Roots of Democracy
This ancient civilization introduced direct citizen participation in government
What is Ancient Greece
Signed in 1215, this document established the idea that even the king was subject to law
What is the Magna Carta
The Pilgrims created this agreement aboard their ship before establishing Plymouth Colony
What is the Mayflower Compact
This 1765 law placed a direct tax on printed materials in the colonies
What is the Stamp Act
Colonists protested British taxes using this famous phrase
What is “No taxation without representation”
This enlightenment figure argued that people possess natural rights and that government exists to protect them
Who is John Locke
This ancient civilization influenced American government through representative government and civic duty
What is the Roman Republic
This 1628 document challenged the king's ability to tax without Parliament's consent and imprison people without cause
What is the Petition of Right
New England colonists commonly gathered in these to make decisions about local issues
What are town meetings
These acts placed duties on imported goods such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea
What are the Townshend Acts
Britain passed these harsh laws in response to the Boston Tea Party
What are the Intolerable Acts
This Enlightenment figure argued that without a strong government, society can become violent and unstable (concept of social contract)
Who is Thomas Hobbes
According to John Locke, people are born with these basic rights that government should protect
What are natural rights
This 1689 document further limited the monarchy and strengthened Parliament
What is the English Bill of Rights
Established in Virginia in 1619, this was the first representative legislative assembly in the English colonies
What is the House of Burgesses
This 1770 confrontation resulted in British soldiers killing five colonists
What is the Boston Massacre
The Intolerable Acts helped convince the colonies to meet together at this gathering in 1774
What is the First Continental Congress
This Enlightenment figure argued that there should be a separation of powers between the executive, legislative, and judicial functions
Who is Montesquieu
This Enlightenment idea says people agree to give government some authority in exchange for protection of their rights
What is social contract
The Magna Carta, Petition of Right, and English Bill of Rights all contributed to this basic idea: government itself must have ___
What are limits
House of Burgesses, Mayflower Compact, and town meetings all helped colonists gain experience with this larger concept
What is self-government
Colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor during this famous 1773 protest
What is the Boston Tea Party
Why was the Stamp Act especially controversial to the colonists
It was a direct internal tax imposed without colonial representation
This Enlightenment figure argued that legitimate government rests on the people (concept of popular sovereignty)
Who is Jean-Jacques Rousseau
This principle says governmental authority ultimately comes from the people themselves
What is popular sovereignty
This principle, developed through English political documents, means that government officials—including the ruler—must obey the same laws as everyone else
What is the rule of law
Colonial legislatures were modeled partly after this English lawmaking body, giving colonists experience with representative government
What is Parliament
These April 1775 battles marked the beginning of armed fighting between Britain and the American colonies
What are Lexington and Concord
Britain had accumulated major debt after this war, helping lead Parliament to impose new taxes on the American colonies
What is the French and Indian War
Later becoming the 3rd president of the United States, this person wrote the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson