Origins of the American Revolution US History Spiconardi

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Origins of the American Revolution US History: Spiconardi

Origins of the American Revolution US History: Spiconardi

Influences on the American Government n Ancient Greece (Athens) n n Democracy rule by

Influences on the American Government n Ancient Greece (Athens) n n Democracy rule by the people Ancient Rome n n Republic voters elect representatives who speak and act for the people in government Magna Carta n n Placed limits on the king’s power to rule English Bill of Rights n Established the precedent that representative government & the rule of law outweighed the monarch’s power

Influences on the American Government n The Enlightenment Thinkers n John Locke n n

Influences on the American Government n The Enlightenment Thinkers n John Locke n n Baron de Montesquieu n n Right to life, liberty, and property separation of powers & checks and balances Jean-Jacques Rousseau n Social Contract – government needs the consent of the governed

Colonial Assemblies & Government n New England n Town Meetings allowed citizens to govern

Colonial Assemblies & Government n New England n Town Meetings allowed citizens to govern themselves through direct democracy n House of Burgesses n First representative lawmaking body established in the colonies (Virginia 1619)

The Colonial Experience: Salutary Neglect & Mercantilism n Salutary Neglect n n Colonies left

The Colonial Experience: Salutary Neglect & Mercantilism n Salutary Neglect n n Colonies left alone by England to deal with local matters Parliamentary laws that were meant to keep the colonies subservient were not enforced n Mercantilism n n Policy in which country exports more than it imports Colonies exist to provide raw materials and markets for the economic benefit of the mother country

Mercantilism in English Colonies

Mercantilism in English Colonies

Practice Questions n 1. 2. 3. 4. “The individual can be free only when

Practice Questions n 1. 2. 3. 4. “The individual can be free only when the power of one government branch is balanced by the other two. ” ~Baron de Montesquieu The idea expressed in this quotation is best illustrated by which aspect of the United States government? Existence of a Cabinet Separation of powers Elastic clause Executive privilege n In the colonial era, developments such as the New England town meetings and the establishment of the Virginia House of Burgesses represented… 1. Colonial attempts to build a strong national government Efforts by the British to strengthen control over the colonies Steps in the growth of representative democracy Early social reform movements 2. 3. 4.