Roots of American Democracy

By sscsalex
  • Jan 1, 1100

    Monarch

    Rulers but noble families gained powers via land in exchange for loyalty, tax$, military support
  • Jan 1, 1215

    Magna Carta

    Nobles forced King John to sign a sign a document
    Limited power of monarch
    Everyone would get equal treatment
  • Jan 1, 1300

    Parliament

    Next king develops a group that represents common people

  • House of Burgesses

    1st representative assembly/legislature in English colonies

  • Mayflower Compact

    established direct democracy

  • John Locke

    English writer
    People are born free & equal
    Born with natural rights to life

  • Fundamental Order of Connecticut

    1st written constitution in America
    assembly of elected reps from each town to make laws
    popular election of governor & judges

  • Massachusetts settles Body of Liberties

    Pennsylvania Frame of Government & 1701 PA Charter of Privileges
    establish basis of US constitution and Bill of Rights

  • Glorious Revolution

    Parliament removes King James the third & replaces him with his daughter Mary & her husband William

  • English Bill of Rights

    Guaranteed free elections to Parliament
    Right to free trial
    Eliminated cruel & unusual punishments

  • Baron de Montesquieu

    Divide branches of government into different parts to balance each other out so no one can become too strong

  • 13 English colonies established

    each colony has a governor elected by the colonist or appointed by the king
    each had a legislature with representatives elected by free adult males

  • colonist are not feeling they had rights of native English people because of taxes & limitations placed

    they had been self-sufficient, representative gov't for 100+ years.
    Not turning back or stopping now - we'll have to fight for independence
    1754 Albany Plan of Union - 1st discussion of colonies for union against the British gov't

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau

    Wrote The Social Contract
    People alone have the right to determine how they should be governed

  • Albany Plan of Union

    1st discussion of colonies for union against the British gov't

  • Proclamation

    cant live on the land west of Appalachian mountains so as not to stir up the native Americans

  • Stamp Act

    tax on all paper goods

  • Quartering Act

    colonist must provide barracks & supplies to British troops

  • day stamp Act repealed, established Declaratory Act

    Parliament has the right to tax & make decisions for American colonies in all cases

  • Townshend Act

    Allowed British gov't customs officers to enter anywhere suspected of smuggling (because many colonist were doing this because of taxes & boycotting

  • Enlightenment

    Locke & Montesquieu were Enlightenment thinkers
    Believed God had created a orderly universe