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American Colonies Influence On Self Government

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Since the early 1600s, the colonies had been practicing self-government. With the influence of the British, the American colonies were able to create a representative government. With the rights of its people in mind, the government continues to put in force the policies and laws formed by the colonies. Those policies, formed so long ago by the colonies, have helped to shape and maintain our Constitutional Republic today. The Petition of Right (1628) was England 's most famous Constitutional charter created to extend “the rights of commoners" to have a voice in the government. " Four of its main points include: “No taxes could be levied without Parliament 's consent. No English subject could be imprisoned without cause--thus reinforcing the right of habeas corpus. No quartering of soldiers in citizens’ homes. No martial law may be used in peacetime.” This is similar to the English Bill of Rights (1688), which guaranteed free elections and rights for citizens accused of crime. Both these charters protected the rights of its citizens. These foundational charters helped provide the foundation for colonial government. The government was based on a charter that later influences the adoption of the use of Federal, and state constitutions. The British …show more content…

The Religious Freedom policy also influenced the colonies and the formation of the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson from the colony of Virginia was the primary architect of his state’s religious freedom model. In Britain, there was limited religious freedom through an established church known as the Church of England. A portion of taxes would go to the official state religion even if you were not a member of that church. In Virginia, they decide on freedom to exercise which, the other colonies and Britain had to some extent but they took the extra step and said that government should "not establish religion" so no government taxes for any religious groups. This is the model that the Founders adopted in the 1st

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This was the same case in the 17th and the 18 century as well. The desire for religious liberty was the most important historical factor that led to the establishment of the English colonies in the 17th and 18th century because it was form of freedom, religious freedom. The Maryland Toleration Act of 1649, was a Christian based religion. They believe that, “God ought in the first place bee taken, into serious consideration and endeavoured

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In the 16th the American colonies, governments took three courses, all based on English traditions. The colonies became a testing ground for developing governments, from which the founders drew heavily when they enlisted the United States Constitution. At the base of each colony was its charter, a written agreement between the dependency and the queen of England (or with Parliament in the case of George), which authorized its existence and set up rules of procedure. The three figures of colonial governments were: Royal Colonies, Proprietary Colonies, and Charter Colonies. I will compare and contrast two regions were known as Southerners and the New England areas.

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All these clauses were used in the making of the English Bill of Rights as well as other

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During the 17th century, the American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. They waged war for eight years to obtain their independence, but soon came to a dilemma. The generals and political leaders behind the Revolutionary War were now in charge of thirteen different colonies without a form of government to keep law and order. They were going to have General George Washington become their new leader, however they soon realized that was just like the British monarchy they just seceded from. The Fathers gathered in Pennsylvania to sit together a write a formal government.

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Colonization dbq In colonial America the 13 colonies were not united as they are today they each had their own ideas about religion, politics, and society. Many people came to America to find religious freedom, but they were not as opened minded as some people may think. Each region had its own religion who tended to keep to each other and outside religions were frowned upon. However Maryland’s act of toleration says that no form of Christianity shall be in any way troubled (doc1).

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Previously, the colonists had problems with a faulty government and feared tyranny. When the colonists first had the opportunity to self-govern, The Articles of Confederation was formed and thus a poor example of government. The Articles of Confederation creating a weak, defenceless and powerless country. In the second attempt to create a more perfect government, the Constitution of the United States of America was formed. The colonists decided to place a guard against tyranny and thus, over 230 years after the writing of the Constitution of the United States, The Constitution in fact protects the states, the states rights and the citizens rights against tyranny.

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The relationships between the colonists and the British crown changed for the worse over the course of 1607 to 1763. After the Seven Year’s War was fought by colonists and won, colonists felt more as Englishmen than ever before. To understand this shift of view from patriotic to bitter relationship, we have to view the relationship from the point of a Pennsylvania farmer. Starting as a paternal and understanding relationship between the crown and the colonists, both the colonists and the crown helped turn the new world into a thriving economic center. After the British Civil War, Enlightenment thinkers started to gain movement throughout Europe, while at the same time tensions were rising for the colonists.

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Religious Freedom was the key role in the colonies. People were allowed to choose their own religion without the fear of being persecuted or tormented because they chose a different religion than that of the Church. The New England colonies were heavily impacted by religion during their development. Church officers had ran the Churches and the state, meaning that if you were a member of the Church you had power without a doubt. Massachusetts for example, the minister of the Church had ran both the Church and the state which gave him

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When explorers first voyaged west, new towns sprouted in North America such as; Jamestown, Virginia and Plymouth, Massachusetts. These towns set laws and rights in which to obey on their long trip to the Americas. Eventually in the course of history the thirteen American Colonies we controlled by the English. The English were viewed as the mother country and profited greatly through trade and commerce within the colonies. Although over time the colonist government adopted British rights.

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One time the British passed a law that allowed the british soldiers to forcefully live in the colonists’ home! The colonies started out to benefit Great Britain, but after one war and lots of laws, the colonies were going to be part of a revolution. What was the American Revolution about? Economic Rights or Civil Liberties? On one hand the British instilled unfair regulations on trade and goods.

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Thomas Jefferson desired a democracy where governmental decisions would not be affected by religious beliefs and biased views of the situation. Thomas Jefferson viewed separation of church and state here is some of his insight on the topic, “...legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, ' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties” (Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists). Jefferson became the sole author for the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which became the the most important religious separationist papers of the 1700’s. Jefferson’s ideas and writings for separation of church and state helped to form the American Enlightenment period, and to further his ideals based upon his

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In communism, since the role of the individual does not come into play the issue of gun control would not come into play. Ownership for anything, including a gun, would have to be authorized and distributed through the government. In communist state, gun control would rely solely on the government. There would be no issue of “gun control” as the government has full control over who has guns and who does not. In contrast, an individual’s rights in capitalism supersedes all other factors.

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One of the Documents that has greatly helped them to get the rigths that are availiable today is the Bill of Rights. In the Bill of rigths it

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The United States government today is still very similar to the way the colonies worked. There are also many differences between our government and their government. Since then, we have broken away from England and we the people get a say in our government and in the way we run things. Throughout the years the basic workings of our governments have stayed the same. Citizens now and colonists have and had meetings to voice what we want and believe.

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156 Words | 1 Pages

The English Bill of Rights was drafted in 1689 to act as, first, a list of grievances against the Crown and then the declaration of the entitlements and protections for the people of England. The promised rights include the ability to petition the sovereign, to keep arms for defense, and to be protected against excessive bail and unusual punishments. Furthermore, it helped to create the Constitutional Monarchy Britain has today by making law the ruler over the king. Also, parliament was given more power and freedom in their governance, which furthered the checks on the authority of the monarch.

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