Ep. 2: The Common Law (London, England 1606).

On April 10th, 1606, James I of England issued the 1606 First Virginia Charter, which created the Virginia Company, authorizing Englishmen to colonize the Americas, particularly Virginia (named in honor of both the Virgin Mary and his predecessor, Queen Elizabeth the first).

It is extremely important to understand this legal charter because it influenced the thinking of the colonists. Sloppy courses in American History start with the colonists’ anger over King George the third’s tyrannical arrogance to tax the colonies without their consent, but they fail to explain why that was illegal in the first place. Soon you will know...

This series is presented by Reed Simonsen & Ron Garrard and is based on the book series by the same name available on Amazon and at various other retailers. The artwork "The Prayer at Valley Forge" by Arnold Friberg is used by permission of Friberg Fine Arts.

Transcript

SPEAKER_07 0:15

Give me liberty or give me death. All men are created equally.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.

SPEAKER_07 0:27

Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem. I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. These are the times that try men's souls. I have a dream!

SPEAKER_02 0:44

I have a dream! Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute. We are the people of the United States.

SPEAKER_07 1:00

Speak softly and carry a big stick. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

I have faith that the Constitution will be saved under the righteous citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom. The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

SPEAKER_04 1:28

And not what your country can do for you.

SPEAKER_07 1:33

And what you can do for your country. Or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.

SPEAKER_05 2:08

American history stories you never read in school, but should have.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

It is extremely important to understand this legal charter, because it influenced the thinking of the colonists. Sloppy courses in American history start with the colonists' anger over King George III's tyrannical arrogance to tax the colonies without their consent, but they failed to explain why that was illegal in the first place. In short, on British land, all subjects of the English crown had the legal right to representation in Parliament. True, this was limited to the commoners because of the House of Lords, but it was still seen as a fundamental right that made being a British citizen worth the birthright. We could write the long, boring legal chapter, but why do that when we can sing instead?

SPEAKER_05 3:43

In London halls with candlelight and seal of crimson wax, a kingdom dream beyond the seas, beyond the known world maps. James, by grace of God, a king set quill to parchment fair, and spoke of woods and distant shores, and futures planned there. To merchants, sailors, farmers, golden souls who dared the foam. He granted leave to cross the deep and build another home. No crown of gold, no throne of stone awaited in that land, but lore and right an English breath held firm by royal hand. Across the sea and bound by law, the crown still guarantees. Not strangers, as if you were native born in England. You may inherit by and sell hold justice, speak and pray. No lesser blood shall mark your name because you sailed away. The common law shall cross the tide, the charter be your shield, in forest dark and tide water. Your rights shall not be stealed. Yet seeds once stone in royal ink grew roots beyond its tide. For liberty twants promise, bloom in unexpected light. What came as grace from sovereign lips would one day be acclaimed. When subjects learn their rights, could stand apart from crown and name. As if you were native born in England. No distant shore, no foreign soil shall strip what law decrees. You stand as heirs, not exiles, as if you were native born in England. A charter meant to bind the world, would teach the world to stand for rights once given as a gift would be held by their own hand. From Jamestown's march to future towns, from oath to argument, those written words outlive the king, the age, the government. For men who taste inherited right, will ask one question then. If rights are roused by birth and law, why bow to kings of men? By royal decree, you shall forever have and enjoy all liberties, as if you were native born in England. What once was dead by crown and steel would echo through the centuries. We stand as free born people, as if native born no crown required, as if native born.

SPEAKER_02 8:22

In terms of God, the terror caused by centuries of oppression by the Catholic Church led many to escape Europe in order to escape religious tyranny, while others felt called of God by one organization or another to come to the colonies to preach to the natives here, as well as anyone else who would listen. In terms of glory, many of the early colonists were the younger sons of powerful English nobles. Since it was understood that the eldest son inherited his father's lands and titles, the younger sons were eager to find a place where they could build their own dynasty. It took a lot of money to cross the Atlantic Ocean, and so it was these powerful young sons who made it possible. In terms of gold, well that speaks for itself. Old worlders all wanted gold, be they the dynasties of China in the Far East or the royal houses of Europe to the west. Gold was power and wealth. When it was discovered that the natives of the Americas didn't prize gold that much above its beauty and ornamentation, and the fact that they had a lot of it, it didn't take long for the old world tyrants to set their sights on it. Other than metallic gold, the other gold was the vast natural resources that were ready for the taking. It is this type of gold that particularly caught the attention of the Virginia Company and the settlers and businessmen who secured the promise of full English citizens' rights in the New World. It was not long before the powerful British lords in England decided that they had the power to circumvent King James's charter. When the colonists complained that binding laws were being made to which they had no representation, the Brits told us that we had better just accept it. They were the lords, and we were the nothings. A very clear example of how this type of thinking affected us comes from the life of young George Washington. George grew up wanting to be an officer in the British Army. He admired the discipline, brotherhood, and masculine sense of camaraderie found in the Army ranks. Being a younger son of a single mother, he found in the ideal of military life as being the manly upbringing, he felt he had been denied. However, when young Washington joined up, as a young, proud British lad, he learned that not being born on the island of Britain, he could never hope to obtain a rank higher than a junior officer, lieutenant colonel, if he was lucky. Why? Because he was not considered a true Brit, having been born away from that small island across the sea. It was social discrimination, literally shoved in our faces, that really ruffled our proud founding fathers. In England, the common man was used to be treated like dirt by nobles who basically got away with anything that they could wiggle out of. In the Americas, where every single piece of land wasn't already held by some old arrogant family, we saw the world differently. Plus, we had a charter from the king saying that we were just as British as they are. When it became clear that we were not, the question started to rise. We haven't needed bossy England telling us what to do for over a hundred years. Do we really need them now? And of course we didn't.

SPEAKER_05 11:48

Not England's daughter's rosy cheek, nor Scotland's lassies fair, nor Aaron's blooming maidens can with Yankee girls compare. Though what they tell us that their charms are very true, maybe. They'll not compare with Yankee girls, the Yankee girls from the Byron of Italian maids in blowing numbers. Not come the universe produced with Yankee Girls to buy.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

That depends on you. May God continue to bless and save America.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

American History Stories, you never read in school but should have, is here presented by Reed R. Simonson and Ron Girard. It is based on the books of the same title by Mara Pratt MD and Reed R. Simonson. They are available in various volumes from book dealers and on Amazon. The Prayer at Valley Forge by Arnold Freeberg is used with permission of Freeberg Fine Art. Copyright Randall Co Press, all rights reserved. See you next time.