The House of Burgesses and Mayflower Compact

The Mayflower Compact was...

• A small ship.

• One of the first examples of self-government in the New World.

• An agreement with the Church of England and King James.

Select all the correct answers.

What can you infer from this text?

• The Pilgrims were not safe or happy in England

• The journey across the ocean was very risky

• The Pilgrims were looking for gold and riches in the New World

• • The Pilgrims wanted to escape farming and hard work

What is the main idea of this text?

• • Voting in the House of Burgesses was open to anyone who wanted to take part.

• The House of Burgesses was created to grow crops and trade with Native Americans.

• The House of Burgesses was an early form of representative government in Virginia, but only white male landowners could participate, leaving many people without a voice.

Who was allowed to vote or be elected in the House of Burgesses?

• All men and women

• Only white men who owned land

• Enslaved people and Native Americans

• Anyone living in Virginia

What is the main idea of this text?

• The House of Burgesses was created only to collect taxes from the colonists.

• The House of Burgesses was an example of representative government, where citizens elected leaders to make laws and decisions for them.

• Representative government allowed only small groups of people to be governed, not large ones.

In a representative government, what do citizens do?

• Elect representatives to speak and act for them

• Make all the laws themselves

• Travel to the capital to vote on issues

• Approve all laws passed by the government

Choose all the correct answers.

What can you infer from this text?

• Colonists were not interested in self-government and preferred being ruled by Britain.

• Colonists valued freedom and a voice in government

• The House of Burgesses was primarily a court for settling criminal cases.

• The House of Burgesses influenced the future

What does the text suggest about the House of Burgesses?

• It was a perfect democracy where everyone could vote

• It was created after the United States became independent

• It had no influence on future governments

• It was an early form of democracy in America

What did the colonists want according to the text?

• To be ruled only by Britain

• To trade with other countries only

• To govern themselves and have a say in the rules

• To trade with England only

What is a system where people choose leaders (called representatives) to make decisions and laws for them, instead of everyone making every decision themselves, called?

• Bureaucracy

• Representative government

• Direct Democracy