English Ideas About Government

Another field of influence for American Democracy lies in the English .English rule passed the English Bill of Rights in 1689, a similar declaration of which can be found in the American Bill of Rights. The English were also the first superpower to institute rule by Parliament. Parliament is a form of legislature in which power is distributed between two "Houses" (House of Commons and the House of Lords). The American system of Checks and Balances between three separate institutions (Judiciary, Executive and Legislative) owes its existence primarily to the English Parliament. Over the centuries, English influence on American government has been great, and today these influences can still be seen in everyday American life, The Colonial Experiences encountered by early American citizens before the revolution have impacted contemporary United States Government. For example, The Virginia House of Burgesses was the first instance of representative democracy in the New World. It involved a form of Congress, with 2 representative politicians per state. Smaller towns and outposts held town meetings, in which a fairly primitive form of

The catalyst to the developments making America unique was the creation of the House of Burgesses. This simple establishment introduced the idea of accurate representation of and for the people. This concept was eventually refined to what we call today; democracy. A belief that was not concrete in any of the major powers of the time, including Britain.

Instead, they decided that it would be better to draft a new document that would establish a new type of government. Many agreed to this new government, especially James Madison, author of the Virginia Plan and the Federalist Papers. To Madison, as addressed in Federalist No. 51 (Document I) the new government must give more power to the federal level, but also be able to check its “ambitions”. From this came the system of checks and balances, and a separation of powers. This new government was described in the Constitution of the United States of America. The federal government had three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. Nevertheless, they still gave some power to the states. The Framers also added a Bill of Rights to dissuade Antifederalists that the new government gave too much power to the national government. This Bill of Rights protected American many civil liberties such as freedom of speech and assembly; right to bear arms and a fair trial; as well as freedom of religion. Pre-Revolution, England had imposed its religion on the colonies, however, after the war, states began to guarantee freedom of worship as evidenced by the “Statutes at Large of Virginia, 1786” (Document D). Therefore, the American Revolution fundamentally changed American politics by eliminating monarchy and embracing democracy.

The Magna Carta was signed by king john in 1215. Essentially, it said that the king had to fallow the laws of the land and not to abuse his power. Also it gave the people many right they didn't have before. Next the English Bill of right, "creates separation of powers, limits the powers of the king and queen, enhances the democratic election and bolsters freedom of speech"(Study.com). Then the declaration of the rights of man and citizen is considered on of the most important document the French revolution. It gives rights, like freedom of speech, religion, and assembly. The declaration of Independence announced that America is free and separate from England and is no longer under the authority of England king. it also says that all men a free and equal and have unalienable rights. Additionally, the bill of rights gives all Americans rights, for example, freedom of speech, assembly, press, religion and the right to bear

The culmination of the unlawful taxation viewed by the Americans inevitably led to American leading a revolt against the British rule. Many Americans have valued the ideas of John Locke in which each individual has the inalienable“rights to life, liberty, and property” (Lumen American Government). Furthermore, the most important idea of Locke that influenced the British settlers of North America were those of the roots and purpose of a government. Europeans were birth to believe that the Parliament is created by “God, and kings and queens had been divinely appointed to rule” (Lumen American Government). In contrary, Locke hypothesized that “human beings, not God, had created government” (Lumen American Government). This eventually lead to a social contract. A social contract is an agreement of the people and the government to “sacrifice a small portion of their freedom and consented to be ruled in exchange for the government’s protection of their lives, liberty, and property” (Lumen American Government). With the help of John Locke’s ideas and the unlawful control of the British, the American colonists severed their ties with the

Within our contemporary day society, the government of the United States of America is based upon a federal government consisting of three distinct branches, known as legislative, executive, and judicial, which reflect the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution. Although, before the Constitution in which individuals are aware of today, was created, the basic framework of a national government initially began with a plan known as the Articles of Confederation. Following the American Revolution, where the American colonists revolted against British rule in England and acquired their autonomy, the Continental Congress desired in establishing a national government, which would disregard the negative aspects individuals encountered within the

Once the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 there was an urgent need for government and law. The question was of what law and of what government. The English common law was in practice, for the most part, in all the colonies and was the root of many feelings of tyranny. The colonial experience drew large cause for new common law as it differed so much from European experience. For example, as time went on, more and more Americans began owning land at a far larger rate than their European counter parts. This created a need for me common law address ownership. Another was the idea democracy which in no way was an idea held dear to England. This also created many differences in the colonial experience that could not be represented

The colonial grievances were written by the Stamp Act Congress in 1765. They explained that the colonists complained many times to Great Britain and they have not listened to them. American colonists usually argued against the British government because they did not give their approval to Parliament to make laws. This was because the colonists could not elect their representatives. Every citizen is evenly represented in government unlike in Parliament. United States citizens vote for their representatives. They vote for the people that are going to represent them in government unlike in England where they had no representation. The Bill of Rights were written by James Madison in 1791. Laws made by Parliament that affected the colonists were considered to be an abuse of their rights as British citizens. The U.S. government has rules for right to a fair trial and rules against quartering troops. This is because the Bill of Rights provides citizens with rights that are very dear to them and cannot be removed . The Declaration of Independence was written by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman in 1776. They wrote to the King of England that because they were “depriving [the colonists] in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting [the colonists] beyond Seas to be

Our country was built heavily on liberty. We take liberty for granted, but the founders of our country actually didn’t. They, as colonists of the British colonies, were not given the liberty we now have. They had no representation in their government, and sometimes unfair laws toward them were passed without their opinion. A well-known act of Parliament, the Townshend Acts, was an important law in colonial times, and it partly led to the revolution of the United States of America.

The monstrous mongrel named Macbeth is being convicted for murdering his long-established partner Banquo. Could someone truly commit such an evil act of crime, especially towards a close colleague? Could someone successfully prove that Macbeth is not guilty of Banquo’s murder? Both of these questions can be answered from true facts and proof from the past. There are instances where one can clearly see the mental analysis Macbeth put forth into pulling this off.

They thought that they should have a written document of rights that set them free from Britain ruling. John Locke was the first person to have the idea of the rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. They also believed that if the government ever becomes corrupt and doesn’t provide the rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, then it should be the people’s job to change or destroy it. Britain was very disrespectful to the American Colonists over this process in the 13 Colonies. One situation that occurred was when King George refused to abolish the slave trade, only wanting to protect the profitable trade which angered the colonists. Also, the British denied North Carolina the ability to establish a judiciary system in March of 1774. Similar issues arose in South Carolina and Pennsylvania. The colonists wanted a Jury in America instead of only in Britain. As in the Preamble, Jefferson noted that “it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve the political bands, which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them to”.As you can see, the colonists wanted a large change in the way their lifestyle was going causing them to want a document that gave them rights. (DOI) The colonists believed they were entitled to the same rights as Englishmen, rights guaranteed in Magna Carta.

In the 1600s-1700s, the Enlightenment helped to serve as the basis for American government in the late 18th century. Writers like Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau's had various views on government that heavily influenced Thomas Paine and writers of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. To add, several pieces of writing such as; The Second Treatise of Civil Government, The Spirit of Laws, The Social Contract, Common Sense, the Virginia Declaration of Rights and The Declaration of Independence, had served as philosophical underpinnings to what would become the government of the United States of America.

For example, the Magna Carta, written in 1215, was an agreement between the king of England and the English people that gave the colonists the rights that they deserve. This limited the power of the king and made him not above the law. Additionally, the Enlightenment emphasized natural rights. Then in 1689 the English Bill of Rights let the colonists choose representatives to create laws among other things (Target 2). Later in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson with the help of John Locke, Francois Voltaire, Jean Jacque Rousseau, and Thomas Paine (Target 9). In this colonial document there were many sections that talk about Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (Target 10). However, many of these rights had been taken from the colonists. The Intolerable Acts and the Quartering Act are examples of the king taking their rights away (Protest in the Colonies). The colonist’s natural rights were not protected by the government. So, since they wanted to protect their rights, they had no choice but to break

     Building on English foundations of political liberty, the colonists extended the concepts of liberty and self-government far beyond those envisioned in the mother country. While Englishmen had some representation in their parliament, Americans took the system further. All colonies had some form of a two-house parliament system. Some, like New York, had governors appointed by the crown. Others, like Rhode Island, elected their own. Local government also varied between the colonies. The southern states had a strong County government, while the New England colonies relied on town-meeting government. In either case, voting was reserved to land-owning white men.

The two constitutional principles that concerned the founders the most were how much power the central government should have, and what the nature and meaning of representative government is. There were many issues the eventual Founders of the United States were having with there current government, the British. Many of these men seemed America for a new life and many became rich doing so. As America became a more viable source of income for the British kingdom stricter and harsher regulations and taxes were put into place. A notable and first major opposition to a particular policy was that to the Stamp act. The stamp act was a tax to raise capital for the British army that was in America. This was a two fold issue, firstly because of the tax and the second being that the colonists had no representation in the British government. Coining the term “no taxation without representation.” The colonists decided they had to do something to fight the Stamp Act, so they formed the Stamp Act Congress in order to vocalize their distaste of the tax. It called for a boycott of British goods. The stamp act would be repealed in March of 1766.