Why Did The American Colonists Have The Same Rights As Englishmen?

Great Britain founded the North American colonies over 150 years before they declared independence. Before the French and Indian War, Britain neglected the colonies which allowed the colonies to create their own governments, and their experiences grew.

The American colonists believed they had the same rights as Englishmen because they were, in fact, Englishmen. The colonies were British colonies. That meant they had to live under British laws. The colonist reasoned that since they had to follow British laws, they also had British rights. The rights consisted of the Rule of Law, Basic Rights, Government by agreement or contract, and Common Law. The colonists believed they were justified to these rights. Just take for example the American territories.

This document and the fact that the colonies were part of the British monarch, persuaded the colonist that they had the same rights as Englishmen. As mentioned earlier, the same situation of claiming rights is happening with the American territories. The American territories include American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. The American territories have the same rights as Americans but can’t vote. Yet, they still pay taxes and live under American law. Since the territories live under American law, they believe they have American rights. In West's Encyclopedia of American Law, it states, “they can include the right to be free from unreasonable searches.” This quote demonstrates how the American Territories have American rights, just like the British colonies had British

Many of those ideas originated in England and then came to America. Since the colonists lived under British influence, they valued the British customs. For example, there was the Magna Carta, the Petition of Rights, and the English Bill of Rights. The Magna Carta gave the Rule of Law, which meant that the governmental leaders and its citizens had to obey the laws, and the right for people to give consent to taxes. The Petition of Rights stated that the government cannot hold a person in prison for no reasonable cause and the government cannot quarter soldiers in people’s homes. Lastly, the English Bill of Rights gave the freedom of speech, only representative government is legitimate, with the idea that people can elect their own representatives, and no there can be no standing army in a time of peace. The colonists were also very inspired by the writing of John Locke, an English philosopher, who thought the power of legitimate government comes from the consent of the people. The Roman Republic was also an inspiration of the colonists. They were fascinated by the concept of republican government, which was made up of citizens that trust their leaders and they cooperatively work together. Obviously, the colonist had many different sources when they formed their own