SS.7.C.1.3 Describe how English policies COLONIES AND THEIR GOVERNMENT

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CH A E R

4

AMERICAN

AND

COLONIES THEIR

GOVERNMENT

THE

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SS.7.C.1.3 Describe how English policies

and responses to colonial concerns

led to the writing of the Declaration

of Independence.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS How does geography influence the development of

communities? Why do people create, structure, and change governments?

Richard Henry Lee was a delegate to the Second Constitutional

Convention. He introduced a resolution at the Convention that would

change the world. Read this excerpt from it:

are,

¡°andThatof righttheseoughtUnitedto be,Colonies

free and

independent States . . . And that all

political connection between them

and the State of Greater Britain is,

and ought to be, totally dissolved.

¡±

RICHARD HENRY LEE

United Colonies

What are the Unite

d Colonies today?

Copyright ? by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

dissolved

What are some synonyms for dissolved?

DBQ BREAKING IT DOWN

netw

w rks

rk

Lee uses the phrase ¡°are, and of right ought to be¡±

when referring to independence. What is the

difference in meaning between ¡°are¡± or ¡°is¡± and

¡°ought to be¡±?

Why do you think Lee uses these phrases?

TM

There¡¯s More Online!

PHOTO: National Archives and Records Administration

The American Colonies and Their Government Chapter 4 45

S

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SO

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O

S

E

C

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INFLUE N COLONIAL

AMERICA ENT

GOVERNM

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1

NGSSS

SS.7.C.1.1 Recognize how

Enlightenment ideas including

Montesquieu¡¯s view of separation

of power and John Locke¡¯s theories

related to natural law and how

Locke¡¯s social contract influenced

the Founding Fathers.

SS.7.C.1.2 Trace the impact that the

Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights,

Mayflower Compact, and Thomas

Paine¡¯s ¡°Common Sense¡± had on

colonists¡¯ views of government.

Essential Questions

How does geography influence the development of

communities? Why do people create, structure, and

change governments?

Guiding Questions

1. What ancient principles, traditions, and events have

shaped the system of government we have today?

2. How did Europe¡¯s Enlightenment influence ideas

about government in what became the United States?

3. How were the first English colonies in America shaped

by earlier ideas about democracy and government?

Terms to Know

democracy

rule by the people

direct democracy

a system in which the people

govern themselves

representative

democracy

a system in which the people

choose leaders to govern

It Matters Because

Ancient peoples and the great thinkers of the Enlightenment influenced how the

Founders shaped our government in ways that still affect us today.

The following list gives examples of ancient or Enlightenment influences on the U.S. government.

Which one affects your life the most? Circle your answer and then use the space provided to explain.

town hall meetings

freedom to assemble

freedom of the press

freedom of speech

freedom to practice religion

democratic elections

republic

a country with a

representative democracy

limited government

the idea that the power of a

government can be limited

natural rights

rights that government

cannot take away

Directions: Use the table below to answer the questions based on what you know ¡°Now.¡±

After the lesson, write in the ¡°Later¡± column to complete the table.

Now

social contract

an agreement in which the

people agree to give up some

freedom in exchange for the

government¡¯s protection of

people¡¯s rights

46 Chapter 4 The American Colonies and Their Government

Later

What is a democracy?

Why do people need

government?

Copyright ? by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

legislature

a group of representatives

that makes laws

What Do You Know?

netw rks

TM

Read Chapter 4 Lesson 1 in your textbook or online.

The Foundations of Democracy

A democracy is a type of government in which the people

rule. This is different from a government in which one person

has all the power. This type of ruler is called a monarch.

The Jewish religion gave the world some of its first

democratic ideas. The ancient Jews were ruled by kings,

but their religion teaches that every person has worth. This

teaching is one of the basic ideas of democracy.

Our government today was influenced by ancient Greece

and Rome. In ancient Greece, the people of Athens created

the world¡¯s first direct democracy in the 400s b.c. In a direct

democracy, the people govern themselves. Direct democracy

works when the population is small. In Athens, all free men

over 18 years old were citizens. They could take part in the

assembly, which made decisions for the community. In places

with large populations, an assembly of all citizens would be

too big. People would choose leaders to govern. This is called

representative democracy.

When a country has a representative democracy, it is called

a republic. The United States is a republic. The world¡¯s first

republic was ancient Rome. In 509 b.c., the Romans overthrew

their king and set up a republic. A senate ran the government.

Its members were chosen from Rome¡¯s wealthy upper class. The

Roman republic helped shape the American government today.

After the Roman Empire ended, kings and lords ruled most

of Europe for 700 years. Lords were noblemen that usually

inherited land and wealth. As these rulers became more

powerful, some nobles rebelled. In England they made King

John sign a document called the Magna Carta (Latin term for

¡°Great Charter¡±). The graphic organizer below lists important

points from the Magna Carta.

Copyright ? by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Made it illegal for the king to tax

the nobles without their permission

Think Critically

1. Contrast What is the difference

between a direct democracy and

a representative democracy?

Mark the Text

22. Circle

Ci l ttwo examples

l off a republic.

bl

bli

Show Your Skill

3. Interpret Charts What

were the main points of the

Magna Carta?

Think Critically

4. Explain How did the Magna

Carta establish the principle of

limited government? Give some

examples.

Gave landowners the right to equal

treatment under law

Magna Carta, 1215

Gave landowners the right to trial

by their peers

Gave nobles the right to rebel if the

king broke his agreement

The Magna Carta put forth the idea of limited government.

This meant that a ruler or government was no longer all-powerful.

Influences on American Colonial Government Lesson 1 47

Mark the Text

55. Circle

Ci l the

h name off the

h group th

ht

that

makes laws such as Parliament.

Show Your Skill

6. Identify Cause and Effect

What effect did the Glorious

Revolution have on government?

48

Chapter 4 The American Colonies and Their Government

Copyright ? by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

William and Mary served

as co-monarchs after King

James II was forced off the

throne in the Glorious

Revolution.

PHOTO: Sir James Thornhill/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty Images

By the late 1300s, England had a group of nobles that

advised the king. It was called Parliament. In addition to

giving the king advice, Parliament made laws. A group of

representatives that makes laws is called a legislature. Many

kings did not want Parliament¡¯s help. In 1625 King Charles I

dismissed Parliament and ruled alone. In 1628, however, he

called back Parliament. Its members forced him to sign the

Petition of Right, which limited the power of England¡¯s kings.

The English Parliament decided to make changes to their

government. In 1688 Parliament forced King James II from the

throne of England. It asked James¡¯s daughter Mary and her

husband William to rule instead. This event became known

as the Glorious Revolution.

Parliament created a set of rules for the government called

the English Bill of Rights. William and Mary had to accept the

English Bill of Rights before they took power. These rules listed

certain rights of English citizens and said that kings could not

take them away. The Glorious Revolution and the English Bill

of Rights changed English government forever. The events also

received much notice in the English colonies in North America.

Influence of the Enlightenment

Think Critically

The problems between the monarchy and Parliament

created new ideas about government. These ideas were part

of a movement in Europe known as the Enlightenment.

New discoveries in science led some to believe that God

had created a universe governed by laws. These laws of nature

could be discovered using human reason, or careful thought.

This change in how some people saw their world was called

the Enlightenment.

Enlightenment thinkers wanted to apply the laws of nature

to people and societies. These ideas changed how people

thought of government in Europe and in the Americas.

The Glorious Revolution also let Enlightenment thinkers

share their ideas more freely. One important Enlightenment

thinker was John Locke. Locke influenced how the settlers in

North America thought of government. Locke said that people

form governments to protect their natural rights. Natural rights

are rights that everyone should have. These include the right to

life, the right to freedom, and the right to own property. Locke

argued that an agreement existed between government and

the people. Locke called this agreement the social contract.

According to the social contract, the people agreed to give up

some freedom and be ruled by government. In return, the

government agreed to protect the people¡¯s rights. If it did not

do that, the contract was broken. If the contract was broken,

then the people could choose new leaders.

Mark the Text

7. Summarize Describe John

Locke¡¯s ideas about the social

contract.

88. Underline

U d li the

th natural

t l rights

i ht that

thh t

John Locke believed all people

should have.

Copyright ? by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The First Colonial Governments

During the 1600s, people from England traveled to North

America and set up colonies. A colony is a settlement controlled

by another country. The early colonists were loyal to England.

They had a strong belief in democracy and representative

government. They brought these ideas to America.

The first permanent English settlement in North America

was Jamestown. The Virginia Company set it up in 1607. At

first, the Virginia Company appointed officials to run

Jamestown. To convince more people to come to Jamestown,

the company began to let the colonists make their own laws.

Beginning in 1619 the colonists elected leaders called burgesses

to represent them. This group was called the House of

Burgesses. Jamestown¡¯s House of Burgesses was the first

representative government in the colonies.

Influences on American Colonial Government Lesson 1 49

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