ORIGINS OF GOVERNMENT

Chapter 2 – AP GoPo

ENGLISH HERITAGERepresentative GovernmentBicameral Legislature – House of Commons and House of Lords Worked to limit monarch

Limited government – Magna Carta Individual rights – Petition of Rights and English Bill of Rights

MAGNA CARTA Roman Empire collapsed and Kings

gained more and more power Many nobles resisted Kings John 1215 – England

Written in 1215 by the nobles

Limit the power of the king

First form of limited government

Set the standard for future kings

Big move regarding the “rule of man” v.s. “the rule of law”

ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS 1688 Parliament forced King

James II out of the throne and had James’s daughter Mary and her husband William rule instead.

They had to accept a document from parliament detailing that the citizens had rights.

Ended the struggle between monarchy and paliament

PETITION OF RIGHTS

Required King to have Parliament’s approval before taxing

Could not unlawfully imprison

Could not force citizens to house soldiers

No military take over in times of peace

ENGLISH B.O.R. PART 1 Whereas the late King James the Second, by the assistance of divers evil counsellors, judges, and ministers employed by him,

did endeavour to subvert and extirpate the protestant religion, and the laws and liberties of this kingdom.

1. By assuming and exercising a power of dispensing with and suspending of laws, and the execution of laws, without consent of parliament.

2. By committing and prosecuting divers worthy prelates, for humbly petitioning to be excused from concurring to the said assumed power.

3. By issuing and causing to be executed a commission under the great seal for erecting a court called, The court of commissioners for ecclesiastical causes.

4. By levying money for and to the use of the crown, by pretence of prerogative, for other time, and in other manner, than the same was granted by parliament.

5. By raising and keeping a standing army within this kingdom in time of peace, without consent of parliament, and quartering soldiers contrary to law.

6. By causing several good subjects, being protestants, to be disarmed, at the same time when papists were both armed and employed, contrary to law.

7. By violating the freedom of election of members to serve in parliament.

8. By prosecutions in the court of King's bench, for matters and causes cognizable only in parliament; and by divers other arbitrary and illegal courses.

9. And whereas of late years, partial, corrupt, and unqualified persons have been returned and served on juries in trials, and particularly divers jurors in trials for high treason, which were not freeholders.

10. And excessive bail hath been required of persons committed in criminal cases, to elude the benefit of the laws made for the liberty of the subjects.

11. And excessive fines have been imposed; and illegal and cruel punishments have been inflicted.

12. And several grants and promises made of fines and forfeitures, before any conviction or judgment against the persons, upon whom the same were to be levied.

All which are utterly and directly contrary to the known laws and statutes, and freedom of this realm.

And whereas the said late king James the Second having abdicated the government, and the throne being thereby vacant ... the said lords spiritual and temporal, and commons ... do in the first place (as their ancestors in like case have usually done) for the vindicating and asserting their ancient rights and liberties, declare;

1. That the pretended power of suspending of laws, or the execution of laws, by regal authority, without consent of parliament, is illegal.

2. That the pretended power of dispensing with laws, or the execution of laws, by regal authority, as it hath been assumed and exercised of late, is illegal.

3. That the commission for erecting the late court of commissioners for ecclesiastical causes, and all other commissions and courts of like nature are illegal and pernicious.

4. That levying money for or to the use of the crown, by pretence of prerogative, without grant of parliament, for longer time, or in other manner than the same is or shall be granted, is illegal.

5. That it is the right of the subjects to petition the King, and all committments [sic] and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal.

6. That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of parliament, is against law.

7. That the subjects which are protestants, may have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions, and as allowed by law.

8. That election of members of parliament ought to be free.

9. That the freedom of speech, and debates or proceedings in parliament, ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of parliament.

10. That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed; nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

11. That jurors ought to be duly impanelled and returned, and jurors which pass upon men in trials for high treason ought to be freeholders.

12. That all grants and promises of fines and forfeitures of particular persons before conviction, are illegal and void.

13. And that for redress of all grievances, and for the amending, strengthening, and preserving of the laws, parliaments ought to be held frequently.

ENGLISH B.O.R. PART 2

FIRST COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS Loyal to England

Brought beliefs of representative and limited government

JAMESTOWN – first permanent settlement 1607 by the Virginia CompanyHouse of Burgesses – self government

PLYMOUTH – Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower 1620 Mayflower Compact – direct democracy through town meetings

CONNECTCUT – Fundamental Orders of Connecticut 1639 limited government power and allowed men to chose judges

SETTLEMENT CULTURE & GOV’T Different countries acquired colonies in the area

Indentured Servants – promises in exchange for work Religious freedom - dissenters

They were interdependent for their economy Types of English Colonies

Proprietary colony – grant given by monarch to a proprietor Royal colony – directly controlled by king through appointed governor Charter colony – charters agreed to by the colony and the king

3 distinct economic regions The New England Colonies – large scale farming The Middle Colonies – Cash crops The Southern Colonies - Plantations

WHAT DOES THE IDEA OF THE LIGHTBULB REPRESENT?

INFLUENCE OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT 1600’s – conflict between scientific revolution and religion

Changed how some people saw the world

Republicanism – values citizen participation, civic virtue, common good; influenced by Aristotle’s idea that no restriction of power can lead to tyranny.

Machiavelli – Italian Renaissance writer; “Discourses” – republic is based on civic vvirtue, government will seize to exist once people stop participating.; Had to represent all 3 levels of government: monarch, aristocracy, the people; “The Prince” – fear > love

Thomas Hobbes – “state of nature”, need a social contract in order to rule themselves; greed and selfish in their state on nature

John Locke – Two Treatises of Government people were born equal with natural rights (life, freedom, and property) SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY – give up some rights in exchange for protection and government HOWEVER if it was broken,

new leaders can be chosen.

Montesquieu – Spirit of the Laws - divide government power into branches = “Separation of powers”

Arouet (AKA Voltaire) – freedom of religion and trade

Adam Smith – The Wealth of Nations - the invisible hand and self interest

ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE Early Attempts

New England Confederation – Plymouth, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, and New Haven Common Purpose – defend against Ntive Americans and dutch colonies

French and Indian War 1754-1763 British and French fighting for control over North America. Iroquois Confederation – alliance with 6 native American nations.

Met in Albany New York Albany Plan of Union – by Ben Franklin

Called for a council of representatives appointed by colonial assemblies and a president general appointed bythe king. Inteded to control trade, raise armies, build settlements, and equip fleets.

Growing Tensions: British: Trade restrictions, Stampt Act, Intolerable Acts Colonies: Boston Massacre

CONTINENTAL CONGRESSES First Continental Congress – Philidelphia 1774

Requested repeal of the Intolerable Acts King reacted violently – Lexington and Concord “shots heard around the world”

Second Continental Congress – 12/13 colonies attended Final request – Olive Branch Petition Still acted like a government

Common Sense Pamphlet by Thomas Paine – thirst for absolute power, hostilities, etc.

ASSIGNMENT Write a letter within your group.

PREAMBLE/INTRODUCTION: What is the purpose of this letter and who are you writing to?

LIST OF GRIEVANCES

What don’t you like about your government? (list it)

EXPLANATION

Why don’t you like it?

Why has it pushed you to want to leave it?

CONCLUSION

What are you going to do about it?

Sign it.