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Jan 1, 1100
Monarchs in Control
1100s-1200s
Monarchs (king and queens) rule but nobels gained power via land in exchange for loyalty, tax money, and military support. -
Period: Jan 1, 1100 to
Part 1 The History of Our Democracy
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Jan 1, 1215
Magna Carta
Nobles force King John, who was treating them harshly to sign a document which means that there is limited power for the monarch- no one could be above the law, everyone would get equal treatment under the law, and if accused, there would be a trial by one's peers. -
Jan 1, 1300
Parliment
Next king develops a group that repersents common people- known as Parliment -
English Colonies in America
1600-1700s
-Accept common law
-No ruler is above the law
-Should have basic rights protected
-Should have a voice in government -
House of Burgesses (Virginia)
First representative assembly/ legislature in English colonies -
Mayflower Compact
Established direct democracy -
John Locke, English Writer
1632-1704
He believes that men are born free, equal, and independent, with natural rights to liberty, life, and property that no government can take away, that government must maintain social contract, and people must give up part of their freedom in exchange for protection and natural rights. This and Montesquieu's ideas are the cornerstones for the Decleration of Independence and the Constitution. -
Fundamental Order of Connecticut
-First written constitution in America
-Assembly of elected representatives from each town to make laws
-Popular election of governor and judges -
Massachusetts Body of Liberties
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Pennsylavania Frame of Government and Pennsylavania Charter of Privledges
1683 & 1701
-Esablished the basis of teh US constitution and Bill of Rights
-*Colonists believe in egalitarianism- equality. Part of this was the belief that colonists had traditional rights of native English people -
Glorious Revolution
Parliment removes King James III and replaces him with his daughter Mary and her husband William. From this time on, no ruler would have more power than Parliment -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights further restricted a monarch's power, guaranteed free elctions to Parliment, right to fair trial, and eliminated cruel and unusual punishments. -
Baron de Montesquieu
He believed that you should divide the branches of government into different parts to balance each other out so no one person could become too strong. This and Rousseau's ideas are the cornerstones for the Decleration of Independence and the Constitution. -
Enlightenment Period Began
Locke and Montesquieu were Enlightenment thinkers. They believed that God created an orderly universe, the laws of the universe could be discovered through the use of human reason, and that laws that governered nature also applied to human life and society. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
1712-1778
Wrote social contract. He belives that people have the rights to determine ho wthey should be governered. -
Mid 1700s
13 colonies established
-each colony has a governor elected by the colonists or appointed by the king
-Each had a legislature with repersentitives elected by free adult males -
Mid 1700s Colonists
-Mid 1700s, colonists were not feeling taht they had teh same rights as Native English people because of taxes and limitations placed
-They had been a self-sufficent, repersentative government for 100+ years
-Not turning back or stopping now- we'll fight for independence -
Albany Plan of Union
First discussion of union against British government -
Proclamation of 1763
Can't live on teh land west of the Appalachian mountains so as not to stir up the Native Americans -
Stamp Act
A tax on all paper goods -
Quartering Act
Colonists must provide barracks & supplies for British troops -
Boston Massacre
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Tea Act
British could ship tea to colonies without a tax, making it cheaper to buy than colonial tea -
Boston Tea Party
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Pheledelphia- First Contintental Congress
Write to King George III- we demand you restotre our rights as British citizens -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
1st battle of the American Revolution -
2nd Continental Congress meets
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The day that the Stamp Act was repealed, esablished Declaratory Act
Parliment has the right to tax and make decisions for American colonies in all cases -
Townshend Acts
-Allowed British government customs to enter anywhere
-Suspected of smugglng (because many colonists were doing this because of taxes and boycotting) -
Thomas Paine writes "Common Sense" published
Moved many undecided colonists toward the belief that independence was the only course of action -
Decleration of Independence
-List of complaints against the king
-Beliefs about independence rights
-Pulled from the beliefs of Locke and Montesquieu