Section Outline

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America’s Political HeritageSection 1: The Colonial Experience

I. A Voice in Government

II. Citizenship in the Colonies

III. Some Routes of Freedom

IV. Signs of Discontent

Color Transparency: Democratic Forms of Government

Section Reading Support Transparency

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America’s Political HeritageSection 1: The Colonial Experience

Main Idea

During the colonial period, Americans

established traditions of freedom and self-

government.

Key Terms

•Heritage

•Legislature

•Charter

•Tyranny

A Voice in Government

•Heritage‾ the traditions passed down to us from generation to generation

•Legislature— A group of people chosen to make the laws— From the beginning, the colonists were used to having a voice in government.

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America’s Political HeritageSection 1: The Colonial Experience

•Royal Authority— The English monarch established each colony through a charter, or document

giving permission to create a government.

•Preserving Rights— The colonists were resistant to rule from England.

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America’s Political HeritageSection 1: The Colonial Experience

Citizenship in the Colonies

•Voting— Very few colonists were allowed to vote.

•Common Good— The colonists had the responsibility to work toward the common good of their

society.

Go Online: World Empires Circa 1770

•Differences— Being an English citizen in the colonies during the 1600s and 1700s was very

different from being an American citizen today.

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America’s Political HeritageSection 1: The Colonial Experience

Some Roots of Freedom

Many of the freedoms we enjoy in America today have been unknown throughout history.

•Religious Freedom— Many early colonists came to America to escape religious persecution and find

religious freedom.

•Freedom of the Press and the Zenger Trial— The colonists could not print anything that was critical of the government.

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America’s Political HeritageSection 1: The Colonial Experience

Signs of Discontent

•England and the Colonists— By the mid 1700s, England had tightened control over the colonies.— Many colonists accused England of tyranny, or the abuse of power.— A growing number of colonists began to wonder if England planned to strip them

of their rights and silence their voice in government.

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America’s Political Heritage: Section 1Color Transparency: Democratic Forms of Government

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America’s Political Heritage: Section 1Color Transparency: Democratic Forms of Government

1. Why did the Athenians create direct democracy?

2. What was the most common motivation for the government to change?

Athenians respected all citizens and not just an all-powerful ruler.

The people were looking for greater personal freedoms and a voice in the decisions of government.

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America’s Political Heritage: Section 1Section Reading Support Transparency