Question

Describe five ways that the colonial experience prepared the united states for a constitution.

Answer 1

1. The distance between the colonies and the seat of power in England was much - three thousand miles away! So basically, the colonies ignored the authorities back in England. This is know as SALUTARY NEGLECT.

2. Starting from 1620, with the House of Burgesses, every colony had its own elected legislative government officers. The growth of the country was marked with arguments about representation- this, in a way prepared them for the debate over the constitution.

3. A lot of the colonies began by establishing mutual agreements between the settlers. These agreements were called compacts or covenants; these were the preamble to the U,S Constitution.

4. A good number of colonies developed the idea of practicing their religion in peace without government interference. Other fundamental rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press followed suit. These fundamental rights were the single greatest issue in the debate over whether or not to accept the new constitution.

5. After the colonies broke ties with England, their borders became quite insecure, and this helped inspire the colonists to adopt a strong central government.