AMERICAN COLONIESGOVERNMENT IN THE

What did the Pilgrims agree to do in the Mayflower Compact?

Why did the Puritans leave England?

Who set up a colony with a more democratic rule than the Massachusetts colony?

What is a written plan for government called?

Which colony set up the first public school system?

Answer these questions in your notebook!!

REVIEW QUESTIONS

English philosopher Colonial leaders such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin

Franklin, and James Madison used many of his ideas Wrote his political thoughts in Two Treatises of

Government Believed that people had certain rights and duties

(natural rights) Liberty (freedom) Life Property To protect these rights, people agreed to form

governments

JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704)

PILGRIMS

Didn’t want to belong to or pay taxes to the Church of England

Wrote a contract called the Mayflower Compact

They would write fair laws and choose leaders but remain loyal to the king

Each man had a vote

COLONY IN MASSACHUSETTS

First to have an assembly of representatives, called the House of Burgess

People elected the representatives

Plan for assembly came from England, not from colonists

England also sent a governor to rule Jamestown

Today we elect representatives at all levels of government: city, county, state, and national

COLONY IN JAMESTOWN

Contract: an agreement made by two or more people

Loyal: faithful; true to a country or belief

National: having to do with the whole country or nation

VOCABULARY CHECKPOINT…

Some colonists in Massachusetts decided that the religious rules there were too strict

They moved and settled in Connecticut

Leader there was Thomas Hooker who believed in more democratic government that would give more control to the people

Hooker and his followers drew up a constitution

THE FIRS

T CONSTITUTIO

N

Religious: having to do with church practices

Strict: stern; not changing

Constitution: a plan for government

VOCABULARY CHECKPOINT…

A constitution lists the powers of the governments, as well as the rights of the people

CONNECTICUT Agreed to create an

assembly with elected representatives

Agreed to elect a governor and judges

MASSACHUSETTS Set up a public school

system paid for with tax money

COLONIES AND CONSTITUTIONS

In colonial times, a law in New York said that no one could publish anything that spoke against the English government.

John Peter Zenger, a newspaper publisher, broke this law and was arrested, tried, and found innocent

This trial was a big step toward the idea of free press

In the U.S. today it is not against the law to criticize the government or its leaders in a newspaper or on radio or television

RIGHT TO SPEECH?

Some colonists came to America to worship as they pleased, such as the Puritans

The Puritans, however, would not allow this freedom to people living in their colony

As a result, many people were sent away or left the Puritan colony in Massachusetts

They set up colonies that allowed a few different religions

The idea of religious freedom led to our system today, which gives people the right to worship the way they please

RIGHT TO WORSHIP FREELY?

Publish: to print information, such as a newspaper, magazine, or book

Press: newspapers, magazines, and the people who work for them

Criticize: to put down or find fault with

VOCABULARY CHECKPOINT…