Early American Events

​Early American Events

US History

Magna Carta

​King John of England signed this document in 1215. The Magna Carta limited the power of the king and stated that not even the king was above the law. It also guaranteed important rights to noblemen and freemen. For example, they could not have their property seized by the king or his officials; they could not be put on trial based only on an official’s word without witnesses; and they could only be punished by a jury of their peers. The Magna Carta influenced many future documents, such as the English Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Multiple Choice

What effect did the Magna Carta have on the development of American democratic ideals?

• It established the right to vote for all citizens.

• It limited the power of the king and introduced the idea of government that must follow the law.

• It granted absolute power to the monarchy.

• It created a direct democracy where citizens voted on every law.

Multiple Choice

How did the Magna Carta influence early

American ideas about individual rights?

• It introduced the concept of freedom of

  speech.

• It emphasized the importance of

  protecting the rights of the wealthy and noble

  class only.

• It established the idea that individuals have

  the right to a fair trial.

• It required all citizens to serve in the

  military.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

The slave trade was the business of capturing, transporting, and selling Africans as slaves to buyers in the Americas. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, slaves were taken from Africa to the Americas on what is called the Middle Passage, the middle leg of a three part voyage. This Triangular Trade began in Europe where ships loaded with rum, cloth, and guns sailed to Africa where goods were traded for African slaves who were then transported to the Americas where they were sold as labor for cultivating sugar into molasses and rum which were then returned to Europe. Eventually, African slaves became the dominant labor force on Southern plantations in the United States. 

Multiple Choice

Why were African slaves transported

to the Americas?

• To convert them to Christianity.

• To work as laborers on plantations.

• To serve as soldiers in European

  armies.

• To be merchants and traders in the

  New World.

Multiple Choice

How did the transatlantic slave trade

promote economic growth in the Colonies

and England?

• It provided a steady supply of free labor for

  plantations.

• It led to the development of infrastructure in

  Europe.

• It provided free education to colonists.

• It caused a decline in trade with Africa.

Jamestown

The first permanent English colony was located in Jamestown, Virginia. In 1607, a group of merchants formed the Virginia Company of London and settled in Jamestown, named after King James I. Many of the settlers spent their time looking for gold and did not prepare for the winter. The first winter was very harsh and many of the settlers faced starvation and disease. This was called “The Starving Time.” Settler John Smith helped colonists survive by establishing a work ethic (“He that shall not work, shall not eat”). Thanks to John Rolfe, settlers eventually discovered that Jamestown was ideal for growing tobacco because of the fertile soil. Tobacco became one of the South’s largest cash crops. 

Multiple Choice

Why was 1607 significant?

• The first permanent English

  settlement, Jamestown, was founded.

• The first American Constitution

  was written.

• Slavery was officially abolished in

  the Colonies.

• The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth.

Multiple Choice

How did the establishment of

Jamestown lead to successful colonization

for the English?

• It became the center of religious freedom.

• It created a profitable tobacco industry,

  encouraging more settlers.

• It allowed the English to dominate Native

  American tribes.

• It was abandoned, and the settlers

  returned to England.

Mercantilism

Mercantilism was an economic theory followed by European nations in the 16th and 17th centuries which argued that nations increased their power and wealth by obtaining gold and by creating a favorable balance of trade where they exported more than they imported. England increased its wealth by establishing colonies in North America which provided raw materials to the mother country and in return the mother country exported manufactured goods for colonial use. In the 1650's, the American colonies were forced to trade with England by the Navigation Acts. These acts were not heavily enforced (salutary neglect) until after the French and Indian War which contributed to colonial unrest.

Multiple Choice

How did the system of

mercantilism work for nations?

• Nations aimed to import more than

  they exported.

• Nations encouraged free and open

  trade between all colonies.

• Nations raced to find gold.

• Nations sought to increase wealth by

  acquiring colonies.

Multiple Choice

How did mercantilism influence the

economic prosperity of the Colonies?

• The Colonies were allowed to trade freely

  with all nations.

• The Colonies were restricted in trade by

  the Navigation Acts.

• The Colonies developed industrial

  economies that outpaced England.

• The Colonies were forced to adopt a

  barter system instead of using currency.

Virginia House of Burgesses

The Virginia House of Burgesses was created in 1619 and was the first representative assembly in the American colonies. Made up of free white men who were land owners, the first meeting was held in Jamestown where the House of Burgesses was an early attempt at self-government in the New World. Notable members of the House of Burgesses included George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry.

Multiple Choice

Why was the Virginia House of Burgesses

significant?

• It was the first system of government

  established by Native Americans.

• It allowed the British monarchy to control

  colonial affairs directly.

• It was the first elected legislative assembly

  in the American colonies.

• It was the first place where enslaved people

  were freed in America.

Multiple Choice

Why was the House of Burgesses

important to the growth of representative

government?

• It allowed all citizens, including women and

  enslaved people, to vote.

• It was the first time the colonies were given

  complete independence from British rule.

• It established a monarchy in the colonies,

  similar to England.

• It was an example of colonial self-

  government.

Mayflower Compact

In 1620, Pilgrims seeking religious freedom travelled from England to the New World aboard the Mayflower. They landed off the coast of Cape Cod well outside the limits of the Virginia Company Charter. As a result, before they left the ship, the men drafted and signed an agreement called the Mayflower Compact. This document was an agreement among the men to create a government. The Mayflower Compact helped establish the idea that the people create government through an agreement among themselves. 

Multiple Choice

How is the Mayflower Compact an

example of self-government?

• It was an agreement among the men to

  create a government.

• It was written by the British government to

  maintain control over the settlers.

• It allowed the Pilgrims to elect their own

  leaders and create their own laws.

• It gave complete authority to a single leader

  appointed by the king.

Multiple Choice

How does government protect order

within a community?

• By forcing people to leave the

  community if they disagree with the rules.

• By allowing every citizen to create their

  own rules without any restrictions.

• By creating laws and enforcing them to

  maintain peace and safety.

• By providing financial assistance to

  every individual regardless of their

  actions.

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was adopted in 1639 and was the first written constitution in North America. Thomas Hooker was the author of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. It helped to advance the idea of representative government. It provided that all freemen elect their representatives, and it put some limits on government’s power.

Multiple Choice

Why was the Fundamental Orders

of Connecticut significant?

• It was the first constitution written

  by the British government for the

  colonies.

• It allowed the King of England to

  control the laws in Connecticut.

• It was the first written constitution

  in the American colonies, outlining a

  plan for government.

• It gave unlimited power to the

  governor of Connecticut.

Multiple Choice

Why was the Fundamental Orders of

Connecticut important to the growth of

representative government?

• It helped advance the idea that government

  should be based on the consent of the governed

  and that leaders should be elected.

• It established a system where only the

  wealthiest citizens could vote and participate in

  government.

• It gave the British monarchy more control over

  the colonial governments.

• It allowed the church to have complete control

  over the government.

Navigation Acts

In the 1650’s, the American colonies were forced to trade with England by the Navigation Acts. According to these laws, American colonies were required to trade mainly with Great Britain, buying Britain’s manufactured goods in exchange for selling the colonists’ raw products. Manufactured goods were more expensive than raw products. This mercantile trade allowed Great Britain to increase its wealth. These acts were not heavily enforced (salutary neglect) until after the French and Indian War which contributed to colonial unrest. 

Multiple Choice

How did the Navigation Acts influence the

economic prosperity of the Colonies?

• They allowed the Colonies to trade freely

  with any country.

• They restricted colonial trade to England,

  which allowed England to increase its wealth.

• They eliminated taxes on all colonial exports.

• They encouraged the Colonies to build their

  own factories and produce finished goods.

Multiple Choice

Were the Navigation Acts effective?

• Yes, they completely eliminated

  smuggling in the Colonies.

• Yes, they successfully enforced English

  control over colonial trade.

• No, they were widely ignored due to

  salutary neglect.

• No, they caused the Colonies to

  declare independence from England

  immediately.

English Bill of Rights

The English Bill of Rights was written in 1689. It states that the power to make laws and impose taxes belonged to Parliament. It also included the right of citizens to petition the government and the right to trial by jury. It influenced the U.S. Bill of Rights which drew upon many of the same ideas. For example, both the English Bill of Rights and the U.S. Bill of Rights protect citizens against excessive bail or fines and cruel and unusual punishment.

Multiple Choice

What effect did the English Bill of Rights

have on the development of American

democratic ideals?

• It proposed the idea that the rights of

  citizens should be protected by the

  government.

• It limited the power of the monarchy and

  protected individual rights, inspiring similar

  ideas in America.

• It gave the British government complete

  control over the American colonies.

• It created a system where only the king

  could create laws.

Multiple Choice

How did the English Bill of Rights

influence the U.S. Bill of Rights?

• It gave the U.S. the idea to establish a

  monarchy.

• It required the U.S. Bill of Rights to

  focus on religious freedom only.

• It allowed the U.S. government to

  create laws without input from the

  people.

• It introduced the idea of protecting

  individual freedoms such as freedom of

  speech and the right to a fair trial.

First Great Awakening

The First Great Awakening was a revival of religious feelings and beliefs in the American colonies that began in the 1730’s. To revive peoples’ religious spirit, preachers would travel from town to town delivering sermons about God at outdoor revival meetings. The First Great Awakening helped pave the way for the American Revolution and encouraged the ideas of liberty and equality.

Multiple Choice

Why did people join the religious

movement of the First Great Awakening?

• They wanted to separate from the church

  and create their own government.

• They sought to eliminate all religious

  practices from daily life.

• They were forced to join by the

  government.

• They were inspired by passionate

  sermons that emphasized a personal

  connection with God and salvation.

Multiple Choice

How did changes in religious expression

affect people’s political ideas?

• They began to believe that only religious

  leaders should govern society.

• It encouraged ideas about individual rights

  and equality, leading people to question

  authority.

• People believed that the government

  should have more control over the church.

• They began to support the idea of

  absolute monarchy as the best form of

  government.