American Colonies Influence On Self Government

The elements of the "Founder's Toolbox" and the ideals of John Locke and James Harrington were some of major intellectual influences that led to the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Founders based the structure, participation, and leadership of their government on writings from Harrington and included them in the Constitution. The moral sense from Locke provided a good base for the law of the United States government and was included in the Bill of Rights. These principles helped model the system of government we enjoy today.

In the early years, after winning independence from Great Britain, the American colonies set up their government in accordance with their first constitution, the Articles of Confederation. This means that the majority of the power laid in the hands of the states and Congress, “the only institution of national authority” (Brinkley 151) at that time, had very little power. This distribution of authority was the manifestation of the American’s fear of a strong, central government. However, as time passed, more and more people came to agree that the national government was too weak and needed to be strengthened.

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

There are many governmental policies from early colonial times that have helped shaped our Constitutional Republic. More specifically, there are policies that we still use today. For instance, execution used to consist of public hanging, branding, and the use of the guillotine. Today, execution is a less common punishment. However when it is used, it is in a more humane and dignified fashion, often using lethal injection.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Great Britain provided many basic constitutional principles to the colonies. These ideas founded our government and shaped our country. Some principles we adopted from England helped develop our representative government, one being republicanism. In all colonies except for Georgia, republicanism was a common practice.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.