Dbq Democracy In Colonial America

DBQ - Democracy in Colonial America Essay

Very early on in its formation, colonial America began to develop and show democratic features. This was one of, if not the, first times that democracy had ever bubbles to the surface. Although these new developments were revolutionary, not everything was sorted out yet. Democracy in colonial America was a work in progress as it had both democratic and undemocratic features. One democratic feature of colonial America was citizen participation. This is shown in how citizens were involved in the community and had a voice in the government. Back in colonial America, the government was, “...made up of representatives chosen by popular vote.”(Document 6: Engraving of Virginia's House of Burgesses). Which basically means that the colonist elected their own officials to rule them. This is a definite and crucial feature of

As well as the colonists did citizen participation, they did equality terribly. Most people in the colonies, including women, slaves and muslims, were not treated as equals by white, Christian males. Also, there were tons of slaves, and slaves are not treated as equals. In colonial America, “...slavery existed in all thirteen colonies...” and slaves “...had no legal rights...”(Document: 5 Plan of a Slave Ship). One defining feature of democracy is that all people are equals, and America was certainly not displaying that at all. One of colonial America’s works in progress were individual or human rights. While white, Christian males were given rights, many others didn’t share the same privileges. One example of this is how in colonial America during marriage, “...things belonging to the wife, the husband gains possession of in marriage…”(Document 4: Title Page from The Lady’s Law). So this shows that women were allowed to own property, but the husband took it away in marriage. So although they had some rights, they were not able to enjoy them