POLI 2342 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Body Politic, Protestantism
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The Idea of Self-Government!
the concept of the colonial charter!•
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certain written for of what the government may or may not do !•
how to organize this government -> very important documents!◦
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3rd Charter of Virginia
established a body politic!•
those with the charter can state a new city and new political order!◦
can't be contradictory to english laws!•
created colonies with elements of the english government!◦
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legislatures, trial by jury, common law in the colonies!•
these legal ideas were important to a new place in America!◦
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their circumstances made the colonies difficult !•
many of them were very small, and governed in a more democratic fashion!◦
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the King in england makes a promise and gives a grant of land!•
people on this land have the capacity to govern themselves if the laws accord with english ◦
law!
the king can't govern this place himself, established a "great and general court"!•
this court can make laws and ordinances for the colony!◦
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the assembly isn't an executive because the king himself is the executive branch of the •
government!
they instead have to elect a governor!◦
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charters establish a government and establish that the people made it themselves!•
experience gave the colonists expertise in the pitfalls of self-government!◦
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In American, people who established the government were much more experienced than those •
in other parts of the world!
they were public servants, intellectuals with political knowledge!◦
the laws protect against a revolutionary government!‣
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The Role of Religion!
protestant christianity had a major impact on the functioning of the earliest colonies!•
protestants were the majority!◦
dissenting protestants made the most successful colonies!‣
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the new england colonies never had any major civil conflicts!•
government was conducted peacefully, which set an important example for all future ◦
colonies!
the distinctive qualities of American government can be traced back to the NE ‣
colonies!
these were the most successful!•
John Adams was influential because of this strain of thought!‣
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