1.4: British Influences on American Government
- Page ID
- 125633
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Standard 1.4: British Influences on American Government
FOCUS QUESTION: What were the democratic and undemocratic political practices that developed in early America?
How did experiments in democracy and democratic government that began in the 13 North American colonies connect to modern day United States governmental ideas and practices? The modules in this chapter explore democracy and voting in colonial America, the impact of Anne Hutchinson's religious dissent, and current debates over extending voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds.
You can also explore this topic at the resourcesforhistoryteachers wiki page for British Influences on American Government.
1.4.1 INVESTIGATE: The Mayflower Compact, Colonial Governments, and Who Voted in Early America
1.4.1.1 The Mayflower Compact
1.4.1.2 Colonial Government
1.4.1.2 Who Voted in Early America?
In some places, women who owned property, free Black people, and Native Americans could vote, but these were rare exceptions. New Jersey's first constitution in 1776 gave voting rights to "all inhabitants of this colony, of full age, who are worth fifty pounds…and have resided within the county…for twelve months" (as cited in National Park Service, 2018, para. 2). It is unclear how many women actually voted. In 1807, the New Jersey legislature passed a law stating no persons were to be allowed to vote except free white men who either owned property worth 50 pounds or were taxpayers.
Colonists generally did not vote for their governors; instead, they were appointed by the English king. In Connecticut and Rhode Island, however, voters elected governors. Here is a list of American Colonial Governors.
Suggested Learning Activity
1.4.1.3 What If America Chose a King or Queen, Not a President?
England had a long history of nobles challenging an all-powerful monarchy, beginning with the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights, which set limits on the power of the King to act without the consent of Parliament. Nevertheless, rule by a monarch, a King or a Queen, has been a dominant form of government for centuries; here is a List of Rulers of Europe from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Monarchy rests on the laws of primogeniture where the eldest child in a family (and so on in a line of succession) inherits the parent's estate and title. There are many famous monarchs in world history: Louis XIV, Peter the Great, and many women rulers including Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great, and Queen Victoria (see Great Women Rulers).
There are 29 monarchies ruling 40 countries in the world today, although many of the kings and queens have only ceremonial functions in constitutional democracies. Queen Elizabeth II, 94 years old in 2020, is the longest-serving monarch, having begun her reign February 6, 1952. She is Queen of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and 15 countries in the Commonwealth Realm. Other nations with monarchs include: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bhutan, Oman, Brunei, Cambodia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Swaziland, Sweden, Andorra, Qatar, Denmark, Jordan, Vatican City, Morocco, Lesotho, Netherlands, Bahrain, Japan, Spain, Thailand, Lichtenstein, Monaco, Malaysia, and Kuwait. Some of these monarchs have great power - with the King of Saudi Arabia being considered the most powerful absolute monarch in the world today.
But monarchy is not democracy, as Abraham Lincoln reminded the audience during his speech at Chicago, Illinois, July 10, 1858. The idea that the Declaration of Independence does not apply to Blacks, Lincoln said, is the "arguments that kings have made for enslaving the people in all ages of the world. You will find that all the arguments in favor of king-craft were of this class; they always bestrode the necks of the people, not that they wanted to do it, but because the people were better off for being ridden."
Online Resources for Government and Voting in Colonial America
- Emergence of Colonial Governance offers a brief background on government in the 13 colonies.
- Voting in Colonial Virginia
- American Colonies for a comparative look at colonial governments in the colonies from teacher Greg Feldmeth, Polytechnic School, Pasadena, California.
1.4.2 UNCOVER: Lucy Terry Prince, Anne Hutchinson, and Mary Dyer; Women's Roles in Colonial America
1.4.2.1 Lucy Terry Prince
As an infant, Lucy Terry Prince was taken from her family in Africa and brought first to Rhode Island and then Massachusetts, where she was sold in slavery. In 1746, while still an enslaved woman in Deerfield, Massachusetts, Lucy Terry Prince wrote the earliest known poem by a Black writer in North America. The poem, Bars Fight, described a bloody encounter between Native warriors and colonial settlers. It was sung or recited till published in 1855. It is the only piece of her poetry writing that survives today. A book about her poetry and here life is subtitled Singer of History.
But Lucy Terry Prince's story is about more than her writing. She subsequently married, gained her freedom, purchased land in Vermont with her husband, and raised six children, two of whom served in the American Revolution. In 1803, she successfully argued a case before the Vermont Supreme Court. She died in 1821 at age 97.
You can view a short video summary of her life here.
1.4.2.2 Anne Hutchinson
1.4.2.3 Mary Dyer
Online Resources for Anne Hutchinson and Women's Roles in Colonial America
- Anne Hutchinson from the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn Museum
- PRIMARY SOURCE: Gender and Opportunity in Colonial America, California State University Long Beach
- Early Colonial Gender Roles, Teaching LGBTQ History
- Religious Dissent, Huntington Library
- Dissent and Democracy in Modern American History, The Newberry
1.4.3 ENGAGE: Should 16-Year-Olds or 17-Year-Olds Be Allowed to Vote?
A lower voting age is seen as a way to encourage greater participation by young people in political and civic matters. Opponents of the idea cite the immaturity of youth as a drawback to informed decision-making as voters.
A number of states allow 16-year-olds or 17-year-olds to vote in congressional or presidential primaries. Around the world, 16-year-olds can vote in Austria, Brazil, Cuba, Nicaragua, the islands of Jersey and Guernsey and the Isle of Man; 17-year-olds can vote in Indonesia, North Korea, the Seychelles, and Sudan the Timor-Leste.
Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has introduced legislation allowing youth as young as 16-years-old to vote for members of Congress and the President.
The Census Bureau reported that there were 42 million adolescents between 10 and 19 in the U.S. in 2016, a number that is projected to grow to nearly 44 million by 2050. How might the nation's political dynamics change if going forward 16-year-olds and/or 17-year-olds could vote?