1. { Origins of American Government United States Government and Politics Chapter Two: Section One Spring 2015 Miss Beck

2.  The Great Charter  King John forced to sign in 1215  Established idea of limited government  Protected against:  Unjust punishment  Loss of life, liberty, and property (except according to law)  Certain taxes could not be levied without consent  Only applied to nobility at first  Eventually other groups would win liberties Magna Carta

3.  Charles I forced to sign when he called Parliament back into session in 1628  Severely limited the king’s power  Parliament had to consent to the monarch collecting taxes  Had to have just cause to imprison people  Must receive permission to house troops in private homes  Martial law could only be declared when the country was at war Petition of Right

4.  1688: Parliament removed James II from the throne and crowned William III and Mary II  Glorious Revolution – peaceful transfer of power  Set clear limits on what a ruler could and could not do  Applied to American colonists and people in England  5 key ideas English Bill of Rights

5.  1: No divine right to rule; consent must come from the people  2: Parliament must give consent to suspend laws, levy taxes, or maintain an army  3: Monarch cannot interfere with parliamentary elections and debate  4: People have the right to petition the government and have a fair and speedy trial with a jury of their peers  5: No cruel and unusual punishments or excessive fines and bail Five Key Ideas of English Bill of Rights

6.  English parliament was representative and would inspire the American legislature  John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government  People in the natural state (before government) were free, equal, and independent  Laws of nature (natural law) provided rights to life, liberty, and property  Social Contract Theory: People enter contract with government to protect their natural rights. If a government fails to protect the natural rights then people can change the government.  **Government is only legitimate as long as the people consent! Colonial Inspiration

7.  Written Constitutions  Mayflower Compact (Pilgrims; 1620)  Great Fundamentals (Massachusetts Bay Colony; 1636)  The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (Colony of Connecticut; 1639)  Colonial Legislature  Virginia House of Burgesses (1619)  General Court (Massachusetts; 1636)  Separation of Powers  Governor (executive; king’s agent in colony)  Legislature (colonial)  Courts (colonial) Colonial Government