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House of Burgesses
A council appointed by the royal government, a paraliment in a way. They controlled fianance and militia. High mortality rates insured that the turnover rate of those in charge was quick. Run by the rich and planters in the americas, the wealthy flocked over to be in charge.
- First taste of a representative government
- Local Legislation
- Growing political power
- Pathway for autonomy -
Mayflower Compact
A compact established by the separatists landing in Plymouth that established their government, which was less exclusive than the that of the British.
- Town meetings, versus no town meeting in Britain
- Local Legislation, versus the King's rule over all Britain
- More democratic versus more monarchal
- Outside of the British rule, so the British laws don't apply
- Seperate church from the British -
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Great migration-British Civil war
In 1630 there was economic and religious turmoil in great Britain which led to an exodus of those who sought reformation or even separation from the English church. 70k fled to the new world 20k of which were non puritans into Mass. The English Civil war ensued between parliament and king Charles I.
-Massachusetts was created from the separatists that migrated to Holland and then America outside the British span of power in Plymouth
-Mass was based on reformation of religion to be more pure -
Rhode Island
Roger Williams was banished from Mass. due to his belief of separation of church and state. He established Providence plantation based off universal manhood sufferage and religious freedom.
-England allowed religion to influence government, Rhode Island didn't
-Rhode island was nicknamed "Rouge island" due to it becoming a safe haven for pirates and smugglers and never paying taxes
-England didn't have a representation based off unversial manhood sufferage as Rhode Island did -
Maryland toleration act
The Maryland Toleration Act supported catholics in Maryland. It made it so all christians were treated fairly. It was created to retain christian ideology but was rebellious because it included protestants and Catholics where as England was just protastant
-More tolerant then the British
-Included more religions, more religiously free -
Bacons Rebellion
Nathanial Bacon gathers 1000 freemen and indentured servents and challenges the government. They challenged the relationship with the natives and protested frontier settlements and the inability for freemen to settle.
-Bacon sought more representation in government for everyone
-Creates political parties, which don't exist in England
-Seeks to close the gap between the rich and poor which is prevalent in England. -
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French and Indian war
The French and British were battling in America for access to resources and natives for trading.French were doing better so the British decided to fight back and won. The Albany Plan of Union is proposed by Thomas Jefferson to the colonies in hopes to unite them in the end.
-The Idea of unity is spread among the colonies
-Britain puts itself $8 million into debt
-Stricter enforcement of taxes to payback debts which makes the colonists angry because they were the ones who fought in the war -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was created after the French and Indian war to help calm the tension between the colonists and the natives by restricting settlement past the Appalachians. Settlement in the Ohio river valley was forbidden.
-Colonists were mad that they couldn't expand onto land they had won
-Colonists ignored the rule and expanded anyways, creating more tension between them and the British -
Stamp Act
A tax was passed onto all printed goods after the 7 years war because of Britain's debt. Strictly enforced but was repealed after a year due to the resistance from the colonists.
-The end of salutatory neglect, taxes were strictly enforced now after years of being neglected
-The colonists become angry at the British for taxing them after the war that they had fought. The colonists felt like it wasn't their responsibility to repay them
-Beginning of Sons/daughters of liberty
-Boycott/smuggling up -
Declaration of Independence
A declaration from the colonists to the British about their freedom from the motherland. Written by Thomas Jefferson detailing what the British had done that made the colonists feel oppressed.
-It was very accusatory and made the king mad
-It mentioned some of the acts passed, like the quartering, declaratory, and administration of justice acts in a way that shows the hindrance they imposed on the colonists