Ideas Towards New Nation- Documents · 2017. 9. 11. · The English Bill of Rights English Bill of...
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Ideas Towards New Nation - Documents Magna Carta , Mayflower Compact, English Bill of Rights, Cato’s Letters and Common Sense
Transcript of Ideas Towards New Nation- Documents · 2017. 9. 11. · The English Bill of Rights English Bill of...
Ideas Towards New
Nation- Documents
Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact,
English Bill of Rights, Cato’s Letters
and Common Sense
“BIG IDEA”
RULE OF LAW: idea that ALL people must follow the laws. Laws enforced fairly NO ONE above law including the King
SELF-GOVERNMENT: people can make decisions on how societies are politically set up and carried out
DUE PROCESS: legal requirement that whoever is in charge follows and respects rights to individuals
LIMITED GOVERNMENT: authority reduced in power by a constitution or written agreement
RIGHTS: a set of things that people believe they should be free to do without restrictions
Magna Carta 1215
“Great Charter” agreement between
Englishmen and King for certain rights
King not above the law, must obey too and
limits his powers
Guarantees political and civil
liberties to noblemen or “freemen”
NO TAXES W/O CONSENT, CAN’T
SEIZE PROPERTY, JURY OF PEERS
Right to elect reps to govn’t
Mayflower Compact
1620 pilgrims and merchants funded by businessmen to settle new lands for profit
Destined for Virginia landed in Mass
Result: 102 people cut off from any form of government and a rebellion brewing amongst them
The first record of self-government in America is actually derived from necessity
“just and equal laws…for the general good of
the colony” It contains the idea of law made by people
The compact of self-government would evolve
into the town meetings of New England (a format still used
It gave America the idea of self-government
The English Bill of Rights
English Bill of Rights: A law passed by the
English Parliament in 1689- gave certain rights
to Englishmen
Limits power of the monarch
Shares more power with Parliament (the people)
right to keep and carry weapons
right to a trial by jury
right to free speech and debate
right to maintain an army in times of peace
right to petition the government
No excessive bail or cruel punishment for those convicted of crimes
The monarch cannot declare laws made by Parliament to be disobeyed
Cato’s Letter
1720, in Britain authors using fake names Cato
the Elder and Cato the Younger published a
series of newspaper editorials
Became very popular in
American colonies
Discussed many ideas
like freedom of expression
Common Sense
January 1776 Pamphlet published by Thomas Paine
Ringing words and phrases encouraged
the Americans to declare their independence
“ The Cause of America is in a great measure the cause of
Mankind”
“But Britain is the parent country,say some. Then the more
shame upon her conduct. Even brutes do not devour their
young, nor savages make war upon their families……..”
“Nothing but independence can keep peace on our
continent” “to form a constituion of our own while we have
it in our power” “ A government of our own is our Natural
Right”
