The Colonial Experience

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The Colonial Experience
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• Citizens left England to come to America to
  establish colonies
• Colony was under the rule of parliament
• However, parliament was not in the colony to
  enforce
• Colonists were not in parliament to voice
  opinions
• Colonists determined that they could not depend
  on parliament to meet their needs, so they
  governed themselves

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Jamestown- 1607

• The first permanent English settlement
• Located in present day Virginia
• Struggled crop failure, hunger, disease, Indians
  

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The House of Burgesses- 1619

• People of Jamestown created to deal with pressing
  problems
• Colonists from each town/ plantation choose 2
  representatives (burgesses) to meet with colonys
  governor
• 22 total burgesses
• Very little power which solved very few problems
• First attempt of representative government first
  legislature in colonial America

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The Mayflower Compact- 1620

• Plymouth Rock Settlement (now Massachusetts)
• Plan of government to direct the settlement
• Written and signed by 41 before the ship reached
  Americas shores
• Called for just and equal laws for the good of
  the community

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• All signers pledged to obey the laws
• Set up a direct democracy- all males would vote-
  majority rule
• Held town meetings, so the people could gather ,
  discuss, voice opinions and vote on important
  issues

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English Colonial Governments

• Success of Jamestown and Plymouth led to 13
  colonies by 1733
• All colonies established a government
• Many differences and similarities
• Each colony had a governor (elected or appointed)
  and a legislature

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• Legislature consisted of upper and lower house
• Governor appointed members of upper house
• Colonists elected members of lower house

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A New Sense of Identity

• A time passed, colonial governments took on more
  power and responsibility
• Officially British, lived as Americans
• Built towns, roads, churches, schools, hospitals,
  and fire departments
• Thriving economy
• Solved own problems without British help
• Britain saw colonies as source of wealth

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• By the mid-1700s, the actions of parliament made
  some colonists see themselves as Americans