Compare And Contrast The American Life In The British Colonies

Lesson 1 Review Questions

Life in the British colonies were different than from Europe because in the colonies there were no monarchies and aristocracies. All people living in the colonies were self sufficient, and did not rely on trade heavily. Everyone respected and followed the laws in the colonies because they gave more rights to the colonists than the laws in Europe gave to its citizens.
There was much diversity in the colonies, mostly from religion and culture. Most colonists were from British or Irish descent. However, there were also people from Germany, France, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. There was also a mix of religion in the colonies, as many came to the colonies to escape religious prosecution. Catholic, Protestants, and

The colonists were not divided up into the few rich and many poor people. Most people were hard workers where class wasn't an issue. There was no royalty or nobility in the colonies. The only big difference in colonial society was between the colonists and the slaves. Women and men were also separated. Women were seen as weaker so they took care of children, livestock, and the house, and they mostly could not vote or own property.
The colonists strongly valued their right to freedom. This was because they weren’t controlled by a monarchical, oligarchical, or tyrannical government like the governments in Europe at the time. The colonists also enjoyed rights such as the right to trial by jury, to free elections, to own property, and the freedom of belief or conscience.
The founders were the political leaders of the colonies. They developed their own ideas about how government should be run, from past experiences and knowledge of government. Some of the founders’ names are John and Abigail Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Mercy Otis Warren, and George

According to the system of separation of powers, each branch of government has its own powers, but those powers are also checked because certain powers are shared with other branches of the government. For example, Congress, or the legislative branch has the power to make laws. When Congress passess a bill, a proposed law, the bill goes to the president, or the executive branch, for approval. Here, he must sign or approve the bill in order for it to become law. However, the president can refuse to sign the bill or veto the law and send it back to Congress. Despite this, Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds majority vote from both houses of Congress, to make the bill into law. The U.S. Supreme Court, the judicial branch, can also check the power of Congress by declaring a law to be a violation of the Constitution, therefore making the law