64

There may be ever so much excitement upon some question, but the people do not elect a new Congress to deal with that particular question. The Congress in which the question arises must deal with it or the settlement is delayed until the next regular election. Even then the people do not elect members of Congress with regard to one question alone. They elect congressmen to represent them for a definite period of years in dealing with any questions that may arise during that time. The English system is much more like direct government than the American system. In England one particular measure is usually in the mind of the voter. America a large number of measures make up the platform In of a party. The candidate is of much greater importance in America than he is in England.

In the House of Commons the political leaders are relatively far more important than the political leaders in Congress. About all the ordinary member of the House of Commons can do is to vote as his leaders direct. He does not introduce bills, is never responsible for the passage of a measure and does not debate unless assigned by the leaders to do so. In Congress any member may introduce bills, or debate and each member must look after bills in which he is particularly interested. No one is bound to vote with the leader of his party to prevent his term of office from coming to an abrupt close.

Suggested Activities.

1. Dramatize informally the following five steps in the development of Representative Government:

Act I.

The Early Charters. (You may have four scenes.)
Scene 1. William the Conqueror gives the men of London
a written document in which he agrees to rule
by the laws of Edward the Confessor.

Act II.

Scene 2. Henry I gives a new charter renewing the prom. ises to rule by the laws of Edward the Confessor. Scene 3. Henry II draws up still another document containing the laws of Edward the Confessor.

Scene 4. Richard the Lion Hearted sells charters to many of the towns of England.

The Great Charter.

King John meets his barons at Runnymede, 1215, and signs and seals the famous Magna Charta.

Act III. The Petition of Rights.

Charles I signs the Petition of Rights which establishes the principle of no taxation without representation.

Act IV. The Bill of Rights.

Act V.

William III is compelled to sign the Bill of Rights.
America's Contribution to Representative Government.
(You may have three scenes.)

Scene 1. Signing the Declaration of Independence.
Scene 2. The Surrender of Cornwallis-as a result of
which the English Government recognized the
Independence of the American Colonies.

Scene 3. Adoption of the Constitution of the United

States.

These are incidents of importance in the history of representative government. Each act may be introduced by a brief discussion of the historical background of the incident and a statement of the rights and privileges each document guarantees. The possibilities of using pupils from other grades to make up the necessary "retainers," "barons" and "signers of the Constitution" is apparent.

The pupil's efforts may at first seem crude and the task formidable, but if they result in spontaneous reaction to the knowledge gained from the study of this chapter the efforts of both teacher and pupils will be highly repaid. This furnishes an opportunity for the child to do original work and original work is after all the goal in education. 2. Choose sides and debate one or more of the following questions: (a) Resolved, that representation should be by territorial units instead of by classes.

(b) Resolved, that a congressman should support a measure that is of unquestioned value to the whole country although it may be detrimental to his own district or state.

Study Questions.

1. Show how the use of representatives increased the number who could co-operate in democratic government.

2. How did early Anglo-Saxons practice the idea of representation? 3. How did early charters granted by the kings of England contribute to the growth of representative government?

4. How did the method of obtaining the Magna Charta differ from that of earlier charters?

5. Why was membership in early Parliaments unpopular?

6. What is meant by saying that English history before the Revolutionary War is our history?

7. In English Parliament members represented classes. Why was this plan not satisfactory to colonial America? What do you understand by "class distinctions?"

8. Why is the Constitution of the United States called a great charter of liberty?

9. What proportion of the English people came within the provisions of the Magna Charta?

10. Inventions made use of machines in great factories more profitable than hand work. As a result many factory villages and cities grew rapidly in England. Many such changes of this kind constituted what is called the "Industrial Revolution." More and more people lived in cities. How did the change affect the demand for the right to vote?

11. How and when was the right to vote given to women?

12. What do you understand by the statement, "representative government is a priceless heritage?"

13. Explain: "A congressman has a double representative responsibility."

14. How may representatives of class interests honestly influence law-making? What is a "lobbyist?"

To get the thought expressed in this chapter you must understand these words and phrases as used on the pages indicated. Write a statement employing each.

Liberty and Union. The Constitution of the United States stands for two distinct ideas which have been declared to be inseparable-Liberty and Union. It is the greatest charter of liberty ever given to the world. It included the important provisions won by Englishmen in their struggles with kings. In addition it contained prohibitions and guarantees intended to prevent a repetition of the tyranny which the colonies had suffered under George III.

The Constitution was more than a charter of liberty. It was the first written constitution of a national state-the first document in the world's history which created an organized national government. Liberty had been developed through centuries of conflict in England and America; union of all Americans under one government was a new idea requiring time for its acceptance among the scattered colonies.

Isolation of the Colonies. The first English colonies in America were separated from each other by great distances.

Usually the only way of communicating between them was by water. People could travel along the sea coast and up a river in boats, but it was easier to find a ship going to England than going from colony to colony. The people of one colony frequently were in different circumstances and had different customs, ideals and religion, from those in other colonies. For example, the Quakers of Pennsylvania, the Puritans of Massachusetts, the Cavaliers of Virginia, the Dutch of New York and the freed debtors of Georgia each had marked peculiarities.

In spite of these differences, the colonies were enough alike to make union possible. Four-fifths of the people spoke the English language; they had the heritage of English customs and law. Only immediate needs and common problems were necessary to bring about union. Though difficulty of communication among the colonies retarded growth of union, each problem solved strengthened the idea.

The New England Confederation. The first common need was that of protection from the Indians and foreign colonies. In New England in 1643 there were five colonies located comparatively near each other, having similar religious beliefs and similar customs. Four of these colonies, Connecticut, New Haven, Massachusetts and Plymouth, formed a union called the New England Confederation. Their purpose was defense against the Indians and Dutch. This league continued to exist for forty years; traces of it may be found in the Constitution of the United States.

The Albany Congress. The next need which became common to a number of colonies was that of protection from the French and Indians. Between 1689 and 1763 France and England fought four long wars. Naturally the French and