Documents of Freedom: A Look at the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution
Chapter 1 SEEKING FREEDOM In the 1600s people from Europe settled on the eastern coast of North America Their settlements were called colonies Settlers from Europe build a home and carry supplies to shore in this drawing What were the Europeans settlements called 4
For many years Great Britain and its king ruled the thirteen colonies set up in North America That meant people in these colonies had to obey Britain’s laws By the mid-1700s many colonists had grown tired of obeying Britain They didn’t like Britain’s king George III The colonists had come to America to find freedom But they had to obey the king whether they liked it or not King George III ruled Britain from 1760 to 1820 He also ruled the colonies in North America 5
The part of Britain’s government that makes laws is called Parliament Colonists also had to obey Parliament People in Britain had to obey Parliament too But they could vote for Parliament’s members The colonists couldn’t This painting shows Parliament meeting in the early 1700s 6
Stamp Act In 1765 Parliament passed the Stamp Act This law said colonists had to pay a tax on paper goods The Stamp Act angered the colonists They protested In 1766 Parliament ended the law People in New York protest the Stamp Act by burning paper goods 7
