1. Life in the American Colonies Colonial Government

2. English Principles of Government Why are protected rights and representative government important? ▪ Colonists got their ideas about government from the British government ▪ The British system of government had been developing over several hundred years ▪ Representative government and protected rights were key principles ▪ These two principles would influence the development of the United States government

3. English Principles of Government Protected Rights ▪ Colonists believed the government had to protect their civil liberties ▪ These rights first appeared in the Magna Carta (Great Charter) in 1215 ▪ The Magna Carta limited the powers of King John in England – preventing the abuse of power ▪ Limitations on government now applied to kings and queens

4. English Principles of Government Representative Government ▪ Representative government in England was an old tradition developed over a long period of time ▪ The English Parliament was a representative body elected by the people ▪ Parliament consisted of two houses or chambers: 1. House of Commons – merchants and commoners 2. House of Lords – aristocrats ▪ Parliament and the king often disagreed

5. English Principles of Government Representative Government ▪ In the mid-1600s, King James II and Parliament fought for power ▪ Parliament removed King James and gave the throne to William and Mary ▪ After this Glorious Revolution, William and Mary promised to rule according to laws Parliament approved ▪ From this point on, no English ruler would have more power than Parliament

6. English Principles of Government Why are protected rights and representative government important? Protected Rights Representative Government Life Property Freedom Prosperity A Voice in how we are governed Influence on laws that are passed

7. English Principles of Government The English Bill of Rights ▪ In order to set clear limitations on the powers of the monarch, Parliament drew up the English Bill of Rights in 1689 ▪ The English Bill of Rights did not allow the monarch to suspend Parliamentary laws or to impose taxes without Parliament’s approval ▪ Furthermore, citizens were granted the right to a jury trial and were protected against cruel and unusual punishments

8. English Principles of Government Governments in America ▪ Each of the thirteen original colonies began as either a charter or a proprietary colony ▪ A charter was a grant of rights to settle by the English monarch - Massachusetts Bay  Proprietary colonies were owned by an individual or group of investors  Some colonies later became royal colonies like Virginia did in 1624  Generally, in the colonies, only white males who owned property could vote

9. English Principles of Government Local Government in the Colonies ▪ Over time, colonists began discussing local issues at their town meetings ▪ These meetings led to the development of local assemblies with landowners holding voting rights and legislative powers ▪ This would contribute to the development of the colonists strong belief in their right to govern themselves

10. English Economic Policies ▪ Mercantilism was an economic theory that held that power and wealth were generated by building supplies of gold and silver through the establishing of colonies ▪ One of the main goals was for a country to export more than it imported ▪ Another was to harvest raw materials from the colonies it controlled

11. English Economic Policies ▪ To control its trade, England passed a series of laws called the Navigation Acts in the 1650s ▪ These acts forced colonists to sell their raw materials only to England ▪ All goods purchased from other countries went through England where they were heavily taxed ▪ In addition, all trade goods had to be shipped aboard English ships manned by English crews

12. English Economic Policies Colonial Resistance ▪ At first these acts were accepted by the colonists because they were guaranteed to sell their raw materials in British markets ▪ However, as time went on, resentment grew as colonists wanted greater freedom to do business wherever and with whomever they wanted ▪ As a result of British trade policies, colonists began smuggling to bypass British controls ▪ Eventually, British trade policies would cause increased tensions between England and her American colonies