Colonial Democracy? Essay example

For some British thinkers, the word “Democracy” was directly used for referring to the “House of Commons” unlike in the early American Revolution where the word “Democracy” was referred to as the greater equality inspired by the struggle for independence. Democracy did not exist in the colonies before the Revolution because political status was directly related to wealth. Special qualifications were supposed to be met in order to be eligible to vote or to be sitting in an assembly.

At the beginning of the time period, 1850, Britain was not democratic. There was not a lot of choice concerning the political parties, there were only two parties: The Liberals and the Conservatives. Woman did not have any right to vote and were considered second class citizens. In England and Wales only one million and five men could vote and some men could vote twice. The distribution of seats did not take into account the migration of Britain. The House of Lords (HOL) were aristocracy that were their because of their ancestry. MP’s were unpaid and had to own property so the poorer classes could not be MP’s and therefore opinions not heard. A democracy is one which has universal suffrage, equal

     Building on English foundations of political liberty, the colonists extended the concepts of liberty and self-government far beyond those envisioned in the mother country. While Englishmen had some representation in their parliament, Americans took the system further. All colonies had some form of a two-house parliament system. Some, like New York, had governors appointed by the crown. Others, like Rhode Island, elected their own. Local government also varied between the colonies. The southern states had a strong County government, while the New England colonies relied on town-meeting government. In either case, voting was reserved to land-owning white men.

     Building on English foundations of political liberty, the colonist extend the concepts of liberty and self-government far beyond those envisioned in the mother country. Although Britain had a representative government they had a monarchy, sort of. Still even though they had a representative government the members of parliament were not directly chosen by the people. In Virginia, in specific Jamestown, the House of Burgesses said that representatives were to be chosen by land owning people. Another good idea from the colonies was the

Demosthenes a speechwriter, demonstrates this in his speech The Oration Against Eubulides, which was written for a man named Euxitheos. In the speech, Euxitheos was protecting himself from being decertified from his deme after a politician named Eubulides accused him of not being a citizen of the deme. According to the Constitution of Athens that is meant to be in practice, in order to be a demeseman, the demesmen must vote if a candidate appears to be of age and if the candidate is free-born (of parents that belonged to the deme) (Aristotle 42). If the man is decided to not be a free man, he must appeal to gain his demeship. If he cannot prove his family’s demeship, he is sold into slavery (42). It can be demonstrated that Eubulides manipulated democratic institutions when Demosthenes mentions that in Euxitheos’ case, Eubulides gave people that would follow him two or three ballots (Demosthenes 170). He proves this by stating, “although there were no more than thirty voters, more that sixty ballots were counted” (170). With this evidence, it can be proven that voting was heavily manipulated, and in this case to benefit the leader, Eubulides, who was not fond of Euxitheos. The democratic institution of voting is therefore in place, yet, clearly, not being respected, as the leader is manipulating it strictly for his

people. There was a desire by many colonists to form a government based off democratic

In being colonies of England, a country whose government is partially representative and partially monarchic, the American colonists struggled to create democratic societies because they were forced to accept the British laws and duties passed by the British government, however, they did succeed. Though at first, while the colonists were struggling to establish themselves in the colonies, they welcomed the support of their motherland. As time pass went on, however, the colonists were divided in opinions. Some colonists became loyalists, many felt patriotic to their colony and some remained undecidedly neutral. When the colonies realized how interconnected and alike they were, they decided to call for intercolonial congresses. Through these intercolonial assemblies whichever colonies chose to be represented were able to be. Therefore, the colonists in colonial America were governed by a government for and by

Colonists were practicing a democratic features in colonial america time because Great Britain is hundreds of miles away. Democracy in colonial America was in a work in progress with democratic and undemocratic features.

In the earlier years of the colonies life was a bit more difficult than it is now in the presant. People led simpeler lives without all the things we take for granted today. Times when our government was merely a puppet of mother England thousands of miles away. It was this government and its actions that brought out the anger in its subjects to the point of rebellion and eventual emancipation from the larger power. So what brought this small country to the boiling point? It seemed to be a serious of pushes from England that led to the eventual split of the colonies and the U.K.

DBQ - Democracy in Colonial America Essay The thirteen colonies in America began early on to develop democratic features. Accountability, individual or human rights, and regular free and fair elections are only a few principles that make up today's democracy. Today's democracy is quite different from how it was during colonial times. In colonial America, there were many democratic and undemocratic features that made democracy a work in progress.

Although the 13 colonies were morley undemocratic, having a democratic government was a major need in the 13 colonie. In a way, the 13 colonies were democratic. People were allowed a say in government and put in their opinions about the government. In the document “The House of Burgesses”, the narrator states “In April, 1619, George Yeardley arrived in Virginia from England

Among the rights that colonists believed they had before the revolution, the right to vote was one that was debated most. The reality is that although the colonies were under British rule before 1783, they didn’t really get a say in anything that happened within the Parliament. The colonists also wanted to form their own government in the new world.

Ancient Athens was truly democratic because everyone should have the equal justice of everyone else because we should all have equal rights. Also, an example is in document A: Our constitution favored the many instead of the few. This is why it is called a democracy. If we look to the laws, they give equal justice to all. I believe that everyone should have the rights to vote, not only men.

Rhode Island and Pennsylvania were examples of the two most democratic colonies of colonial America. Not all of the colonies were like this. For example, in (1629) non-separatists Puritans left from England and started a new colony called the Massachusetts Bay Colony. People who did not agree with their views were often banished. Anne Hutchinson was one of these people who were banished. She was banished because she argued against the Puritan belief of predestination. She had a trial and from there was forced out of the colony. Another person that was kicked out of the colony was a man named Roger Williams. Williams was exiled from the colony because he was found to have “new and dangerous opinions” that disagreed with already established Puritan beliefs. Also, men that were not a part of a Puritan congregation could not vote in provincial elections. Freedom in this colony was somewhat limited.

"United States can be seen as the first liberal democracy. The United States Constitution, adopted in 1788, provided for an elected government and protected civil rights and liberties. On the American frontier, democracy became a way of life, with widespread social, economic and political equality. The system gradually evolved, from Jeffersonian Democracy or the First Party System to Jacksonian Democracy or the Second Party System and later to the Third Party System. In Reconstruction after the Civil War (late 1860s) the newly freed slaves became citizens, and they were given the vote as well." (Web, 1)