Overview

From the early colonial period to the American Revolution, the political institutions and public policies of what became the United States developed through a combination of inherited British traditions and locally driven innovation. Colonists formed representative assemblies, challenged imperial control, and eventually articulated the foundations of American constitutional government.

Key Themes and Events

• Colonial Charters and Local Government: Each colony operated under a charter granted by the British Crown. Colonists formed elected assemblies, like Virginia’s House of Burgesses (1619), which marked the beginnings of self-rule in North America.
• Town Meetings and Direct Democracy: Especially in New England, colonists engaged in local governance through town meetings that influenced broader democratic traditions.
• Imperial Control and Colonial Resistance: As the British government increased regulation (e.g., Navigation Acts, Proclamation of 1763), colonial resistance grew, particularly after the Stamp Act (1765) and Intolerable Acts (1774).
• First and Second Continental Congresses: These intercolonial assemblies coordinated responses to British policies and began moving toward independence. The Second Congress ultimately adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
• The Articles of Confederation: America’s first constitution created a weak central government and demonstrated the challenges of governing a new nation without strong federal authority.
• Constitutional Thought and Debates: Influenced by Enlightenment thinkers, colonial leaders like Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton developed political philosophies about liberty, representation, and the rule of law that would shape the U.S. Constitution.

Quick Tip

Focus on how colonial self-governance laid the foundation for American independence. Know key turning points like the Stamp Act crisis, the formation of intercolonial congresses, and the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.