Govt 421 Exam 2

Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1578)

First attempt at British colonization in Newfoundland, which failed.

Sir Walter Raleigh (1585)

Sponsored the Roanoke Colony in present-day North Carolina, which mysteriously disappeared.

Queen Elizabeth I

Monarch who authorized early colonization expeditions through patents (charters).

Chartered Liberties

Rights of Englishmen conveyed to America through early colonization attempts.

Jamestown (1607)

First permanent British colony in North America, established by the Virginia Company.

Final colonization charter

Georgia in 1733

King James I

Monarch who authorized the Virginia Company charter for Jamestown.

Corporate (Charter) Colonies

Colonies granted charters by the Crown but governed themselves under English law (e.g., Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut).

Proprietary Colonies

Land granted to individuals who ruled as proprietors with semi-feudal authority (e.g., Pennsylvania, Maryland).

Colonization was authorized through

royal charters, which served as proto-constitutions

Royal Colonies

Colonies directly under the control of the King (e.g., Virginia after 1624).

What does the Reformed Hermeneutic focus on?

Grammatical-Historical Interpretation.

What are the key elements of Grammatical-Historical Interpretation?

Original language, historical context, and cultural meaning.

Protestant Reformation (1517-1648)

16th-century movement initiated by Martin Luther and John Calvin, emphasizing Sola Scriptura.

Biblical Republicanism

Political philosophy promoting self-government, rule of law, and checks and balances based on Biblical principles.

Doctrine of the Lower Magistrate

Principle stating lesser magistrates have the duty to resist higher authorities when they enact unjust laws.

John Adams's Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law (1765)

Political essay arguing that civil and ecclesiastical tyranny formed a wicked confederacy against liberty.

"Wicked Confederacy"

Term used by John Adams to describe the alliance between the Roman Catholic Church and feudal monarchies.

Mayflower Compact (1620)

Covenantal agreement establishing self-government under God, considered America's first proto-constitution.

Federalism and Dual Sovereignty

Political system where power is divided between national and state governments, influenced by Reformed political theology.

English Civil War and Puritan Revolutions (1642-1660)

Conflicts advancing constitutional government and religious liberty.

Online Library of Liberty (OLL)

Houses key texts on constitutionalism and liberty.

EEBO (Early English Books Online)

Provides access to primary sources from the Reformation and early modern Britain.

British Library and Thomason Tracts

Contain original political writings from the English Civil War period.

Post-Reformation Digital Library

Includes Reformation-era theological and political texts.

Making of Modern Law (MML)

Contains legal texts and documents foundational to modern law.

Loeb Classical Library

Harvard University Press collection containing classical writings.

Hein Online

Database of law-related journals.

Significant Liberty Principles

Pre-existing legal framework and transcendent law.

Inalienable rights

Rights of individuals that cannot be surrendered or transferred.

Doctrine of imago Dei

Rooted in Genesis 1:27, it signifies that humans are created in the image of God and have inalienable rights.

Limited civil government

The magistrate is under divine authority, reflecting the Reformed understanding of law.

Consent of the governed

Inspired by the Puritan political tradition, shown in colonial covenants.

Puritan political tradition

Inspired self-government and political covenants rooted in Biblical covenant theology.

Separation of ecclesiastical and civil authority

Prevents corruption of church by state and vice versa.

Republicanism and federalism

System with checks and balances derived from Scripture and Reformation thought.

Sola Scriptura

Doctrine asserting Scripture alone as the final authority.

Ecclesiastical and civil sovereignty

Question of who holds authority: Pope, civil magistrate, or people under God.

What is the title of John Adams's work that discusses civil and ecclesiastical tyranny?

Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law

What is the main thesis of John Adams's Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law?

Civil and ecclesiastical tyranny formed a wicked confederacy to suppress liberty.

What event does John Adams argue broke the confederacy of tyranny in his Dissertation?

The Protestant Reformation

The Stamp Act of 1765

Event that provoked Adams's tract.

Biblical Republicanism was adopted by

British Commonwealthsmen, endorsed separation of civil and ecclesiastical authorities

New Hermeneutic

New grammatical and historical approach to the Scriptures.

Christian Humanism

Scholars promoting return to original sources (ad fontes) and applying Renaissance interpretation to the Bible.

Vernacular Bible

Translation of the Bible into common languages, democratizing access.

"The Bible applies to the whole of life" meaning

Dictum meaning Scriptures are relevant to all aspects of human existence

"The Bible applies to the whole of life" significance

Provided moral and ethical foundation for America's institutions, fostering literacy, education, and civic responsibility

Geneva Bible unique contents

Extensive marginal notes with Reformed theological perspectives, first English Bible with numbered verses.

Geneva Bible political consequences

Promoted resistance to tyranny, influenced Puritan political thought, and contributed to republican ideas and separation of church and state.

John Locke: Two Treatises of Government

Discusses natural rights, government by consent, and separation of powers.

Samuel Rutherford: Lex, Rex

Discusses rule of law, king subject to God's law.

Hugo Grotius: De Jure Belli ac Pacis

Discusses natural law, just war theory, and international law.

Baron de Montesquieu: The Spirit of Laws

Discusses separation of powers and checks and balances.

William Blackstone: Commentaries on the Laws of England

Legal reference that influenced American common law.

Algernon Sidney: Discourses Concerning Government

Discusses republican government and resistance to tyranny.

John Locke

Two Treatises of Government

Samuel Rutherford

Lex, Rex

Hugo Grotius

De Jure Belli ac Pacis

Baron de Montesquieu

The Spirit of Laws

William Blackstone

Commentaries on the Laws of England

Algernon Sidney

Discourses Concerning Government

Thomas Paine

Criticized organized religion in The Age of Reason.

Thomas Jefferson

Created the Jefferson Bible focusing on Jesus's moral teachings, excluded miracles.

Benjamin Rush

Advocated for Bible use in schools and founded Philadelphia Bible Society.