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CL-Unit 02 Vocabular
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Magna Carta | A written legal agreement signed in 1215 by King John that limited the English monarch's power, effectively ending the absolute monarchy and offering protections to the people. |
Petition of Right | A constitutional document in England, signed in 1628 by King Charles I that laid out specific protections against the state |
English Bill of Rights | Act signed in 1689 signed by King William III and Queen Mary II which outlined specific constitutional and civil rights, and which gave the parliament power of the monarchy. |
Social Contract | An agreement by which people give up freedoms to a leader who can ensure protection of their rights |
Natural Laws | Unchanging moral principles and rights, such as Locke's "life, liberty, and property" |
Checks and Balances | A system of government that separated government power and then creating "checks" in the system to ensures one branch of government does not gain too much power |
Mayflower Compact | A formal document written by the passengers of the Mayflower upon landing in North America that outlined the governing system of the Plymouth colony. |
"Common Sense" | A pamphlet published by Thomas Payne in 1775 or 1776 that advocated for the independence of the American colonists from Great Britain |
Virginia Declaration of Rights | A document drafted in 1776 by George Mason that declared the inherent rights of man, and became the basis for the Declaration of Independence |
Declaration of Independence | Document written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson that declared the American colonists' intention to break away from British rule |