Chapter 2.1 Our English Heritage P28-30

Transcription

1 Chapter 2.1 Our English Heritage P28-30

2 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. The nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. This document upheld rights of landowners including equal treatment under the law and trial by one s peers.

3 Influences from England s Early Government It limited the power of the king or queen. Nobles and church officials who advised Henry III developed into a legislature of lawmaking body known as Parliament. In a struggle, Parliament removed King James II from the throne. This peaceful transfer of power was the Glorious Revolution.

4 Influences from England s Early Government From then on, no ruler would have more power than the legislature. 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.

5 Influences from England s Early Government It guaranteed free elections, free speech, a fair jury, and not cruel and unusual punishments. In its early days, England had no written laws. People developed rules to live by which came to have the force of law.

6 Influences from England s Early Government 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.

7 Influences from England s Early Government What were some rights guaranteed by the English Bill of Rights? This document guaranteed free election of members of Parliament, free speech for Parliament members during meetings, the right to a fair jury in court cases, and that cruel and unusual punishments would be banned.

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 Bringing the English Heritage to America 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 Bringing the English Heritage to America 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 selfgovernment in the colonies.

11 Bringing the English Heritage to America Before arriving in Plymouth, the Pilgrims drew up the Mayflower Compact, a written plan that set up a direct democracy in the colony. A compact is an agreement, or contract, among a group of people. All men would vote. The majority would rule.

12 Bringing the English Heritage to America What expectations for government did English colonists bring with them to America? They accepted common law and believed that the ruler was not above the law. They also expected to have a voice in government and other basic rights that they had enjoyed in England.

13 Early Colonial Governments Later English colonies along the east coast followed the examples of the Mayflower Compact and the House of Burgesses. Each colony had a governor and elected legislature, often modeled after Parliament.

14 Early Colonial Governments 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.

15 Early Colonial Governments What examples did new colonies follow in setting up their governments? They followed the examples of the Mayflower Compact and the House of Burgesses. Many colonial legislatures were modeled after the English Parliament.