Our English Heritage

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Our English Heritage

• Chapter 2/Section 2

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Influences from English Government

• Many of the rights American citizens have today
  can be traced back to England
• Magna Carta
• Parliament-legislative body
• English Bill of Rights
• Common Law

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Magna Carta

• King John of England mistreated the nobles
  (wealthy citizens)
• In 1215, they rebelled and forced him to sign the
  Magna Carta
• Magna Carta means Great Charter
• A charter is an agreement

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• The Magna Carta guaranteed certain rights to the
  nobles and eventually these rights were
  guaranteed to all English citizens
• Rights included equal treatment under the law
  trial by ones peers

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Parliament-Legislative Body

• Henry III (came after King John) met with a group
  of advisers regularly
• Eventually, this group became a legislature known
  as Parliament
• Legislature law-making body
• In mid-1600s, Parliament and King struggled over
  how much power King should have

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Glorious Revolution

• In 1688, Parliament removed King James II and
  replaced him with his daughter, Mary, and her
  husband, William.
• This proved that Parliament was stronger than
  King/Queen

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English Bill of Rights

• In 1689, Parliament wrote the English Bill of
  Rights
• Stated that
• Monarch could not suspend (stop) Parliaments
  laws
• Monarch could not create special courts, impose
  taxes, or raise an army without approval from
  Parliament
• Declared members of Parliament would be freely
  elected guaranteed free speech
• Guaranteed every citizen the right to fair trial
  banned cruel and unusual punishment

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English Parliament in 1600s
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Common Law

• In its early days, England had no written laws
• Therefore, they developed certain customs
• Custom a repeated way of handling situations
• When judges were asked to decide a case, they
  looked at precedent
• Precedent ruling in previous similar case
• Common Law a system of law based on precedent
  customs

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Common Law example

• If someone were accused of trespassing, the
  judge would look at previous cases to see how
  others accused of trespassing had been sentenced.
  This would help the judge determine what type of
  punishment was fair and consistent.

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Bringing English Heritage to America

• America had been settled by the English at
  Jamestown in 1607 (first permanent English
  settlement)
• Jamestown is an example of an English colony
• Colony a group of people in one place who are
  ruled by a parent country elsewhere
• Colonists had strong ties with England and
  brought many of the traditions of that country to
  America

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JamestownFirst permanent English settlement
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Virginia Charter

• The Virginia Company of England was granted a
  charter to begin colonies in the state of
  Virginia in America
• Charter written document granting land and
  authority to set up colonial governments
• Charter gave colonists the same rights as English
  citizens, even though they lived in America

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Virginia House of Burgesses

• In 1619, colonist chose two representatives from
  each county in the state to meet with the
  governor (appointed by Englands king/queen) and
  his council
• Representatives were known as burgesses

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• These 22 men formed the House of Burgesses
• VA House of Burgesses was first
  representative assembly, or legislature, and
  marked the beginning of self-government in
  America!

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Mayflower Compact

• In 1620, Pilgrims arrived in America and
  establish Plymouth colony (in Massachusetts)
• While aboard their ship, the Mayflower, they
  wrote a plan for the government they would
  establish in Plymouth called the Mayflower
  Compact
• Compact an agreement/contract among people

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Mayflower Compact, continued

• Mayflower Compact stated that the government
  would
• Make just and equal lawsfor the general good of
  the colony
• Established a tradition of
• Direct Democracy in New England (Northeast United
  States)

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Early Colonial Governments

• By 1773, 13 English colonies stretched from
  Massachusetts to Georgia
• Each colony set up its own government with
• Governor
• Legislature
• Eventually, the colonists learn to handle things
  on their own and began doubting the need for help
  from Great Britain