Final answer:
Constitutional freedoms in the 13 colonies are rooted in their various charters and declarations that emphasized religious freedom, rights as English citizens, and the consent of the governed as the basis for political authority. The Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Statute of Religious Freedom were pivotal in shaping the U.S. Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The evidence of constitutional freedoms in different governments across the 13 colonies can be traced back to the various charters and declarations made during the Pre-revolutionary period. Religious freedom was a significant motivation for Europeans to venture to the American colonies, evidenced by the religious diversity of Puritans in Massachusetts, Quakers in Pennsylvania, Catholics in Maryland, and the founding of Rhode Island as a colony of religious freedom.
Colonial comparison shows that American colonists absorbed British models of governance and these eventually led to their decision to revolt against British rule, as colonists perceived their English liberties were being abused.
In the eighteenth century, colonial leaders insisted on their rights as English and eventually into the state constitutions adopted during the American Revolution. The experiences of New York's assembly creating the "Charter of Liberties and Privileges" and Pennsylvania's adoption of the "Great Law" reflected the colonists' desire for limited government and fundamental rights.
The Articles of Confederation and the subsequent development of the Constitution further illustrate the colonists’ commitment to establishing a government that recognized and protected individual liberties.
Many states, like Virginia, sought to define the people's liberties before creating governments. This resulted in the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Statute of Religious Freedom, which became building blocks for the U.S. Constitution.
The period following independence saw various new governments formed, with constitutions reflecting the principle that the consent of the governed was the only true source of political authority, although the approach to governance varied from state to state.