Lesson 6: Why Did American Colonists Want to Free Themselves from Great Britain?

Terms

compact  A formal contract or agreement between or among two or more parties or states. The Mayflower Compact of 1620 was such a formal agreement.

law of nature  In natural rights philosophy, moral rules found out by correctly applied reason or right reason, telling persons what they may and may not do in various circumstances. In philosophy, laws of nature have often referred to the rules that would prevail in the absence of man–made law. Natural law is conceived to contain standards of justice that apply to all people.

sovereignty  The ultimate, supreme power in a state. Democratic theory states that the people as a whole are sovereign (See popular sovereignty); the citizens of the United States constitute the sovereign people.

writ of assistance  A document giving a governmental authority the power to search and seize property without restrictions. Abolished in American law, the use of such writs by the British government was a major issue during some phases of the American Revolution.