Charters of the Virginia Company of London (1606)
Guaranteed the rights of _ Englishmen _ to the colonists
Declaration of Independence (1776)
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Stated _ grievances _ (complaints) against the King of __ Great Britain ___
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Declared the _colonies’_ independence from
_ Great Britain _
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Affirmed “certain _ unalienable __ rights” (rights that cannot be taken away) which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. , that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776)
Served as a model for the _ Bill of Rights _ of the Constitution of the United States of
America
The Articles of Confederation (1777)
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Established the structure of the first form of national __ government __ for the _ independent _ states
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Maintained that the major _ powers _ resided with
(were the responsibilities of) the individual
__ states __
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Created weak _ central _ government o No power to __ tax _ or _ enforce _ laws
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Weaknesses led to the writing of the Constitution of the United States of America Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786)
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Provides for freedom of _ religious beliefs _ and _ opinions _
The United States Constitution (1787) and the Bill of Rights (1791)
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Establishes the structure of the _United States government_
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Guarantees __equality_ under the law with _majority rule_ (most votes wins) and the rights of the
_minority_ (a group differing from the majority) protected
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Affirms individual worth and dignity of _ALL_ people
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Protects the fundamental _freedoms_ of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.