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 1300s.
• 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
  Parliaments 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 its own government.
• Colonial governments included a legislative body.
  (like Parliament)

9
British taxes

• The American Colonies grew and prospered.
• In the 1750s and 60s 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
  didnt 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 didnt 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