Foundations of American Rights• English colonists brought with them three ideas that were to

have great impact in the shaping of government in the United States.

• What were these three ideas and where did they come from?1. Ordered Government: created local governments (what offices

did they create that are still here today?)2. Limited Government- Government is not all powerful, there are

certain rights that the government cannot take away (what are these rights?)

3. Representative Government- govt. exists to serve the will of the people. Citizens should have a voice in the governmental process.

The 3 Landmark English Documents• Can we name them?

1. The Magna Carta (1215)• Established that the power of the monarchy was not

absolute. • Included rights such as: - Trial by jury- Protection against the arbitrary taking of life, liberty, or

property.*originally these rights were intended only for the privileged

classes*

The 3 Landmark English Documents

2. The Petition of Right (1628)•Challenged the Divine Right of Kings -How did it do this? -The Petition stated that even a monarch must abide by the law of the land. •The king could no longer punish or imprison any person except through the judgment of his peers (law of the land). •Additionally, the king could not implement martial law in peace-time or house soldiers in private residences without consent.

The 3 Landmark English Documents3. The English Bill of Rights (1688)•Created following the Glorious Revolution in order to prevent the abuse of power by all future monarchs. •The English B.O.R. stated:a.The monarch may not suspend laws without Parliamentary consent. b.Parliament must give consent to levy monies. c.It is the right of the subjects to petition the king.*also mentions rights to a fair trial, no excessive bail, no cruel and unusual punishment*•Much of American Government is based on the ideals set forth in the English B.O.R.