HOW DID ENGLISH BELIEFS
AFFECT THE AMERICAN
COLONIES?
What are these beliefs and documents?
MAGNA CARTA

WRITTEN IN 1215

LIMITED ABSOLUTE POWER OF KING JOHN

King cannot randomly set taxes

Due process guaranteed

Right to a trial
PARLIAMENT

Developed in 1300s – REPRESENTATION!

Bicameral – two house legislature
House of Lords – nobles
House of Commons – men who held property and could vote
What does Parliament remind you of in our country?
WHAT ARE SOME OTHER ENGLISH RIGHTS
THAT THE COLONISTS SUPPORTED?

Common law – individual liberties

Elected governors in some colonies

Often had to share power with colonists

People believed they had right to approve taxes
KING JAMES II TO POWER IN ENGLAND 1685

Catholic! – why does this matter?

Worried English people

Wanted more power over colonies

Created Dominion of New England


Angered colonists
Result: Glorious Revolution – 1689

English Bill of Rights

Reinforces rights in Magna Carta

Guarantees other freedoms

Habeas corpus


Cannot be held in prison without a specific charge of crime
No standing army during peace
What is some evidence that proves that colonists
believe they have the right to self-govern?

REVIEW YOUR NOTES AND ANSWER

SHARE IDEAS WITH A PARTNER
HOW DID THE COLONIES RESPOND TO
THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION?

Rebellions in Mass, NY, MD

Kicked out Governor of Dominion Sir Edmond Andros!

Massachusetts and Plymouth merged to become
Massachusetts
royal governor, elected assembly , appointed
council
RI & CT kept elected governors & assemblies
SALUTARY NEGLECT! – colonies keep self rule and England
gets cooperation
What was the relationship between England and its colonies?
BELIEFS ABOUT MONEY:
MERCANTILISM – MONEY CAN BE BUILT BY EXPORTING MORE GOODS THAN THEY IMPORTED
RESULTS:
GET COLONIES
DO NOT LET COLONIES TRADE WITH OTHER COUNTRIES
NAVIGATION ACTS – TRADING LAWS THAT RESTRICTED COLONIAL TRADE
AMERICAN COLONISTS RAN INTO DEBT WHILE ENGLISH DOING WELL
TRIANGULAR TRADE
WHAT WAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
ENGLAND AND ITS COLONIES?

Leaders and educated colonists such as

Benjamin Franklin knew about:
Scientific Revolution – used reason and observation
to create new ideas - Copernicus
Enlightenment – 1600s and 1700s – question ideas on
religion, science & government
John Locke, Voltaire (age 70), Rousseau, Montesquieu
WHAT WAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
ENGLAND AND ITS COLONIES?

Backlash to Enlightenment

Great Awakening – religious excitement
Jonathan Edwards – spiritual leader, preacher
to be saved by God, must have personal religious experience
George Whitefield – preacher from England
emotional ministers the best!
Result:
new churches
more democratic attitude
take charge of own religious and political experiences!