Question

puritans
other settlers soon followed. more than 1,000 english puritans sailed into massachusetts bay on several ships. they founded many towns and set up a church that enforced strict religious beliefs. puritans who did not follow these rules were expelled, and some set up other colonies. other colonies were led by people who believed in freedom of religion. pennsylvania, for example, was a haven for religious minorities.
the people in other colonies set up rules for their settlements. in 1639, leaders in the colony of connecticut met to sign a charter called the fundamental orders of connecticut. a charter is a written code of rules or laws. the charter gave colonists who owned land the right to vote for people to lead the colony. the fundamental orders of connecticut is the first attempt of colonists to establish a government with a constitution. it later helped to shape the us constitution.

think about social studies
directions: choose the best answer to the following question.

1. what was the significance of the fundamental orders of connecticut?

a. it established strict religious laws.
b. it was americas first written constitution.
c. it established a charter for a new colony.
d. it separated colonists from the church of england.

the american revolution
as time went on, colonists grew separate from england. policies that seemed reasonable to britains king and parliament outraged the colonists.

stamp act
in 1765 parliament passed a law called the stamp act that imposed a new tax on the colonies. many colonists believed that the stamp act threatened a basic right. until then, the colonists were taxed only by representatives they elected to their colonial legislatures. with the stamp act, they were taxed by british parliament, where they had no representatives.
o taxation without representation,\ they protested. many agreed to boycott, or refuse to buy, english goods. under pressure from british merchants, parliament decided to repeal, or cancel, the stamp act in 1766. however, it still insisted it had the right to tax the colonies.

boston massacre
in 1767, charles townshend, the british finance minister, came up with a new plan that taxed glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. knowing what anger this would cause in the colonies, british customs officers insisted upon having soldiers to protect them. in protest, some people in boston rioted in the streets. on march 5, 1770, a boston mob attacked some troops with clubs and snowballs. in the confusion, the soldiers fired into the crowd. five rioters were killed, including crispus attucks, an african american. this conflict is known as the boston massacre.

Explanation:

The text states the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was the first attempt by colonists to establish a government with a constitution, and it helped shape the US Constitution. Option A refers to Puritan religious laws, not this charter. Option C is incorrect as it was not a charter for a new colony, but a governing document for an existing one. Option D is unrelated to this charter's purpose.

Answer:

B. It was America's first written constitution.