American Identity

1. Do Now
When do you feel our country is
most united? Can you think of
any recent examples? (Specific
events?)

2. Learning Target
• I will be able to explain the specific
events that encouraged the very separate
English colonies to come together and
unite as Americans.
• Look at pic on p. 118!!

4. Essential Question
• What caused the 13 English colonies
to come together and eventually unite
as Americans in their fight for
freedom against England?
• What caused an American Identity??

5. ThinkThink….….
Imagine you are heading off toImagine you are heading off to
college.college.
Analyze:Analyze:
How will yourHow will your identityidentity change?change?

6. England =
England had colonies,
my parents had children.
My Parents

7. 13 English
Colonies =
Me, in high school

8. Think….Think….
What causedWhat caused mymy identify toidentify to
change?change?
What caused 13What caused 13 EnglishEnglish
colonies to become 13 unitedcolonies to become 13 united
AmericanAmerican colonies?colonies?

9. 1. Magna Carta
Issued in the year 1215.
This document was one of the earliest and most
direct attempts to stop the King of England from
abusing his power.
Given rights under the Magna Carta:
A free man could not be imprisoned without going
through the court system. His property could not
be seized without the approval of a council.

10. 2. Parliament
Parliament is a representative government
because citizens vote for people to
represent them in government.
It is the equivalent of our U.S.
Congress today.

11. Why do you think the English
Parliament was an unfavorable
form of government in the eyes
of the colonists?
Hint: We discussed it earlier!

12. 3. English Bill of
Rights 1689
A transfer of greater power from the King to
Parliament.
Gave the people of England more rights.
Made Parliament stronger & the King
weaker.

13. 4. The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a time in which
European philosophers began to
encourage people to question things, and
not just accept the ways of the past.

14. John Locke, a British philosopher argued
that ALL people have the natural right
to 3 things.
1. Life
2. Liberty
3. Property

15. Social Contract
A social contract was frequently discussed by
Enlightenment philosophers.
This was the idea that rulers must protect the
rights of their citizens, if not, the citizens have
the right to replace those rulers.

16. How do you think the
Enlightenment influenced
English colonists?

17. Mr. Pennington goes to
college…• I can go out whenever I want.
• I don’t have to let my parents know where I am.
• My parents have little to no say over what I do at college
• I form my own beliefs, and become my own person.
England neglects its colonies...
• The 13 colonies are able to trade with non-British colonies.
• They become more economically and politically isolated.
• They were able to govern themselves (self-govern).
• They started to form their own identity as Americans.

18. 5. Salutary Neglect
Salutary neglect occurred when England
decided to focus more on European
politics and less on the enforcement of
strict regulations imposed on its
colonies.
This allowed the 13 colonies to prosper
economically and politically as they traded
with non-British colonies, and explored
the ideas of self-governing.

19. In 2002….
Mr. P graduates from
college and is forced to
move home to save
money while he
completes graduate
school. He struggles to
obey his parents
rules/wishes.

20. In 1763…
This unwritten
English policy
known as “salutary
neglect” comes to
an end when
England tries to
impose stricter
control over the
American colonies.

21. When Mr. P moved home, his
parents (England) tried to
enforce certain rules.
• Navigation Acts are enacted in 1760’s.
• American colonies can only trade with Britain.
• Colonists cannot move west of the Appalachian Mts.
• Britain (Parliament) starts to TAX the colonists for the
first time. Colonists were used to taxing themselves.

22. When the policy of “salutary
neglect” came to an end, how
do you think the 13 colonies
reacted?

23. They became American!!
- They organized into groups.
- They protested.
- They rebelled and revolted.
- They tried to make a (temporary) national
government.
13 separate English colonies became
13 American colonies, which in time
became the U S of A

24. Closure
What is the analogy?
1. My parents are just like the ____.
2. Mr. P in high school is just like ____.
3. Mr. P in college is just like ____.
4. Mr. P moving back home is just like____
in the year 17____.
5. The rules Mr. P had to live with when he
moved back home are just like ____.

25. Closure
1. What document first limited the power of
the King of England?
2. What was the representative government
that was created in that document?
3. What give Englishmen (and Parliament) more
rights and power, and the King less?
4. What was the intellectual movement in which
John Locke was a leading philosopher?
5. What is the vocab word for England having a
“hands off” policy toward her colonies?
6. What year did that change?

26. Homework
Read 5.2 (pages 125-129) in your
textbook.
Then fill in the graphic organizer.