Lecture on English origins in establish government for American Government Class at Atchison County Community High School.

1. OUR POLITICAL
BEGINNINGS
Origins for our Founding Fathers

2. OBJECTIVES
Students will explain the significance of landmark
documents from British history.
Students will describe the three types of colonies that the
English established in North America.

3. VOCABULARY
limited government: government is restricted in what it may do and each individual
has rights that government cannot take away
Magna Carta: established that the power of the monarchy was not absolute and
guaranteed trial by jury and due process of law to the nobility.
Petition of Right: document prepared by Parliament and signed by King Charles I of
England in 1628; challenged the idea of the divine right of kings and declared that even
the monarch was subject to the laws of the land.
English Bill of Rights: document written by Parliament and agreed on by William
and Mary of England in 1689, designed to prevent abuse of power by English monarchs.
charter: a written grant of authority from the king.
bicameral: a legislative body composed of two chambers.
unicameral: a legislative body with one chamber.

4. ENGLISH ORIGINS
Colonists came in waves, overwhelmingly from England
Brought with them English concept of law and government
Origins derived from earlier civilizations, including the
Romans
Brought with them three basic concepts

5. THREE FOUNDATIONS
Ordered Government: colonists recognized need for
organization to maintain peace and protection
Limited Government: Government is not all-powerful
Government can not remove certain rights
Representative Government: government should serve the
will of the people
“Government of, by, and for the people.”

6. THE MAGNA CARTA
1215: English Barons forced King John to
sign the Magna Carta
Frustrated with heavy taxes and
pointless military campaigns of the
King
Included fundamental rights to trial by
jury and due process of the law
Intended at first only for the privileged
classes ➙ over time for all

7. THE PETITION OF
RIGHT
A limit on the king’s power
Parliament forced Charles I to sign in 1682
to allow for more taxes to be levied
Monarch can not imprison or otherwise punish
any person without a trial by their peers
Limited king’s authority to impose martial law
in peace time
Challenged the idea of the divine right of kings
- they are not above the law

8. ENGLISH BILL OF
RIGHTS
1688 - after years of revolt, Parliament gave the throne to William and
Mary of Orange
1689 - Parliament drew up a list of provisions that William and Mary
had to agree to in order to prevent abuse of power by the monarchy
Prohibits a standing army during peacetime and that all parliamentary
elections be free
Cannot suspend the law or levy taxes without Parliament
Subjects have the right to petition the king
Free from cruel and unusual punishment

9. THE ENGLISH
COLONIES
Original 13 colonies formed in North America under English rule
Each colony setting up their government independently of each
other - over 125 years
Influenced by the circumstances of the place and time
Virginia: Commercial venture; Massachusetts: search for
political and religious freedom; Georgia: haven for debtors
Different circumstances, but under an English charter
Three types of colonies: royal, proprietary and charter

10. ROYAL COLONIES
NH, MA, NY, NJ, VA, NC, SC, GA - 8 of the 13 formed as
royal colonies
King named a governor as the chief executive of the colony
King also appointed an advisory board for the royal
governor
Eventually became the upper house of the colonial
legislature & highest court
Lower house of the bicameral legislature was elected
by property owners who could vote
Power to tax and spend; governor appointed judges
All laws had to be approved by the governor and the
Crown

11. PROPRIETARY
COLONIES
Maryland, Pennsylvania & Delaware - organized
by a person to whom the king had made a grant
of land
MD - Lord Baltimore; PA & DE - William
Penn
Similar to Royal Colony - Governor appointed by
proprietor
PA had a unicameral legislature - elected body

12. CHARTER COLONIES
Connecticut and Rhode Island were charter colonies
Charter was to the colonists themselves; self-governing
Governors elected (approved by the king)
Bicameral legislature elected; no veto
power by the governor
Judges appointed by the legislature
Liberal for their time (1818; 1843 -
charter still around as the State’s
constitution)