1. Assess the democratic characteristics in the English Colonies in the context of Massachusetts and Virginia
Plymouth: Plymouth was a colony settled by Pilgrims who were religious separatists. They migrated to America to maintain their English identity. Since they didn't have a royal charter, they created the Mayflower Compact. It was essentially the first American constitution. The Puritans created a political structure that highlighted their self-governing and religious attitudes. They were religiously tolerant, and they became a vibrant and healthy community. Over time, their colony grew, so they created a legal code, which formed a representative self-government, political rights, and religious freedom. This created a stable democratic political foundation for the colony.
Massachusetts: The settlers of the Massachusetts Bay colony, led by John Winthrop, were Puritans seeking a religious haven for the prosecuted Puritans in England. They were originally a joint-stock company, but they created a representative political system that included a governor, council, and assembly. Although they were generally democratic, they did not tolerate other religions in their colony.
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Document A talks about what would be done in the theoretical situation of an invasion and what measures should be taken for defense. This represents the territorial debates that the colonies faced and concerns about security. Document B sort of highlights pre-democratic American ways where important leaders are given their positions and aren't elected by the public, which, obviously, will change later on. However, this was a problem in pre-democratic America. The absence of a central government besides small local governments is noted in both of the documents as well. Document C touches on the reasons in which some didn't want a government like that because resistance against taxes and such. This was one of the central arguments against the Albany