LESSON 6

This lesson focuses on the founding of the 13 original colonies and the relationship between England and colonial America. We will also discuss the political philosophies that became a foundation for our federal form of government.

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In 1607, England founded the first of the 13 original colonies at Jamestown. Jamestown was located in the colony of Virginia.

The colonization of North America continued for 125 years until the founding of Georgia in 1732.

The13 Original Colonies and the dates they were founded:

Virginia (Jamestown)/1607

Massachusetts/Plymouth/1620

Massachusetts Bay/1630

New Hampshire/1622

New York/1624

Maryland/1632

Connecticutt/1636

Rhode Island/1636

Delaware/1638

New Jersey/1664

Pennsylvania/1682

North Carolina/1663

South Carolina/1663

Georgia/1732

The 13 original colonies were founded for many different reasons.

Some people came to America from England because they wanted religious freedom and the opportunity to start their own churches.

Many individuals and families came to North America because of a desire to own land.

Still other English citizens arrived in the New World in search of business profits from trade, farming, or the sale of manufactured goods.

The reasons the13 Original Colonies were founded.

Virginia- Farming and trade

Massachusetts- Religious freedom

New Hampshire- Profit from fishing and trade

New York- Trade expansion

Maryland- Profit/religious and political freedom

Connecticut- Religious and political freedom

Rhode Island- Religious freedom

Delaware- Trade expansion

New Jersey- Religious and political freedom

Pennsylvania- Religious and political freedom

North Carolina- Farming and trade/religious freedom

South Carolina- Farming and trade/religious freedom

Georgia- Profit/home for criminals

All of the English colonists in North America had lived under a limited monarchy in England. This is a monarchy where the king or queen do not have absolute power but are restricted by written rules he/she must follow.

The restriction of the power of the monarchy in England can be traced to the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights.

(See lesson 5)

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When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620, they realized they needed some form of government. They were still English citizens, but they were about to settle in an area where there was no royal authority.

In other words, they had to determine WHO WOULD BE IN CHARGE!

Please note the questions listed below that were raised in Lesson One.

The Pilgrims had to develop a plan of government that would answer these questions to the satisfaction of everyone.

The Pilgrims met on board their ship, the Mayflower, to draw up a document that would establish a government in the new settlement.

In November of 1620, forty-one men signed the MAYFLOWER COMPACT.

They promised to enact and be bound by the laws that they would pass.

The Mayflower Compact did not state anything that would challenge the authority of King James I, or the English Parliament.

In fact, the Mayflower Compact stated that this colony was settled for the "glory of God and the honor of our king and country." The Pilgrims were totally loyal to England.

The Mayflower Compact was important because it was the first time citizens had taken it upon themselves to create a self-government document.

Democracy grew quickly in the colonies, even though many anti-democratic provisions still existed.

For example:

1. Women and slaves could not vote.

2. There were property qualifications for voting.

3. Membership in an "established" religion was required.

All of the colonies had elements that would be included in the formation of our national government. These elements included the following:

1. A written constitution

2. An elected legislature

3. Separation of the executive (governor) and legislature.

Many of these ideas came from JOHN LOCKE.

John Locke (1632-1704), was an English philosopher who had a great influence on the colonists. He wrote two works on government that spelled out many of the ideas that the colonial leaders accepted as the absolute truth.

Locke believed in the following:

1. Men were basically good.

2. Men were born free before governments existed.

3. All men had rights such as life, liberty and ownership of property.

4. Government was legitimate only so long as people continued to agree to be governed.

Locke's ideas influenced Rousseau.

Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-78), was a French political philosopher who admired the English form of government.

In 1762, Rousseau published THE SOCIAL CONTRACT, which outlined his philosophy of government.

Rousseau believed that the sovereign power resides in the citizens and that the government gets its authority from the consent of the governed. This was a radical doctrine in a country where the king ruled by divine right.

The central theme of Rousseau's political philosophy is summed up in these words: "Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains."

The writings of Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) had considerable influence on the development of the national government in America. Montesquieu believed that political liberty could best be preserved if the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government had equal power and authority.

The theory of separation of powers would become an important element of the U.S. Constitution.

The European political ideas were well-known in America. The Americans had become used to a high level of autonomy, or self-government, because of their distance from England. England seemed to have a heavy hand in their governmental dealings with the colonies.

One of the first and loudest to take up the cry against England was THOMAS PAINE.

In his pamphlet "Common Sense," Paine outlined in very emotional terms the reasons the colonies should govern themselves.

Paine's viewpoint became more and more accepted because England had decided to tighten the controls on their colonies.

England governed the colonies through the policy of mercantilism. Under mercantilism, the external trade of the colonies was controlled by England, the Mother Country. The colonies were only allowed to trade with England.

The external commerce of the colonies had to be regulated and their internal affairs had to be conducted in the best interests of the Mother Country. These internal policies were not always consistent or administered fairly.

There were times of strict enforcement of mercantilism followed by periods when the colonies could run their own affairs and trade with other countries.

This inconsistent administration of the colonies can be traced to political events that were occurring in England.

There was ongoing political discussion in England during the 17th century as to the authority of the King and Parliament.

The question of whether the King or Parliament had the supreme authority in the colonies was being debated in England.

The struggle between the Parliament and the Crown erupted into an armed conflict. The English Civil War began in 1642 and lasted until 1648 with the defeat of the forces of King Charles I. The Parliament actually found the King guilty of treason and put him to death.

In addition, most of the countries in Europe were involved in fighting the Thirty Years' War from 1618 to 1648.

England simply lacked the knowledge and skill to deal with the colonies because of the confusion in the government. In addition, many people in the English government believed that the English colonies in the West Indies were more important than the American colonies.

The colonists objected to the British government passing laws that affected them because they did not have a representative in Parliament.

Even though there was confusion, a pattern of control by England over the colonies was emerging.

Under the policies of mercantilism, the colonies could not compete with the Mother Country. In other words, the colonists could not manufacture the same items that were being produced in England.

Mercantilism also required that the colonies had to buy everything from England. All raw materials such as wood products and cotton had to be sent to England.

All of this meant that the economic policies of the colonies had to regulated to meet the needs of England.

King George III wanted to tighten the political and economic controls over the colonies.

Examples of this economic control were included in the

ACTS OF TRADE AND NAVIGATION that were passed by Parliament.

NAVIGATION ACTS OF 1651-52 stated that all colonial trade had to be carried on English ships.

ENUMERATED COMMODITIES ACT (1660) listed certain articles such as sugar, tobacco and indigo that could be sold only to England or another English colony.

SECOND NAVIGATION ACT (1663) required that all European imports to the colonies go through English ports. The purpose of this policy was to increase the profits of the English merchants and to prevent the colonies form developing ties with other European countries.

All of the ACTS OF TRADE AND NAVIGATION were designed to increase the control of England over the colonies. Despite these restrictions, the colonies actually profited because of lax enforcement by England and smuggling.

The policy of mercantilism only restricted the colonial manufacturing that competed with industries in England. For example, a bounty was paid for the production of naval stores, which were items for shipbuilding.

England also exercised internal political control over the colonists through their colonial governments.

In general, the structure of the governments in all of the colonies was basically the same. The Royal Governor was a substitute for the king. The colonial legislatures had two houses that were patterned after the Parliament in England. The upper house of the legislature also served as the highest court in the colony.

The Royal Governor made sure that the colonists did not take any action that was detrimental to the Mother Country (England). If the governor felt that an action of the assembly was harmful, he could veto it or send it back to England for a final decision.

The colonial assembly had the power to initiate all money bills. In other words, the governor could not be paid unless the assembly would raise the necessary funds. A royal Governor who overused the veto could find his salary either unexpectedly delayed or reduced.

All of the commercial and political restrictions by England and other factors helped to unify the colonies.

The 13 original colonies experienced many changes that were bringing the colonists closer together. Travel between the colonies had increased and settlements along the coast had grown closer together.

The colonial post office had improved and all types of literature and information was widely distributed among the colonies. In addition, colleges began to accept students from various colonies which led to a sharing of cultural information.

The colonists shared a common English language and heritage. In addition, the culture and religious activities throughout the colonies were overwhelmingly Protestant.

The last unifying factor for the colonists was a mutual fear of the Indians and the French. This fear initiated a plan that would unite the colonies in 1754, on the eve of the French and Indian War. We will discuss this plan of union at the beginning of the next lesson.

SUMMARY

This concludes our lesson on the origins of Government. In the next lesson we will discuss the early attempts to unify the colonies, The Revolutionary War and the development of the Declaration of Independence .