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Nobles forced King John to sign an agreement (magna carta). Protected the nobles' privileges & athority/control. Included equal treatment under the law & trial by one's peers. Limited the power of the monarch by guaranteeing that no one would be above the law, not even the king or queen.
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Pilgrims arrived in America, built a settlement called Plymouth hundreds of miles north of Virginia. Before their ship the Mayflower, they realized that they needed rules to govern themselves. Wrote a plan (mayflower compact), 41 men aboard signed the Mayflower Compact.
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A # of Pilgrims were being persecuted for their religious beliefs, they left Massachussetts & colonized the area that is now Connecticut. Developed America's 1st written constitution- Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. It called for an assembly of elected representatives from each town to make laws.
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Parliament removed King James II from the throne & invited his daughter Mary & her husband William to rule instead. This peaceful tranfer of power is known as Glorious Revolution, this means that no one would have more power than Parliament.
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Further restricted the monarch's power, guaranteed free elections to Parliament, the right to a fair trial, and the elimination of cruel & unusual punishments.
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Argued that people were born free, equal, & independent. Possessed rights (natural rights),to life, liberty, & property. Wrote "The Second Treatise of Government."
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French writer, wrote separation of powers- dividing the branches of government into different parts to balance each other so no one part can become too strong or threaten individual rights.
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French philosopher, wrote in "The Social Contract" that "man is born free, yet everywhere he is found in chains" Referring to the large # of people in Europe living under oppressive governments.
