Governing the Colonies. The English Parliamentary Tradition In England 1215, English nobles forced...
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Transcript of Governing the Colonies. The English Parliamentary Tradition In England 1215, English nobles forced...
Governing the Colonies
Peter Zenger’s Trial
The English Parliamentary Tradition
• In England 1215, English nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta
• The Magna Carta was significant because it was the first document to put restrictions on an English ruler’s power
• It said the king could not raise taxes, people had the right to own property, and right to trial by jury
King John Signs the Magna Carta
The British Parliament
• The British Parliament was a two-house legislature made up of two houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons
• This will be the law making body for England up to modern times
The British Parliament ca. 1600s
English Bill of Rights
• In 1689, King William and Queen Mary signed the English Bill of Rights
• The Bill of Rights:– Restated many rights
(trial by jury)– Upheld habeas corpus– King could not levy taxes
without the Parliament– Influenced American Bill
of Rights 100 years later
King William III
Colonial Self-Government
• The colonists expected to have a voice in their government, just like their English counterparts
• Many colonies establish their own governments (House of Burgesses, General Court)
• Not everybody had a voice though (women, Natives, Africans)
Freedom of the Press
• In 1735, John Peter Zenger, a publisher, printed articles criticizing the New York governor
• He was charged with libel• His lawyer, Andrew Hamilton,
argued the articles were based on fact
• Zenger was found innocent and his court case helped establish freedom of the press
The Trial of Peter Zenger
Regulating Trade – Navigation Acts• England still used the theory of mercantilism with it’s
colonies• To support mercantilism, they passed a set of laws
called the Navigation Acts:– Shipments to the colonies had to go to England first– Colonists had to use British ships– Colonies could only sell products to England
• Positives: colonial traders had a large market, supported the shipbuilding industry
• Negatives: laws favored English merchants, they could make more money on their own
• To get around the laws, colonists started smuggling