1. The Colonial Experience
Colonial Charters
&
Self-Government

2. England’s American Colonies
Tradition of Representative Government

3. Virginia – House of Burgesses
America’s first representative assembly for making laws
1618 – Head of Virginia Company allowed for the right to elect its own assembly to propose laws
First Meeting: July 30, 1619

4. Massachusetts – Mayflower Compact
Laws for Plymouth would be subject to colonists’ approval and consent.
Citizens met regularly to discuss problems and vote directly on laws.
Town meetings – were an important element in the development of a democracy
A new legal basis for the colony.

5. English Colonies
The laws were made, in part, by a popularly elected assembly
King appointed colonial governors (opposed by the assembly)
Colonial assemblies controlled the power of the purse
Not fully democratic – not all could vote

6. Voting Prohibited: Only white male property owners could vote
All women
All slaves
Men who did not own property
Only white male property owners could vote

7. Albany Plan of Union
Meeting between the British, Colonies, Iroquois – against common enemy: the French
June 1754
Led by Benjamin Franklin
Proposed: the colonies unite to form a federal government
Failed, but showed that some colonies were willing to combine forces of colonies.

8. Early Colonists Believed in property rights and enforceable contracts
Land was privately owned/purchased
Indentured servants serve full term
Joint-stock companies in certain areas
Virginia company made supplies for colonies, produce only what England needed, buy everything they needed from England - mercantilism

9. Native American Governmental Systems
Loose confederations of villages or tribal clans
Move to form tribal councils for better defense
In New York, the six nations of the Iroquois had formed a confederate system for cooperating for their mutual benefit.
Haudenosaunee political system

10. Colonial Slavery
By the American Revolution – 20% of the population ( ,000 people) were slaves.
First Developed: Chesapeake Region (Maryland/Virginia)
Major Cash Crop: Tobacco
Leading States in the South
Led to the development of plantations

12. Southern Hierarchy Wealthy Planters Small Farm Owners
Enslaved Africans
Indentured Servants

13. Indentured Servants – poor tenant farmers from Europe who sold their labor for a chance to come to America and acquire own land

14. Bacon’s Rebellion
Governor Berkeley and the wealthy elites were exempted from taxes and were the only ones allowed to vote
Most important issue: ability to acquire land
Only land available was Native American land, the wealthy did not want to anger the Native Americans
Bacon organized his own militia to attack the Native Americans
Fought the larger picture: corrupt political officials, Berkeley

16. The New England Colonies
Slavery was MUCH smaller
No large farms/plantations
Main crop: Corn
Orchards, Livestock
Many slaves served as laborers and skilled artisans.

17. The Heart of New England Society: Towns
Land was not granted to individuals but to groups of people.
Establishment of community
Town Meetings – Town Government

18. SLAVERY / FREEDOM
Slavery is a direct contradiction to what was written in the Declaration of Independence
Between the end of 1781 and 1800, slavery was ended in the North
Slavery would expand in the South (cotton/cotton gin)

19. Freedom of the Press Zenger Case
John Peter Zenger wrote an article criticizing the governor of New York
Found not guilty because he “told the truth”
Established: Freedom of the Press

20. Rights of English Citizens in America
Salutary Neglect – England allowed the colonies to govern themselves without much interference
Laws requiring them to trade only with England, not enforced
Taxes, not collected.
Not allowed to vote for representatives in the British Parliament.