Freedom of Religion
The ability to choose where to go to church, and which religion to
believe.
Freedom of Assembly
The ability to meet with other people and discuss any topic you
want.
Assembly: When people meet for a particular reason/cause.
Freedom to Petition
The ability to tell the government what you do not like and want
to see changed.
Petition : To write a letter to the government asking for change.
Freedom of the Press
The ability to read newspapers, watch television, and listen to
the radio without the government censoring
the information received.
Freedom of Speech
The government cannot stop you from speaking your mind on every
issue.
Americans got their rights and freedoms: English colonists came to
America wanting the same if not more rights and freedoms of their
ancestors.
In the Middle Ages, ordinary people had no rights at all Magna
Carta: Document of English political and civil liberties granted
by King John in 1215.
Trial by jury
Jury rights were first won: Magna Carta said wealthy landowners
could not be thrown in jail without first being tried in an open court
with a jury deciding whether they were guilty or not guilty.
Right of representation for taxation
The English Bill of Rights
English Bill of Rights: Signed in 1689
United States Bill of Rights: Signed in 1791 (1791-1689, 102 years)
Freedom of speech first won: English Bill of Rights, 1689.
Magna Carta: Signed 1215
English Bill of Rights: Signed 1689 (1689 - 1215, 474 years)
More men get the right to vote
The right to freedom of religion
British colonists get freedom of religion by establishing
colonies based on principle of religious tolerance.
Literacy
developed in the 13 Colonies
The right to freedom of the press developed in the 13 Colonies. Being
able to read and write is important to representative government:
Voters can make good decisions about how to vote by learning important
ideas and beliefs from reading and studying.
Problem for John Zenger: He was punished for printing the truth in
his newspaper.
Solution to John Zenger's problem: English Bill of Rights guaranteed
him a trial by jury-the colonists were not as judgmental
or prejudiced.
The right of trial by jury made freedom of
press possible.
