 The Glorious Revolution Nobles and church officials who advised Henry III developed into a legislature a lawmaking body known as PARLIAMENT. In a power struggle, Parliament REMOVED King James II from the throne. This PEACEFUL TRANSFER of power was the Glorious Revolution. From then on, no ruler would have more power than the legislature.

6 The Bill of Rights Parliament drew up the English Bill of Rights. It required the monarch to get Parliament s CONSENT to impose taxes, raise an army, or create special courts. It guaranteed free ELECTIONS, free SPEECH, a fair jury, and no cruel and unusual punishments.

7 Common Law In its early days, England had no written laws. People developed rules to live by which came to have the FORCE OF LAW. Judges made rulings consistent with PRECEDENTS, or rulings in earlier cases that were similar. The system of law based on precedent and custom is known as COMMON LAW. Our laws are based on English common law.

8 Bringing the English Heritage to America A colony is a group of people in one place who are RULED by a PARENT country elsewhere. English colonists in America remained LOYAL SUBJECTS of England. They ACCEPTED common law and expected the same rights they enjoyed in England.

9 Early American Colonies A charter is a WRITTEN DOCUMENT granting land and the authority to set up colonial governments. The Virginia Company s charter PROMISED the COLONISTS of JAMESTOWN the same liberties as in England.

10 The Infancy of Self-Government The colonists CHOSE REPRESENTATIVES called burgesses to meet with the governor. These representatives formed the House of Burgesses, the FIRST LEGISLATURE in the colonies. It marked the beginning of SELF-GOVERNMENT in the colonies.

11 Mayflower Compact Before arriving in Plymouth, the PILGRIMS drew up the Mayflower Compact November 11, 1620 in what is now Cape Cod, MASSACHUSETTS. A compact is an AGREEMENT, or contract, among a group of people.

12 Mayflower Compact (cont.) Under this contract: all MEN would vote the MAJORITY would rule This set up a DIRECT democracy in the colony. Established rule by the people (POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY) which later became known as social contract theory of government. Later used to justify American independence from Great Britain government should be formed by the people.

13 Early Colonial Governments Each colony had a governor and elected legislature, often MODELED after PARLIAMENT. The COLONIAL governments took on more POWER over time, as the king and Parliament were preoccupied at home. The colonists grew used to making their own DECISIONS. Later English colonies along the east coast followed the EXAMPLES of the Mayflower Compact and the House of Burgesses.

14 Section 2 The English Colonies

15 Settling the Colonies ENGLAND established thirteen colonies along the EAST Coast of North America. New England Colonies: MASSACHUSETTS and the Massachusetts Bay Company Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire established by the MID-1600S

16 Settling the Colonies The Middle Colonies: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware New Netherland New York as a PROPRIETARY COLONY area with owner-controlled land and government New Jersey as a ROYAL COLONY a colonial area of land controlled directly by a king or other monarch WILLIAM PENN and Pennsylvania and Delaware

17 Settling the Colonies Southern Colonies: VIRGINIA as a JOINT-STOCK colony North and South CAROLINA James OGLETHORPE and Georgia

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19 People of the Colonies English colonists IMMIGRATED to the thirteen colonies for DIFFERENT reasons. Religion: Religious dissenters PURITANS (a) and PILGRIMS (b) (a) religious dissenter who came to the colonies to purify, or reform, the Anglican Church (b) colonial Puritans who considered themselves people on a religious journey Religious toleration QUAKERS and Catholics

20 People of the Colonies ECONOMIC reasons for immigration System of INDENTURED SERVANTS workers who contracted with American colonists for food and shelter in return for their labor Conflicts with Native Americans over land SLAVERY: Plantation system Enslaved AFRICANS TRIANGULAR trade pattern of trade that developed in colonial times among the Americas, Africa, and Europe The MIDDLE Passage

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22 Section 3 Colonial Society

23 The Economy Colonists in different REGIONS had to adapt to the GEOGRAPHY. New England: SMALL farms SMALL businesses Forests and shipbuilding Fishing and whaling The PURITAN ethic

24 The Economy The Middle Colonies: Agriculture and CASH crops Busy PORTS Industries Immigrants from European countries

25 The Economy The SOUTHERN Colonies: LARGE-SCALE agriculture TIDEWATER crops Tobacco and rice areas of low, flat plains near the seacoast of Virginia and North Carolina River transport Plantations and ENSLAVED African workers Smaller farms LACK of industry and commerce

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27 An American Identity Colonists eventually developed an AMERICAN identity. Religion: Religious FREEDOM Religious leaders were sometimes leaders of the government. Religious TOLERANCE The Great Awakening

28 An American Identity Education: America s first SCHOOLS and COLLEGES Slave CODES

29 An American Identity The family as the FOUNDATION of colonial society The spirit of EGALITARIANISM: the philosophy or spirit of equality Traditional English rights The ideas of John Locke

30 SECTION 4 Birth of a Democratic Nation

31 Colonial Resistance and Rebellion The BRITISH government began to TIGHTEN its grip on the American colonies. George III adopted a policy of MERCANTILISM, the theory that a country should SELL MORE goods to other countries THAN IT BUYS. BRITAIN wanted to BUY American raw materials at LOW PRICES and SELL colonists British products at HIGH PRICES. Saw the colonies as a source of cheap, raw materials

32 War is Always Expensive Britain won LAND in North America from FRANCE in the French and Indian War. To pay off war debts and cover the costs of ruling the new lands, Britain TAXED the colonists. COLONISTS resented the taxes. They had no representatives in Parliament No TAXATION without REPRESENTATION.

33 Read My Lips In protest, many colonists decided to BOYCOTT, or refuse to buy, British goods. As a result, Parliament agreed to repeal, or cancel, the STAMP TAX and other taxes. However, Parliament soon replaced them with new taxes. Parliament s DECLARATORY ACT stated that it had the right to tax and make decisions for the colonies. The TOWNSHEND ACTS taxed needed goods imported to the colonies. The colonists again boycotted.

34 Always B.Y.O.T. to a Party The TEA Act allowed the British East India Company to bypass colonial merchants and SELL tea DIRECTLY to shopkeepers at low prices. In response, colonists BLOCKED all the company s ships from colonial PORTS, except in Boston. There colonists DRESSED as Native Americans dumped the British tea into Boston Harbor the BOSTON Tea Party. Parliament responded with the COERCIVE ACTS, which restricted colonists rights.

35 Movement Toward Independence The colonies sent DELEGATES, or representatives, to a meeting in PHILADELPHIA known as the First Continental Congress. They demanded that King George III restore their rights. The king responded with FORCE. The REVOLUTIONARY War began with battles at LEXINGTON and CONCORD. Colonists started to question their loyalty to Britain. They began talking about INDEPENDENCE, or self-reliance and freedom from outside control.

36 Are You a Loyalist or a Patriot? At the SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, some delegates wanted independence. Others still felt loyal to Britain. Thomas Paine s pamphlet COMMON SENSE swayed public opinion toward independence. Finally, the Second Continental Congress agreed.

37 The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, written mostly by THOMAS JEFFERSON, explained why the United States should be a free nation. It ARGUED that the British government did not look after the interests of the colonists. It listed many ABUSES by the KING.

38 And They Said What? The Declaration said that the purpose of government is to PROTECT the RIGHTS of the PEOPLE. Government is based on CONSENT of the people. If it DISREGARDS their rights or their will, the people are entitled to change or overthrow it.

39 Locke was Enlightened These ideas were influenced by philosopher John Locke. He saw GOVERNMENT as a CONTRACT BETWEEN the PEOPLE and the RULERS. The people agree to give up some FREEDOMS and abide by government decisions. In return, the government promises to protect them and their LIBERTY. If it misuses its power, the people should rebel.

40 It s Better the 2 nd Time Around The Second Continental Congress APPROVED the DECLARATION on July 4, True FREEDOM arrived when Britain officially RECOGNIZED the United States at the war s end.

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42 SECTION 3 The Nation s First Government

43 Early State Constitutions New Hampshire was the FIRST colony to ORGANIZE as a state and craft a written plan for government, or constitution. Other states formed similar systems of government. Most state legislatures were BICAMERAL DIVIDED into two parts, or houses. Members of the two houses were CHOSEN by different METHODS.

44 Well, It s a Start Each state had an elected GOVERNOR to carry out the laws and JUDGES and courts to INTERPRET the laws. Most state CONSTITUTIONS included a bill of rights.

45 Things are Different in Boston The Massachusetts constitution was DIFFERENT from the others. It distributed POWER more EVENLY among the legislature, governor, and courts. It gave the governor and the courts the authority to CHECK the legislature. The constitution itself was not created by the legislature but by a convention of elected delegates. The Massachusetts constitution would later become the MODEL for the U.S. Constitution.

46 The Articles of Confederation SEPARATELY, the states could not MAINTAIN a large army to fight the BRITISH. For this and other reasons, the Second Continental Congress made a PLAN FOR UNION called the Articles of Confederation. A confederation is a group of INDIVIDUALS who band together for a COMMON PURPOSE.

47 A Congress Without Power The Articles set up a one-house LEGISLATURE. As a result of bad experiences with the British government, the STATES refused to give CONGRESS the power to TAX or to ENFORCE its laws. Congress could NOT REQUIRE the states to give money or do anything else.

48 An Inefficient Government The states RATIFIED, or approved, the Articles. Soon, serious PROBLEMS became clear. Strict voting REQUIREMENTS to pass laws or amend (change) the Articles made it difficult for Congress to ACCOMPLISH anything. Even when it passed laws, Congress could NOT ENFORCE them. States could just IGNORE the laws.

49 Sound Familiar? The Treaty of Paris was SIGNED in 1783, ENDING the Revolutionary War. Unable to collect taxes, Congress had BORROWED to pay for the war. The states had also run up DEEP DEBTS. To pay their debts, the states OVERTAXED their citizens and even taxed goods from other states and foreign countries. The Confederation Congress had no POWER to SOLVE these problems.

50 One Man Can Make a Difference Daniel Shays, an indebted FARMER, felt the state had no right to take his farm away because of a PROBLEM the STATE had CREATED. He led an UPRISING, known as Shays' Rebellion. This unrest swayed leaders toward revising the Articles of Confederation to create a stronger NATIONAL government.