Lesson 5 Flashcards
Constituent
A person represented by an elected official
Covenant
An agreement
Indentured servant
A person who sold his or her labor, usually in exchange for the cost of the trip from Europe to the colonies
Magistrate
Judge of the colony
Mayflower compact
An early example of social contract theory put into practice in America
Suffrage
The right to vote
England wanted to establish
Colonies in North America
Two incentive plans of England were
Royal proprietorships and joint-stock companies
Royal proprietorships
Provinces
11 of the 13 colonies founded as proprietorships
Joint stock companies
Business ventures
Mayflower compact was an early example of
Social contract theory put into practice in America
The mayflower compact laid the
Foundation for the state of Massachusetts
Conditions of an undeveloped land profoundly affected
Economic
Social
And political life in colonial America
Land was
Cheap and readily available
Labor was
Scarce
Indentured servant was a person who
Sold his or her labor typically in exchange for cost of trip from Europe to colonies
No indentured and free laborers earned
Higher wages in America than in Europe
Some people became wealthy and others failed creating
A class of American poor
Free inhabitants mostly achieved at least
Moderate prosperity
English practices that protested the landed aristocracy in Great Britain
Did not survive
England’s class system was
Harder to maintain in America
The chance to improve ones lot in life became
An essential idea about the American experience
Charter is a written document from a
Government or ruler that grants certain rights
Tradition of expressing rights in writing became an
Essential part of American constitutions
Massachusetts body of liberties provided for
Rule of law and protection of rights of people living in that colony against abuse by a mahistrate or judge of the colony
Massachusetts body of liberties was America’s
First bill of rights
Massachusetts body of liberties guaranteed
Trial by jury
Free elections
Right of free men to own property
Mass body of liberties limited
Suffrage but guaranteed some political rights to those who didn’t enjoy voting franchise
Some rights were restricted to
Protestant white men or people who belonged to a colony’s official state or established church
Women were not granted
Political rights
Colonial laws limited women’s right to
Own property and manage their own legal and personal affairs
Married women typically had the legal status of
Underage children
Native Americans did not enjoy
Rights expressed in colonial documents
Native Americans were
Removed from their lands when necessary for colonial expansion
Structure of colonial governments
A governor
Council of 3-30 landholders who advised governor/ served as highest court
Assembly elected by people that had a say in matters of taxation
Voting was limited to
White male property owners
Basic principles shared by colonial constitutions
Fundamental rights
Rule of law
Representative government and right to vote
Separation of powers
Separation of powers
Legislatures
Governors
Courts
Legislatures
Assemblies that assumed greater responsibility for making laws
Governors
Responsible for carrying out and enforcing laws ensuring that colonies were governed consistent with English law and tradition
Courts
Administer local justice and to preside over trials of those accused of breaking laws
America. Colonists believed that security of life and liberty depended on
Security of property
Limiting suffrage to those who
Possessed at least some land
Owning 50 acres of land was a
Voting property requirement in most colonies
Colonial legislatures were more
Broadly representative
Colonial elections typically offered voters
A choice of competing candidates
Colonial legislators served shorter
Terms than those of parliament and were required to live in the districts they represented
Colonial legislators were responsible for ensuring that the
Legislafure knew about needs and interests of their constituents
Charter
A written document from a governor or a ruler that grants certain rights
