Government in the Colonies

1
Government in the Colonies

• Early English Government

2
Colonial Government Limitations

• By colonial times, England was in the process of
  developing into a constitutional monarchy

• The monarch (king or queen) governed under rules
  established by law
• English people (including colonists) had rights
  protected by English law.
• Laws taxes were made by Parliament (qualified
  voters elected the lower house nobles
  inherited seats in the upper house

3

• Qualified voters were

• Free (not slaves or indentured servants)
• White (English)
• Males
• Age 21 or over
• Property owners (approx. 50 acres of land or the
  equivalent in businesses, ships, buildings, etc.
  )
• Members of the established church

4

• American colonists

• Voted for the local colonial legislatures (but
  had no reps in English Parliament)
• Colonial legislatures decided local taxes and
  voting qualifications (amount of property and
  required church membership varied somewhat by
  colony)
• English Parliament also had right to veto or
  overrule any laws passed by colonial
  legislatures.

5
(No Transcript)
6
Foundations for American Democracy

• Magna Carta1215
• Virginia House of Burgesses 1619

• Established the ideas that all men should be
  granted certain rights, the king had limits to
  his power, and not all power in the gov. was
  given to the king. JURY TRIAL
• Established idea that people should have some say
  in the way they are governed.

7

• Mayflower Compact 1620
• Fundamental Orders of Connecticut 1639
• English Bill of Rights 1689

• Established idea that people could form their own
  govt. for the good of all
• 1st written constitution establishing idea that
  people have power to create their own govt.
• Reaffirmed idea people have rights and power of
  king has limits.

8
Principles

• Individual Rights
• Limited Government
• Separation of Power

• People have basic rights the gov. cannot take
  away
• Gov is not all powerful members of gov. must
  follow the law
• Not all of the power of gov. is given to one
  individual or group, the power is separated to
  help prevent abuses of power

9

• Republicanism
• Popular Sovereignty

• Gov. is run by ELECTED representatives (reps of
  the public)
• The people rule the power of gov. comes from the
  people