American Revolution READ Flashcards
Read
BRITAIN RULES!
A huge ocean divided England from the American colonies. How could England’s kings and
queens keep control of a land 3,000 miles away?
MONEY MATTERS
Imagine that the colonies are a giant store and you are Britain’s king or queen. You have total control
over your workers. Their job is to grow tons of plants like tobacco and cotton. They are supposed to be trapping furs and cutting down forests for lumber. As king or queen, you control the trade of all the raw materials for finished goods that will be made in Great Britain and then sold back to the colonists. But this “store” is very far away. How can you be sure your workers are not cheating you? You will need someone to be your eyes and ears. That was the job of a colonial governor—to keep strict
control over all trade. Colonial governors were picked by the king or by a proprietor.
Words to Know: Proprietor (pruh-pry-it-oar) A person who owns a very large tract of land and acts as a governor of the area.
Read
PARLIAMENT POWER
In 1707 England joined with Scotland and Wales and became known as Great Britain. By then there were several British colonies in the Americas. People in these colonies lived under British law,
enforced by a governor. All major decisions about trade, military, and money matters came from the
British Parliament.
The day-to-day running of the colonies fell to the colonial legislatures, which had the power to muster
troops, collect taxes, and pass local laws. With three thousand miles between them and Britain, these
local governments quickly got used to thinking for themselves. As the colonies grew wealthier and more settled, the struggle for world power grew fiercer. Great Britain decided the colonies needed tighter control. That decision would soon lead to war.
Read
THE GOVERNOR
When the first colonies were started, governors were chosen by the king and put in charge of running things. Governors had a lot of power. No action of the legislature became law without their approval. Governors chose judges at all levels and were in charge of the militia—the local army. Colonists had to obey British laws, which were enforced by the governors.
Read
THE LEGISLATURE
Colonial legislatures made laws for each colony and were watched over by the colonial governors. In
most colonies the legislature was made up of two separate groups who dealt with legal matters—the running of government-owned companies and the making of laws.
GOVERNOR’S COUNCIL
One group in the legislature was often called the Governor’s Council. These men were
handpicked by the governor.
THE ASSEMBLY
The other group was a General Assembly. Usually its members were elected by the citizens of
a town or county. Only free white men, usually land-owners, could be in the assembly. In some
places church membership was also a must. Depending on the colony, the Assembly had a
variety of titles such as the House of Delegates, House of Burgesses, or Assembly of Freemen.
