Life in the Colonies

Nine out of ten colonists

• Worked in shops and stores

• attended free public schools

• came to America as slaves

• lived on small family farms

Compared to today's cities, colonial cities were very

• large

• small

• noisy

• quiet

The Magna Carta, which was signed by King John in 1215, made it clear that

• only Parliament had the power to impose taxes.

• the people had the right to petition the government.

• even the king of England must obey the law.

• the king did not have to share power with anyone.

The English Bill of Rights was important to colonists because it

• spelled out the rights they had as English citizens

• gave them the right to elect members of Parliament

• defined crimes and punishments for the colonists

• ended the king's power to appoint colonial governors

The right to petition in the English Bill of Rights gave citizens the right to

• choose how they should be punished for minor crimes

• ask the government to do something or make a change

• educate their children in church schools or at home

• organize fairs with contests and entertainments

The term blue laws has come to mean laws that

• forbid certain activities on Sunday

• call for lawmakers to be shamed

• impose the death penalty on criminals

• outlaw witchcraft and evil spirits

In the colonies, the simplest way to climb the social ladder was by

• inheriting a title

• getting an education

• making a lot of money

• attending church regularly

Unlike colonists from Europe, Africans came to America

• hoping to build better lives

• to escape poverty and debt

• in search of religious freedom

• as slaves against their will