ipl-logo

How Did Democracy Shaped Early American Government

639 Words3 Pages

For thousands of years, humans have had some sort of government to maintain order. There are many different types of government; including but not limited to: democracy, monarchy, and dictatorship. In America, democracy has been used since its forming into what we know today. The American people had wanted a chivalrous, fair government. This want, combined with their fierce and indomitable urge to be free to do what they wanted quickly shaped early America. It seems obvious that they, the first Americans involved with forming it into modern day America, wanted an infallible government. That remains true to today. Even though some people may say we are remiss in our duties, we still want our governing body to be altruistic. Our government was formed to be altruistic and fair. In the speech “Democracy: From Athens to America”, the following has been stated: “Lincoln’s United States was a fledgling democracy… So when Lincoln stated that ours was a ‘government by the people, for the people,’ he expressed his indomitable belief in democracy.” (Democracy: From Athens to America speech) America has always been a “government by the people, for the people” since the beginning and continues to be today. Early Americans weren’t diffident and needed a government as …show more content…

It is also about giving equal opportunities. When it was started, being seen as equal was unheard of. This is a big idea behind democracy. “At a time when there was a dearth of individual rights, the forerunner of the modern democratic state had arrived.” (Democracy: From Athens to America speech) The reason the first colonists had fled Britain was because they weren’t given the basic rights of believing in what they wanted. They founded America on the idea of being equal opportunity for everyone. What the citizens of ancient Greece and early Americans were going through were very similar and fueled both peoples fight for

Show More
Related
511 Words | 3 Pages

The government’s power would be placed in the hands of the people, who would choose people to represent them and make decisions (Doc. I). The American people, now united and independent from Great Britain, developed a strong sense of nationalism. People were proud to be an American, and believed strongly in their country (Doc. C). In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Americans began to question slavery. In the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, slavery was banned in the territory northwest of the Ohio River.

Read More
1226 Words | 5 Pages

US History Name: Professor: Class: Date Introduction American’s first government was under the Articles of Confederation. The articles proved insufficient to form a stable government, as the central government was weak. Delegates in charge of the task of reforming the government met at the Philadelphia Convention in an attempt to resolve the same. They decided to enact an entirely new government by forming a constitution.

Read More
569 Words | 3 Pages

After the American Revolution, the colonies needed to reconstruct a new, fresh government. America, however, was extremely restrictive with giving the central government any forms of power after the hardships the colonies faced being under the British government and Parliament. The colonies did not want to undergo another period of unfair taxation and regulated systems. Thus, America’s first government, The Articles of Confederation, gave the central government immensely few granted powers. After an eight year period, the majority of America knew that they needed a new form of government.

Read More
397 Words | 2 Pages

Former US Representative, Ginny Brown-Waite states that the “American government was founded on a belief and a faith in God and in doing what is right and just.” Brown-Waite, sums up what the US was supposed to be when it was originally developed in one sentence. The men who wrote our constitution, knew that it was important to build it with the foundation of doing what is right. At its prime, the American government was one of the best in the world. The constitution was a good idea, it’s a practical government, and it is a feasible government.

Read More
659 Words | 3 Pages

It should be noted that American democracy stemmed from Athenian Democracy and although they have tweaked it along the way their roots stem from Athenian Democracy. Their ideas come from the way the ancient Athenians used to rule and have say in their

Read More
2131 Words | 9 Pages

Define America In a time of uncertainty and confusion America was a very fragile as a country. Authors through out America's time have told of what this country can be and what it is today. These authors Thomas Jefferson, Walt Whitman, Harry Browne and many others voice their opinions on how America should go about changing and talk about how America used to be the greatest country. Thomas Jefferson, America's 3rd President, was one of the best leaders it had fighting for the freedom of America's people.

Read More
531 Words | 3 Pages

America was what it seemed to be :swallowed by the power of the republic” (Document 1). After our nation realized we weren’t getting anywhere with England, delegates decided to sit down and begin to write the Declaration of Independence. During this meeting they decided to subside from the parliament of Great Britain and declare the colonies to be free and independent states. This allowed them to have the power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all things independent states have the right to do (Document 2). Before we declared

Read More
1182 Words | 5 Pages

The United States-- a country of economic strength, freedom, and an endless sea of opportunity promises all of its citizens the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and happiness. This promise coupled with the hope of a brighter future attracted those from all walks of life. It also appealed to those who suffered political and religious persecution ; overall its divided branches of governing gave off the illusion of a fair and just political policy. Thus, when hit with the slightest of problems, the public was quick to turn to the government for a solution. The increase in governmental power can be linked to the ratification of the Constitution – which aimed at protecting the rights of individuals and limiting governmental powers.

Read More
1000 Words | 4 Pages

During the Early Republic, some people may argue that democracy for Americans was not expanded, however, I argue that democracy was in fact expanded for Americans during this time period. Democracy for Americans may have been limited prior to the Early Republic, however, there are several reasons why I argue that democracy was expanded during this time. The Missouri Admission Act of 1820 allowed people in Missouri to form a state government, George Washington’s Farewell Address in 1796 provided guidance to the American people on how to approach certain political matters and an 1815 engraving titled “American Guided by Wisdom” showed how Americans felt following the ending of the War of 1812. These primary sources help to argue and support my

Read More
970 Words | 4 Pages

Anti-federalists believed a pure democracy was the most efficient and honest way to run a country. This way, they preached, America would accurately represent a “country of the people.” Using evidence of the shared hatred every colonist had for the British government, anti-federalists pushed strongly towards straying away from every aspect of British Parliament. However, while federalists did not support British Parliament, they also did not support a pure democracy. Federalists supported their argument of pure democracies leading a country to failure with the example of the Greek Empire, in which was a pure democracy, and resulted in failure.

Read More
493 Words | 2 Pages

Americans in general view America as an ideal democracy in which every citizen has a voice and the views of the public have the power to shape the country. It is somewhat ironic, then, that the Constitutional Convention as a whole was mistrustful of democracy. Perhaps the most prominent holder of this opinion was James Madison, who was very vocal about the oppressive results of majority rule. Madison was of the opinion that the best way to ensure liberty was not leave it in the hands of the general public, but rather to split the federal government and allow each of the resulting branches curtail the power of the others. As Madison said in Federalist No. 51, “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition”.

Read More
539 Words | 3 Pages

Britain and European roots drive in the U.S having an economic interest over freedom. Layers of self-interest are threaded and lays as unnecessary compromises for the rights and liberties given to the excluded. Their self-interest could not be achieved without disrupting a correct and unbiased, balanced government from the beginning. This needs to keep the rich and the poor divided the country and the start of rebellions. These rebellions were merchants fighting the injustices.

Read More
975 Words | 4 Pages

Since the beginning of its creation America has been known as being the land of the free. The Anti-Federalist movement was the only way America would have kept its founding principles, and prevent the monarchy like Federalist movement from occurring, thus saving Americans freedom. Those that would be representatives in government of the United States would be composed of the rich. The rich only have their own best interests in mind and thus, silence those they are meant to be representing.

Read More
581 Words | 3 Pages

Ever since the colonies of the United States were created democracy was never thought of to become their government. Many of our founding fathers hated the idea of democracy. Even in the Pledge of Allegiance includes the phrase: "and to the republic for which it stands. " The system of government established by the Constitution was never intended to be a democracy. This is evident not only in the wording of the Pledge of Allegiance, but in the Constitution itself, which declares that "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government" (Article IV, Section 4).

Read More
298 Words | 2 Pages

Democracy, a form of government, allows the people in their own nationality to vote for people in order for them to become representatives as a result to vote on new laws that would affect their own nationality. One of the many states of Greece, ancient Athens was indeed not truly democratic as a result of not inclusive, other than male citizens, to gain authority in ancient Athens, ¨Demokratia was ruled by male citizens only, excluding women, free foreigners(Metics) and slaves.¨(Document D), therefore ruling Athens was only accessible to male citizen since since women, free foreigners(Metics), and slaves were not allowed to rule as a result of not being male citizens. One of the many states of Greece, ancient Athens, was indeed not truly democratic as a result of not even using the essentials of democracy that is used today, “Thus, by our standards, it was oligarchy, not democracy.¨(Document D), therefore ancient Athens was not using democracy as their form of government, they were using oligarchy,another form of government in which a small group of people has power and control, as their form of government instead of democracy.

Read More

More about How Did Democracy Shaped Early American Government

Related Topics

Open Document