 | Term | Definition |
| |
Magna Carter/Great Charter |
agreement that gave rights to people of England and limited the power of their monarch |
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Parliament |
lawmaking body of the English |
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Common Law |
a system of law based on precedents and customs |
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Precedent |
a ruling in an earlier case which can be used in a present case |
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Mayflower Compact |
an agreement written by pilgrims in 1620 that created rules and a direct democracy for the new colony |
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Direct Democracy |
an agreement signed in the Mayflower Compact which stated that all adult males could vote and that majority would rule |
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House of Burgesses |
a lawamaking body which marked the beginning of representative self-government in Virginia |
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Town Meetings |
gatherings of local citizens to discuss and vote on important issues |
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Natural Rights |
a political theory that individuals have basic rights given to them by nature or God that no individual or government can deny |
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Common good/Civic Virtue |
the good of a community |
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Continental Congress |
either of two legislative congresses during and after the Revolutionary War |
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1st Continental Congress |
September 5 to October 26, 1774, to petition the British government for a redress of grievances |
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2nd Continental Congress |
May 10, 1775, to 1789, which issued the Declaration of Independence and established the Articles of Confederation |
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English Bill of Rights |
the first 10 amendments to the Constitution |
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Limited Government |
when a governments powers become limited |
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Republic |
a colony in which the supreme power rests in the body of the citizens who are entitled to vote |
