When the first settlers came to America, self government and government by the consent of the governed was the way they kept some kind of law and order in the settlements. The people of the community voted on certain issues, by the raising of hands. If the majority of the hands were raised the situation will be acted upon, if not enough hands were raised it would be denied and nothing will happen. This was the case with the fist settlement at Jamestown. The joint-stock company, known as the Virginia Company, received a charter from King James I to settle in the New World. This Charter was very significant. "It guaranteed to the oversea settlers the same rights of Englishmen that they would have enjoyed if they had stayed at home. This precious boon was gradually extended to the other English colonies and became a foundatio

This self-government was adopted by many settlements in pre-colonial America. In the new Connecticut River colony, the people there drafted a document known as the "Fundamental Orders". It was later known to be a modern constitution for that state. This document stated an establish regime democratically controlled by the "substantial" citizens. This kind of effect was happening everywhere

The right to worship freely was the main purpose why many religious people came to the New World. With the thought of Calvinism in the air the New World seem the best placed to go. A group that became famous for leaving Europe for religious purposes was a congregation of separatists that left Holland in 1608. They left to America from Europe in the famous ship the Mayflower. They received right to settle under the Virginia's company jurisdictions, but ended up landing on the coast of New England. This mishap was good in a way. Since they was not in the in the Virginia company's land they were label as squatters and set up their own government called the "Mayflower Compact". Not knowing this...this document would be an invaluable precedent to the many different state and federal constitution written in the future. The Mayflower Compact was truly the first organized democracy in America in that it was not tied to the British parliament or Europe in any way

The second event that soundly establishes America's democracy was a government based on written documents. In London, England and other countries around the world at this time, monarchy was the primary way of ruling. In a monarchy the rulers' voice is the last word on an issue. Remember that Americas democracy system was an experiment when it first began. The Greeks tried a democracy and failed and the Roman

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Approximate Word count = 1186
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)