The Founding Fathers The Politicians Who Led Colonial Assemblies And Congresses

During the period in English colonial history where the frameworks for democratic societies were forming, specifically the years between 1607 and 1765, two events had massive influence over said development: the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening. The Enlightenment gave way to the kinds of rationale that would later spark the American Revolution and the Great Awakening would give the inspire American citizens to question their authorities and how fit they were to rule.

Both the Enlightenment and the Great awakening caused the colonists to alter their views about government, the role of government, as well as society at large which ultimately and collectively helped to motivate the colonists to revolt against England. The Enlightenment was vital in almost every part of the founding of America, which included everything from government, to politics itself, as well as religion. Many of the ideas from the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening shaped our country as a whole in its seminal years, inspiring everything from the American Revolution, to the Constitution, and even electricity and stoves. Without the central ideas and figures of both the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment era, the United States

While all of the above social, cultural and economic circumstances were playing out and laying the groundwork for the American Revolution, several important political developments came to fruition in the concluding half of the 18th century that sealed the certainty of the American Revolution and made it inevitable. These developments, namely, the relative strengths of the local and colonial governments at the time, the betrayal of the colonies by the British Crown after King George’s War, and the end of Salutary Neglect, proved to present insurmountable odds to the colonists.

There were a myriad of differences between Great Britain and her American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but these differences can be divided into three basic categories: economic, social, and political. The original American settlers came to the colonies for varied reasons, but a common trait among these settlers was that they still considered themselves British subjects. However, as time passed, the colonists grew disenfranchised from England. Separated from the king by three thousand miles and living in a primitive environment where obtaining simple necessities was a struggle, pragmatism became the common thread throughout all daily life in the colonies. It was this pragmatism that led the colonists to create

For example, the reaction to the various Acts by the British to raise money to pay off the debt revoked the colonial resentment that felt all the authority political control in trading between Britain and the colonies (Doc.1). The colonies product their own stuff and add some logic in order to demand the equal rights. At the same time, the Virginia House of Burgesses realized that the British government wouldn't have any rights to put more tax without representation of the governor colonies. The result is a declaration that they stated onlt their government have the right can tax their people, and it will contribute to the American Revolution later (Doc. 2). Another example of growing divide between the British and the colonies people was the Enlightenment Ideas of John Locke, the natural rights promised to all human mankind born within equal rights. It was influencing the colonist thought how they can handle their antagonism with the British. (Doc.3) Such as Samuel Adams are trying call for a revolution in order to protect their natural rights which the government can't protecting it. All of these events above contributed to the American colonies the that they rejected the old policy of the British from the past and began find the new idea (Democracy idea) for the American Independent where people inherits

Leading up to the Revolution there were many factors that contributed to the unity and identity of americans. Before the French Indian war England was disinterested in colonial affairs. Historian Carl N. Degler stated that this led to the colonies developing self reliance and their own ideas of government, as well as a heightened economy. And when England intervened with the colonies after the French Indian war this created tension. England imposed new laws and less freedom towards the colonies. They passed acts like the Stamp act and the Navigation acts that angered colonists. Yet many people remained loyal to the crown, John Adams claimed that ⅓ of the population was pro revolutionary, ⅓ were loyal to England, and ⅓ were undecided. A full

The relations between England and the British North American colonies could always be considered precarious. Prior to 1750 British essentially followed a policy of benign neglect and political autonomy in the American colonies. (Davidson p.97) The colonies were for the most part content with benign neglect policy, relishing in a “greater equality and representative government”(Davidson p.95) within the colonies. Competition among European Imperial nations began to effect British policy toward North America colonies causing rapid shifts from 1750 to 1776. During this period, the British Empire made a series of policy decision that sealed the fate of the British North American

In the mid 1700’s, uproars in the thirteen original colonies had led to a revolution that eventually caught the attention of the British Tyranny. Later, the thirteen colonies sought Independence which broke off all ties with the British. In the midst of the American revolution, colonists and the British proceeded in uproar against each other; in due course, leading to the taxation of colonists, a tyrant ruler, and loyalist standpoints which opposed the colonists’ wishes.

From the years 1763-1775, the American colonists were working toward independence from Britain. Their perceptions of remaining under control of the monarchy were quickly changing. There were many factors affecting the colonists’ developing opinions on the subject. Some of these include the works of Thomas Paine, binding nature of the Declaratory Act, and Samuel Adams’ revolutionary organizations. Through these influences and many others, previous notions of British rule were being reconsidered; and the colonies became irreversibly affected.

The Founding Fathers are like the A-team. In most eyes, some of the things they have done is considered heroic. They put themselves on the line and shape what america is today. Some say that the Founding Fathers were only in it for power and money, however they still put themselves on the chop and block by fighting in this war and being the faces of this war. George Washington fought in the battle of trenton, the founding fathers fought in some way. They did the olive branch petition and did all the planning on this war. Who do you think the british would kill first the colonists or the Founding Fathers?

Colonial America’s final break from England was a new kind revolution during the mid to late eighteenth century.

One of the most critical components that helped define the American Revolution was the convergence of political and economic rights into one setting. The American Revolution was a political uprising that took place between the years of 1765 and 1783. It was at this time that thirteen colonies rejected the British monarchy and aristocracy, overthrowing the authority of Great Britain in order to create the United States of America. The article Societal Impacts of the American Revolution stated that, “a strong compelling case could be made which displays how the American Revolution was fought on the grounds for expanding political rights.” This can be seen in the Colonists ' notions of being free and living a life where they could be active agents of their own narratives. At the same time, the meaning of the Revolution can be seen as an articulation of the colonists ' economic rights. The convergence of freedom became a critical element in understanding the meaning for the American Revolution. The era of the American Revolution changed America because it led to the establishment of a free independent nation. Through popular culture, America was able to expand their economic market, break free of Britain and overall grow into a strong new nation. Popular culture during this time of expansion included: colonial merchants, reading (due to invention of the printing press),

Over the course of American history, revolutionary political theories were put into place; an example of one of these is individualism, which is the belief that individual rights have more value than a collective governing body or the collective interests of a group. Individualism was a concept that was not openly embraced in America during the late 17th century and early 18th century, because these individuals relied on each other in order to thrive in the New World. However, as the country expanded in population and economically, communities began to become less dependent on each other’s contributions and became more independent. The Founding Fathers wove values into the fabric of the United States that would allow its citizens to possess inalienable rights, that could not be taken away, and gave birth to a nation governed under a radical new system of government. As the North American Colonies evolved into the United States, the idea of individualism, which was not present in the Colonial Era, became prominent amongst society; the principle was embedded into the doctrine that created and governed the nation under the natural rights, and laid the groundwork for American adoption of individualism as the nation expanded.

By definition, democracy is a type of political system in which all members share the same level of power, but it is also the framework for the government of multiple countries including the United States of America. Athenian democracy, created near 400 B.C. in Athens, Greece, was a direct system where participating citizens had the opportunity to vote directly on legislative and executive bills. The founding fathers of the United States took the Athenian’s idea and created the idea of “representative democracy”, where the citizens of a nation were able to elect representatives who would make decisions for them. In fact, the United States could be considered to be more of a constitutional republic than democracy, since the Athenian democracy that influenced them is not a “true democracy”. Even though differences between the two governments exist, ancient Athenians heavily influenced the Founding Fathers of the United States of America to form a democratic government, allow representatives to vote on legislation, and to provide equality and fair trials to their people.

The American Revolution was seen by many as a win for enlightenment ideas. The American colonies wanted a republic government and not a monarchy like many European countries. Lynn Hunt writes in The Making of the West, “…they denied that Parliament had any jurisdiction over the colonies, insisting that the king govern them through colonial legislatures and recognize their traditional British liberties” (Hunt, 589). The colonies did not have representation in parliament. This caused them to rebel against many of the taxes that were issued. They felt that if they could not vote then they should not have to follow the laws. Eventually fighting began and the Declaration of Independence was issued.