Road to Independence

1
Road to Independence

• Even though the colonists decided on creating a
  new country, and government, many of the rights
  that citizens in the U.S. enjoy today can be
  traced to Great Britain.
• In Great Britain monarchys ruled for hundreds
  of years. When King John inherited the throne in
  1199, the nobles revolted in 1215 and forced the
  King to sign the Magna Carta. This charter
  secured the rights to all land owners, which
  included equal treatment under the law, and trial
  by ones peers.

2

• The Magna Carta was a contract that limited the
  power of the monarch by guaranteeing that no one
  would be above the law. We call this Rule of
  Law.
• Henry III met with Nobles regularly, and
  eventually this group of men included
  representatives from the church and common
  people. They came to be a legislature, known as
  Parliament.
• King James II in late 1600s wanted to regain the
  absolute power of the monarchy. Parliament
  removed him from the throne and placed William
  and Mary as King/Queen. This was called the
  Glorious Revolution. They agreed before
  accepting the throne of Great Britain to sign the
  English Bill of Rights.

3

• The English Bill of Rights stated the monarch
  couldnt suspend the parliament, create special
  courts, impose taxes,or raise an army without the
  parliaments consent. Members of Parliament would
  be freely elected and be guaranteed free speech
  during meetings, every citizen would have the
  right to a fair trial by jury in court cases, and
  that cruel and unusual punishment would be
  banned.

4

• Common Law - In the early days England had no
  written laws, customs became laws that people
  lived by. Later the courts (judges) decisions
  became the law. Judges would look at past court
  cases, to see the rulings in a similar case
  (precedent), to decide on the case in the
  present. That way the rulings would remain the
  same, without written laws. The judges rulings
  became the law. The system of law based on
  precedent and customs is Common Law. Our civil
  laws are based on the common law system.

5
Bringing England to America

• Between 1600-1700 England was busy creating
  colonies in America. The first permanent
  settlement was Jamestown in 1607. Founded by the
  Virginia Company with a charter from King James.
  Charters gave companies or groups the right to
  land and authority to govern setting up a
  colonial government.

6
Virginia House of Burgesses

• In 1619 the colonists chose 2 representatives
  from each county to meet with the governor and
  his council. These 22 men were called the
  Burgesses, they formed the first representative
  legislature in the American colonies.

7
Mayflower Compact

• In 1620, the pilgrims arrived in America. They
  built a settlement called Plymouth, in what is
  known as Massachusetts today. The pilgrims knew
  that they needed rules to govern themselves if
  they were to survive. Before the left the boat
  they drew up a written plan for government called
  the Mayflower Compact. All 41 men on board
  signed the document. It stated that the
  government would make just and equal laws that
  would be for the general good of the colony. The
  Signers pledged to obey the laws in a direct
  democracy, where all would vote, and the majority
  would rule.
• By 1773 13 colonies stretched from Massachusetts
  to Georgia. Each new colony set up their own
  government. These governments gained more and
  more power.

8
Rebellion

• First Continental Congress 1774 Americans began
  demanding more rights, colonists had been
  self-governing for a long time. In 1760 King
  George III began imposing restrictions and a
  tighter grip on the American colonies to make up
  the debt from the French-Indian War.
• Mercantilism a country should sell more goods to
  other countries than it buys. Colonists had to
  sell raw materials to G.Britian very cheap, and
  buy British goods at higher prices.

9

• Stamp Act 1765
• Boycotted British Goods Britain repealed the
  Stamp Act in 1766.
• Declaratory Act 1766 parliament had the right to
  tax colonies in all cases
• Townshend Act 1767-taxed all items imported to
  the colonies
• Tea Act 1773
• Coercive Acts/ Intolerable Acts restricted
  rights to colonies including right to trial by
  jury
• First Continental Congress 1774 lasted 7 weeks
  (all but Georgia attended) sent a letter to the
  King King responded with force.
• 1775 Lexington and Concord, the first battles of
  the revolution
• Second Continental Congress 1775
• Common Sense by Thomas Paine 1776
• Committee picked to write the Declaration Of
  Independence Thomas Jefferson wrote the majority
  of the document, influenced by the philosophies
  of John Locke (government is based on a social
  contract between the people and their rulers, if
  government misuses its power, the people have the
  right to rebel)

10
Nations First Government

• States began developing constitutions for
  themselves, written plans for government.
• Legislatures were bicameral divided into two
  parts or two houses. Members were chosen
  differently in each state. The Massachusetts
  Constitution is the only one still in effect
  today.

11
Articles of Confederation

• The colonies were anxious to govern themselves,
  but knew they needed to have a central government
  that would keep a single strong army under
  central control. They needed this to defeat the
  British.
• The Continental Congress drafted the Articles of
  Confederation in 1777, the first constitution of
  the United States of America.

12
Weaknesses of Articles of Confederation

• By 1781 all the States had ratified the Articles
  but it became clear quickly that they were not
  going to work.
• Congress couldnt pass a law unless 9 states
  voted in favor.
• Amendments had to have a unanimous vote
• Congress couldnt enforce laws
• Unable to collect taxes
• Couldnt regulate trade
• No national court system
• No single leader or group directed government
  policy

13
War Debt/ State Debt

• The states accumulated a lot of debt during the
  American Revolution. They taxed the citizens
  very heavily, putting farmers out of business and
  taking their farms.
• The states also taxed goods from state to state,
  and foreign countries.
• Farmers started riots throughout the country
  Daniel Shay Shays Rebellion led 1200 farmers
  against a federal arsenal. The riot was stopped,
  but the event was the point that political
  leaders needed to argue for stronger government.
• 1787 12 states sent delegates back to
  Philadelphia to revise the Articles of
  Confederation