Roots Of American Democracy

By ardenragans13
  • Jan 1, 1100

    English Monarchs

    Monarchs rule but noble families gained power via land in excahnge for loyalty,tax money and military support
  • Jan 1, 1215

    Magana Carta

    Magna Carta-nobles force King John who was treating them harshly,to sign a document
    *limited power of monarch-no one could be above the law!
    * Everyone would get equal treatment under the law
    *Trial by ones peers
  • Jan 1, 1300

    Next king devolps a group that represents common people-parliment

  • English colonies in America (1600s-1700s)

    1. Accept common law
    2. No ruler is above the law
    3. Should have basic rights protected
    4. Should have a voice in government

  • House of burgesses (VA)

    1st representative assembly/ legislature in government

  • Mayflower compact

    Established direct democracy

  • John Locke

    *an english writer
    *people were born free,equal and independent
    *born with natural rights to life,liberty and property that no government could take away
    *government must maintain social contract
    * people gave up part of there freedom in exchange for the protection of natural rights

  • Enlightenment

    • Locke and Montesquieu were engligtenment thinkers *belived god had created an orderly universe
    • the laws of the universe could be discovered through the use of human reason
    • laws that governed nature also applied to human life and society

  • Fundamental order of Connecticut

    1. First written constitution in America
    2. Assembly of elected representatives from each town to make laws
    3. Popular election of governor and judges

  • Massachusetts body of liberties

  • 1683 Pennsylvania frame of government and 1701 charter of privileges

    1. Establish basis of US constitution and bill of rights
    2. Colonists believed egalitarianism- equality
    3. Part of this was the belief that colonists has all traditional rights of native English people

  • The glorious revolution

    The glorious revolution- parliment removes king James the third and replaces him with his daughter MAry and husband william. From this time on no ruler would have more power than parliment

  • English bill of rights

    *further restricted monarchs power
    *guaranteed free elections to parliment
    *right to a fair trial
    *eliminated cruel and unusual punishments

  • Baron De Montesquieu (1689-1755)

    • divide branches of government into different parts to balance each other out so no one became to strong

  • Mid 1700s

    13 English colonies established
    1. Each colony has a governor
    Elected by the colonists or appointed by the king
    2. Each had a legislature with representatives elected by free adult males

  • Mid 1700s

    1. Colonists are not feeling they had rights of native English people because of taxes and limitations placed
    2. They had been self-sufficient representative government for 100 + years
    3. Not turning back or stopping now- we'll have to fight for independence

  • Jean- Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

    • 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 British goverment

  • Proclamation of 1763

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

  • Stamp act

    Tax on all paper goods

  • Quartering act

    Colonists must provide barracks and supplies to British troops

  • Day stamp act repealded

    Established declaratory act- parliament has the right to tax and make decisions for American colonies in all cases

  • Townshend act

    Allowed British government custom officers to enter anywhere suspected of smuggling(because many colonists were doing this because of taxes and boycotting)

  • Boston Massacre

  • Tea act

    British could ship tea to the colonies without a tax making it cheaper to buy than colonial tea

  • Boston tea party

  • Philadelphia- First continental congress

    Written to King George 3rd, we demand you to restore our rights as British citizens

  • Battle of Lexington and Concor

    1st battle of American revolution

  • Thomas Paine "Common Sense" published

    Moved many undecided colonists toward the belief that independence was the only course for actio

  • Declaration of Independence written

    1. List of complaints against King
    2. Beliefs about independent rights
    3. Pulled ideas from Locke and Montesquieu