Clause 14: "To obtain the general consent for a tax in Great Britain [England] we will cause the great council, made up of men who represent the people of England to be summoned individually by letter… they will come together on a fixed day and at a fixed place. … the decision about creating or collecting taxes on that day will be made by a decision reached by vote of majority rule of the representatives of the people…The King shall follow the will of the great council, the King shall not raise or levy taxes on his own accord" Source: Magna Carta, England, 1215 Consumption, trade, and slavery drew the colonies closer to Great Britain, but politics and government split them further apart. Democracy in Europe more closely resembled oligarchies rather than republics, with only elite members of society eligible to serve in elected positions. Most European states did not hold regular elections, with Britain and the Dutch Republic being the two major exceptions. However, even in th