Self Government in the Thirteen Colonies

 

dissent (n.) - the expression or holding of opinions at variance with those previously, commonly, or officially held.dissent (v.) - hold or express opinions that are at variance with those previously, commonly, or officially expressed.representative government – a government where citizens vote to elect people to represent their interests and concerns in making their laws.colonial charter - a document that gives colonies the legal rights to exist. Charters can bestow certain rights on a town, city, university, or other institution. Colonial charters were approved when the king gave a grant of exclusive powers for the governance of land to proprietors or a settlement company.constitution - the basic principles and laws of a nation or state that determine the powers and duties of the government.social contract - an agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits.

 Today our nation follows many democratic traditions.  Some of them took root during the colonial era.  This period of time began in 1607, with the founding of Jamestown, and lasted almost 170 years.

 Beginnings of Representative Government

In 1619, colonists in Jamestown, Virginia, created a legislature, or lawmaking body - the House of Burgesses.  The burgesses, or delegates, were chosen by Virginia's landowners.  Thus, the House of Burgesses represented the colony's people of property.  The legislature became the first example of representative government in the colonies.

 In time, most American colonies created such legislatures made up of elected representatives.  The right to vote and hold office, however, was limited to free males with a certain amount of property.

 The colonial legislature usually made a colony's laws.  In most colonies, though, the governor could veto (refuse to approve) a law.  Unlike legislators, governors were not elected.  Instead, they were chosen by the English king.

 Colonial legislatures usually paid the governors' salaries.  So to help "persuade" a governor not to veto a law, a legislature sometimes held back on paying the salary.  Payments would resume when the governor accepted the wishes of the lawmaking body.

 

Self-Government in Massachusetts

 Colonial self-government was strongly favored by the Pilgrims in Massachusetts.  The first group of these English dissenters sailed for America on the ship Mayflower.  In 1620, they entered the harbor of what is now Provincetown, Massachusetts.  Even before landing, the new settlers signed an agreement, the Mayflower Compact.  They agreed to form a government and obey its laws.  Soon afterward, they came ashore, settling in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

 Ten years later, neighboring Massachusetts Bay Colony developed a representative government.  Its lawmaking body was the General Court.  At first, membership in this body was limited to the few men who held part ownership in Massachusetts Bay Company.  Then, in 1634, a decision was reached to allow each town in the colony to elect representatives to the General Court.  Even so, only males who were followed Puritan Christianity could vote.

 On the local level, residents of Massachusetts created their own form of self-government.  They held town meetings, made up of all free men who belonged to the established church.  Those present at the meetings discussed and voted on important matters and elected local officials.  Today, people in different parts of New England still come together regularly in town meetings.

 

Early Personal Freedoms

 To protect their rights, people in several colonies drew up written constitutions (sets of basic principles and laws of a group).  The first constitution was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut in 1639.  This document in Connecticut explained how the colonial government in Connecticut was to work.  It also listed the rights or personal freedoms of the colonists.

 Two personal freedoms were especially important to the colonists.  These were freedom of religion and freedom of the press.

 Many early settlers came to America to seek freedom of religion (the right to practice the religion of one's own choice).  Not all of the settlers, however, found the liberty that they sought.  Some immigrants settled in colonies where the right to practice a religion was limited to people of only one faith.

 Three colonies, though, protected religious freedom to some extent.  Rhode Island, founded by Roger Williams, welcomed people from all faiths.  Williams, a minister, believed that a government should not interfere with an individual’s religion.  He also believed that churches should stay out of the affairs of government.

 Maryland was founded by Roman Catholics who had been persecuted in England.  They established their colony as a place where they could worship in their own way, without being bothered.  In 1649, Maryland’s colonial legislature passed the Toleration Act which extended religious freedoms to all Christians in Maryland.

 In the late 1600s, William Penn, the proprietor of Pennsylvania, set up his colony for Quakers.  They, too, had faced religious persecution in England.  Penn welcomed to his colony all people who believed in God.

 The principle of freedom of the press (the right of newspapers to publish what they want) was strengthened in 1735.  In that year, John Peter Zenger, a newspaper publisher in New York City, went on trial.  Zenger had criticized the royal governor of New York.  Zenger's enemies accused him of misusing the power of the press to damage the governor's reputation.  Zenger's lawyer argued that open discussion of public questions was necessary among free people.

 A jury composed of men of the community heard Zenger's case.  Women did not serve on juries at this time.  The jury decided that Zenger had not misused his newspaper because he had printed the truth.

 

Other Rights and Freedoms

 English colonists brought to America certain rights they had enjoyed in England:

 - Trial by jury (a court trial with a group of citizens deciding guilt or innocence of the accused).

- Protection of life, freedom, and property.

- Habeas corpus.  This term refers to people's right to know about any criminal charges made against them.  By knowing these charges, people can defend themselves.  The term also refers to people's right not to be held in jail except as the law provides.

- Protection from having one's house searched without legal permission in the form of a written search warrant.

- Freedom of speech and freedom of assembly (the right to speak and meet in public without being bothered)

 

1) List the name of Jamestown’s colonial legislature?

2) Who was Jamestown named after?

3) How were colonial governors involved in making laws for the colonies?

4) How did a person become a colonial governor?

5) What power did the colonial legislatures have over the colonial governors?

6) List the name of the legislature for Massachusetts Bay Colony.

7) How did the towns within Massachusetts Bay Colony govern their local affairs?

8) What is a constitution?

9) List all the rights and freedoms present in the colonies as listed and mentioned in this reading.