ROOTS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

1. ROOTS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY • OUR ENGLISH HERITAGE • In feudal times English Noblemen were given land if they pledged to support the King. • In return the Nobles gave Kings: armies, equipment and taxes to support wars. • In 1215 the Nobles rebelled.

2. Magna Carta • King John was forced, by the Nobles, to sign an agreement that limited his own power and gave some rights to the nobles. • King John admitted that his power had limits.

3. Parliament • Henry III followed John to the throne. • He met regularly with a group of Nobles and church officials. • This group of advisors grew into a lawmaking body by the late 1300’s. • The King still ruled England but the Parliament made most day to day decisions. • Eventually divided into two groups or houses (House of Lords and House of Commons)

4. Petition of Right • 1628 King Charles asked for money from Parliament and was turned down. • He began to oppress anyone who openly disagreed with him. • Parliament reacted by passing the Petition of Right which granted basic rights to the people in exchange for money for the King.

5. Petition of Right • People were granted: No taxes without consent of Parliament No imprisonment without trial No “quartering soldiers” No martial law in time of peace

6. English Bill of Rights • 1689 (a time of great unrest) • Parliament removed King James II and installed William and Mary of Orange (why is this important?) • To ensure power the English Bill of Rights was written. • Laws, taxes, army all were placed under the Parliament’s control and a list of basic rights established.

7. The Colonies • English citizens left their country to settle in America • Colonies established. • 1607 Jamestown was the first settlement, set up a representative body to make rules. • 1620 Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in what is now New England • Signed an agreement called the Mayflower Compact. • The men would vote on decisions.

8. Colonial Governments • By 1773 Thirteen Colonies were established. • Each colony had it’s own government. • Colonial governments included a legislative body. (like Parliament)

9. British taxes • The American Colonies grew and prospered. • In the 1750’s and 60’s American Colonists and British soldiers defeated the French in what became known as the French-Indian War. (George Washington and many others fought in this war)

10. British Taxes • The French-Indian War was long and expensive for England. • Parliament levied taxes on the Colonies to pay for it. • The Colonists resented British taxes because they didn’t have a representative in Parliament. • Colonists protested taxes and boycotted British products.

11. More taxes • In 1773, as a result of a Tax on tea, some colonists threw tons of tea into Boston harbor. (Boston Tea Party) • To show it was in control, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts. • We called them Intolerable.

12. Intolerable Acts • The Intolerable Acts • Closed the port of Boston • Took away trial by jury • Allowed soldiers to enter homes without warrants • Made public assembly illegal • Colonists banded together to protest.

13. First Continental Congress • To fight the Intolerable Acts representatives from 12 colonies met together in 1774. • They decided to send a letter to King George III demanding rights be restored (and to boycott again) • Also, decided to meet again if things didn’t get better in a year

14. Second Continental Congress • The King refused to give in. Later that year colonial militias and British soldiers shot at each other in the towns of Lexington and Concord. • 1775 delegates assembled in Philadelphia for a Second Continental Congress. • Some wanted Independence some wanted to reconcile with England

15. The Declaration of Independence • After a year a committee was formed to write a formal declaration of American independence. • Thomas Jefferson was the main writer (Took many ideas from English Philosopher John Locke) • Called for a new form of government, equal rights and listed the grievances against the king.

16. The Declaration of Independence • Jefferson believed that because of a “long train of abuses” that the British government no longer had authority over the colonies. • On July 4th 1776 delegates signed and pledged “their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor”