Government: The Road Through History
Prior to the 1500s, North America was composed mainly of Native American tribes that were spread throughout the continent. Around the 1500s, European countries decided to start exploring, and colonizing, North America. They viewed "The New World" as an opportunity to expand territory, increase power and control, and explore new opportunities in a new land. The French, the Spanish, and the British were the main colonizers. The French focused primarily on the northern part of North America, in what is now known as Canada. The Spanish focused primarily on the southern and western part of North America, in what is now known as Mexico and southwest United States. The British focused their colonization on the east coast of North America, in what is now known as the east coast of the United States.
1600s
The first British settlements occurred in the 1600s. Jamestown was considered the first permanent British settlement. It was founded in 1607. The first year in Jamestown was difficult, and many of the settlers died. In the second year, Captain John Smith took leadership. He put a "no work, no food" policy into place, which held each member of the settlement accountable and forced them to contribute.
In 1610, King James I sent a second charter to Jamestown. This established a governor and group of advisors to provide leadership. People who did not obey the rules were subject to punishments by the military.
In 1619, the first slaves from Africa were brought to the colony. A representative British America government was also established. This meant that settlers could give input to general assembly, a group of people in charge, about the laws and rules that they wanted. This did not work out, and by 1624, Virginia, including Jamestown, became a royal colony.
The first British settlements occurred in the 1600s. Jamestown was considered the first permanent British settlement. It was founded in 1607. The first year in Jamestown was difficult, and many of the settlers died. In the second year, Captain John Smith took leadership. He put a "no work, no food" policy into place, which held each member of the settlement accountable and forced them to contribute.
In 1610, King James I sent a second charter to Jamestown. This established a governor and group of advisors to provide leadership. People who did not obey the rules were subject to punishments by the military.
In 1619, the first slaves from Africa were brought to the colony. A representative British America government was also established. This meant that settlers could give input to general assembly, a group of people in charge, about the laws and rules that they wanted. This did not work out, and by 1624, Virginia, including Jamestown, became a royal colony.
1700s
In the 1700s, the British settlements had turned into 13 colonies. Each colony had a governor, a court system, and people advising the governor. The governor was appointed by the King and an assembly was elected by the citizens of towns. There were also three different types of colonies: proprietary, chartered, and royal.
The proprietary colonies were Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. This meant that each colony was owned by a person or a family. The could make their own laws. Eventually, the King became concerned about the amount of freedom and independence that these colonies had, so he stopped granting proprietary colonies. He also tried making them into royal colonies.
Royal colonies were established to benefit the King. A royal governor was in charge and ruled the way the King wanted. The royal colonies were New York, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.
Chartered colonies were self-governed, but had written contracts, or charters, between the King and the colonists. These colonists were given the same rights and privileges as Englishmen. These colonies included Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
Despite the type of colony, up until 1764, the King basically let the colonists alone. The, in 1774, he put into a place a variety of laws and taxes, partly to pay for The French and Indian War. These included The Sugar Act, The Stamp Act, and The Quartering Act, amongst others. The colonists felt that the taxes were unfair because they did not have any representation in Parliament, part of England's ruling body. The colonists started to protest, and more laws were put into place to punish them for their protests.
In 1774, the colonists came together to form The First Continental Congress. They sent a letter to the King asking him to repeal the laws. The king ignored their request, so they started boycotting, or refusing to buy, British goods. War broke out between the colonists and England in 1775. In 1776, The Declaration of Independence was drafted and sent to the King. This stated that the colonists would no longer be ruled by the King. Instead, they would be their own country: The United States.
Also in 1776, representatives from each colony met to create The Articles of Confederation, which established the first government in the United States. This was short lived because of flaws. Watch this video for more information on The Articles of Confederation.
After The Articles of Confederation failed, The Constitution, which is our current governing document, was put into place. Check out this video for information on The Constitution.
In the 1700s, the British settlements had turned into 13 colonies. Each colony had a governor, a court system, and people advising the governor. The governor was appointed by the King and an assembly was elected by the citizens of towns. There were also three different types of colonies: proprietary, chartered, and royal.
The proprietary colonies were Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. This meant that each colony was owned by a person or a family. The could make their own laws. Eventually, the King became concerned about the amount of freedom and independence that these colonies had, so he stopped granting proprietary colonies. He also tried making them into royal colonies.
Royal colonies were established to benefit the King. A royal governor was in charge and ruled the way the King wanted. The royal colonies were New York, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.
Chartered colonies were self-governed, but had written contracts, or charters, between the King and the colonists. These colonists were given the same rights and privileges as Englishmen. These colonies included Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
Despite the type of colony, up until 1764, the King basically let the colonists alone. The, in 1774, he put into a place a variety of laws and taxes, partly to pay for The French and Indian War. These included The Sugar Act, The Stamp Act, and The Quartering Act, amongst others. The colonists felt that the taxes were unfair because they did not have any representation in Parliament, part of England's ruling body. The colonists started to protest, and more laws were put into place to punish them for their protests.
In 1774, the colonists came together to form The First Continental Congress. They sent a letter to the King asking him to repeal the laws. The king ignored their request, so they started boycotting, or refusing to buy, British goods. War broke out between the colonists and England in 1775. In 1776, The Declaration of Independence was drafted and sent to the King. This stated that the colonists would no longer be ruled by the King. Instead, they would be their own country: The United States.
Also in 1776, representatives from each colony met to create The Articles of Confederation, which established the first government in the United States. This was short lived because of flaws. Watch this video for more information on The Articles of Confederation.
After The Articles of Confederation failed, The Constitution, which is our current governing document, was put into place. Check out this video for information on The Constitution.
1800s
In 1803, Thomas Jefferson, the president at the time, made The Louisiana Purchase. This doubled the size of the United States and led to westward expansion. Check out this video on The Louisiana Purchase and westward expansion. Much of the exploration was done by Merriwether Lewis and William Clark. Check out this video.
In 1807, The Embargo Act was passed. This stopped trade with all other countries. The purpose was to try to get France and England to stop putting restrictions on American trade, but American citizens ended up suffering. The Act was repealed in 1809. These trade restrictions were ultimately a cause of The War of 1812 between United States and Great Britain. The war ultimately ended in a stalemate, which neither country gaining any territory.
In 1820, The Missouri Compromise was put into place. This compromise established a line that would determine whether new states would be slave states or free states. Missouri would be a slave state. Maine would be a free state.
The 1830s saw The Trail of Tears, a time period that amplified the bad relationships that the government had with Native Americans. Check out this video on The Trail of Tears.
The 1840s brought The Mexican-American War. The two countries were fighting over control of Texas and California. Check out this video. This led to The Compromise of 1850, which made California a free state and created The Fugitive Slave Law. This led to controversy between an already tense North and South.
The 1860s brought The Civil War. This video discusses causes of The Civil War and this video gives an overview of The Civil War. During the war, The Emancipation Proclamation was enacted, which freed slaves. In 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment was ratified, which gave all men who were citizens, regardless of race, religion, etc., the right to vote.
In 1803, Thomas Jefferson, the president at the time, made The Louisiana Purchase. This doubled the size of the United States and led to westward expansion. Check out this video on The Louisiana Purchase and westward expansion. Much of the exploration was done by Merriwether Lewis and William Clark. Check out this video.
In 1807, The Embargo Act was passed. This stopped trade with all other countries. The purpose was to try to get France and England to stop putting restrictions on American trade, but American citizens ended up suffering. The Act was repealed in 1809. These trade restrictions were ultimately a cause of The War of 1812 between United States and Great Britain. The war ultimately ended in a stalemate, which neither country gaining any territory.
In 1820, The Missouri Compromise was put into place. This compromise established a line that would determine whether new states would be slave states or free states. Missouri would be a slave state. Maine would be a free state.
The 1830s saw The Trail of Tears, a time period that amplified the bad relationships that the government had with Native Americans. Check out this video on The Trail of Tears.
The 1840s brought The Mexican-American War. The two countries were fighting over control of Texas and California. Check out this video. This led to The Compromise of 1850, which made California a free state and created The Fugitive Slave Law. This led to controversy between an already tense North and South.
The 1860s brought The Civil War. This video discusses causes of The Civil War and this video gives an overview of The Civil War. During the war, The Emancipation Proclamation was enacted, which freed slaves. In 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment was ratified, which gave all men who were citizens, regardless of race, religion, etc., the right to vote.
1900s
At the start of the 1900s, the government was hands-off when it came to regulating economy and work environments. Citizens started pushing for changes. People started complaining about poor working conditions and child labor. Muckrackers, or journalists, started writing very detailed articles about the horrible working conditions in different environments. Different unions also pushed for better working conditions, which led to strikes.
Between 1900 and 1920, things started to change. By 1910, many states had child labor laws. In 1913, the federal government started collecting income taxes. This led to the creation of different programs. Also in 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment was passed, which changed how elections for Senators worked. The Workmen's Compensation Act was passed in 1916, which helped people who were hurt on the job to get paid. In 1917, the Eighteenth Amendment was passed, which made making, selling, and transporting alcohol illegal. The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920, which gave women the right to vote.
Following this time, which was called The Progressive Era, the United States found itself involved in World War I and World War II. In between these wars, the country experienced The Great Depression. Although The Great Depression was a devastating time, there were some positive changes that came about. In the 1930s, President Roosevelt started a welfare program for people who were out of work. He also started a social security program.
Despite everything that the country had gone through, there was still not racial equality. Many southern states implemented laws called Jim Crow Laws, which required segregated schools, transportation, restrooms, water fountains, etc. This led to The Civil Rights Movement, which saw many protests, boycotts, marches, and acts of violence before changes were finally made. In 1954, The Supreme Court ruled in Brown Vs. Board of Education that segregated schools were illegal. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made Jim Crow Laws and segregation illegal. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 made it illegal to give literacy tests as a requirement to vote. This act also made it illegal to deny someone the right to vote based on race.
At the start of the 1900s, the government was hands-off when it came to regulating economy and work environments. Citizens started pushing for changes. People started complaining about poor working conditions and child labor. Muckrackers, or journalists, started writing very detailed articles about the horrible working conditions in different environments. Different unions also pushed for better working conditions, which led to strikes.
Between 1900 and 1920, things started to change. By 1910, many states had child labor laws. In 1913, the federal government started collecting income taxes. This led to the creation of different programs. Also in 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment was passed, which changed how elections for Senators worked. The Workmen's Compensation Act was passed in 1916, which helped people who were hurt on the job to get paid. In 1917, the Eighteenth Amendment was passed, which made making, selling, and transporting alcohol illegal. The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920, which gave women the right to vote.
Following this time, which was called The Progressive Era, the United States found itself involved in World War I and World War II. In between these wars, the country experienced The Great Depression. Although The Great Depression was a devastating time, there were some positive changes that came about. In the 1930s, President Roosevelt started a welfare program for people who were out of work. He also started a social security program.
Despite everything that the country had gone through, there was still not racial equality. Many southern states implemented laws called Jim Crow Laws, which required segregated schools, transportation, restrooms, water fountains, etc. This led to The Civil Rights Movement, which saw many protests, boycotts, marches, and acts of violence before changes were finally made. In 1954, The Supreme Court ruled in Brown Vs. Board of Education that segregated schools were illegal. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made Jim Crow Laws and segregation illegal. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 made it illegal to give literacy tests as a requirement to vote. This act also made it illegal to deny someone the right to vote based on race.
How Government Works
Check out these resources to learn more about how government works.
Check out these resources to learn more about how government works.
Resources to explore:
- https://bensguide.gpo.gov/j-colonial-rule-to-independence
- https://www.ducksters.com/history/colonial_america/jamestown_settlement.php
- https://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-settlement/history-jamestown/
- http://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution/causes_revolutionary_war.php
- http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/1800-1860-government-and-politics-chronology
- https://quatr.us/north-america/american-government-1900s.htm