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Gordon Wood achieved great success among his peers with the publication of his book, The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787, for which he was awarded the Bancroft Prize, as well as the John H. Dunning Prize, both in 1970. In it, Dr. Wood breaks down the process of how American political thought developed from early protests against British measures in the construction of the world's first federal republic. He does so by giving us in detail using a number of different sources, historical information on the reasoning behind the revolution. Dr. Wood walks us through how our government started with a monarchical society which was hierarchical, and later transformed, and emerged as a more recognizable modern society, in where a more commercially oriented and capitalistic government came to light. Wood writes, “[Americans] learned how to define the rights of nature, how to search into, to distinguish, and to comprehend, the principles of physical, moral, religious, and civil liberty, how, in short, to discover and resist the forces of tyranny before they could be applied.
There are forgotten pieces of history that must have shaped what the United States of America is today. The people who kept George Washington alive when he was little and how they did it have been forgotten by most. Some of the less obvious inspirations John Locke had and what caused them have been lost. Even some of his meaning is lost in his writing. These things helped to make America and its government the way they are today.
Much of the American Government used today comes from fellow philosophers who with their help; helped put our country in order. John Locke proposed that humans are born with natural right laws; Declaration of Independence, Preamble to the United States Constitution, Representative Government (Republic) and Limits
After a fiercely fought revolution, the newly independent American nation struggled to establish a concrete government amidst an influx of opposing ideologies. Loosely tied together by the Articles of Confederation, the thirteen sovereign states were far from united. As growing schisms in American society became apparent, an array of esteemed, prominent American men united in 1787 to form the basis of the United States government: the Constitution. Among the most eminent members of this convention were Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson. These men, held to an almost godly stature, defined the future of the nation; but were their intentions as honest as they seemed?
Specifically, Locke’s ideas from his Two Treatises of Government heavily influenced Thomas Jefferson’s rationale for the propriety of America’s separation from England by expressing a great deal in the right to change the government, human rights trust and strong legislative.
Throughout the era between the years 1790 to 1840, the United States withstood numerous involvements in their political system by both factors within their country and as far as an ocean away. These various influences immensely contributed to moulding and creating America’s government system. The political affairs that occurred within the United States were in one way or another connected to the unsolved issues of political parties within the country. For example, after the War of 1812, Jackson introduced what is known as the Spoils System, which specifically targeted the political supporters of the Democrats and rewarded campaign contributors with positions in public office rather than to those who were qualified for the position.
John Locke was a philosopher, and political scientist. He believed democracy was a considerably better form of government than a monarchy. Thomas Jefferson was the third U.S. president, and was one of America’s founding fathers. He was the author of the Declaration of Independence, and played a key role in the institution of the United States of America. John Locke was a very influential person when it came to Thomas Jefferson and the ideas within the Declaration of Independence.
John Locke published his “Second Treatise of Government” in 1689 and this created the idea of self-government that would influence colonists and even the Declaration of Independence. One of his significant quotes supporting this concept is “Men being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal and independent, no one can be put out of this estate, and subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.” Patriots everywhere began to use Locke’s philosophy to justify their own revolutionary thoughts. The idea of self-government was particularly important to New Yorkers, many of whom were merchants and businessmen who valued autonomy and resented British attempts to regulate their
Alexander Hamilton was one of the key people in the ratification and debate on the constitution, and his philosophies helped shape present America, which is surprising as Hamilton “ famously called ‘democracy’ a ‘disease’ and a ‘poison. ’”(Martin 21) This is not necessarily because he believed in a monarchy or other system of government, but because of his lack of faith in the public, his beliefs that the educated should rule, and the direction the American government took with the inclusion of the Bill of Rights. Although this ideology placed too much faith in the educated, it did consider real problems with a government created by and for the people. Unlike Jefferson who often left affairs more in the hands of the people, and time than his own actions, Hamilton felt that the people should simply vote for officials and then
Locke had stated that when an executive act for his own benefit, and not to serve the ends of the people. He “degrades himself” and becomes “but a single private person without power,” at which point he no longer has any right to rule over the people. Locke expresses the idea of rebellion against an unjust government. By giving the idea of rebellion, he also reveals that a human’s rights have changed over the years and that a man now has inherent rights. It was because of his declaration that the statement, “give me liberty or give me death,” become popular among the American people.
Throughout the annals of history, the advocation for a democratic government has been at the forefront of many prosperous, well known societies. From Ancient Greece, to countries that have based their prosperity on democracy, like the United States for instance, popular sovereignty has been the contributing factor that integrates the common man into the government in which they are encapsulated. In the context of the American Independence movement, the need for American people to rule by their own terms meant the difference between being the slaves of a tyrannical leader, or the people belonging to a free society. The recalcitrant Americans fought against the unruly British in order to gain this independence. The document that initially gave
The United States of America was once governed by proclaimed inflexible tyrant King George III, who had lost his privilege explicitly to not continue to govern the pre existing colonies by probable causes. These probable causes are listed in many public documents and essays and some are undoubtedly the greatest contribution to American government and literature. However, authors of such influential literature are people of widely different backgrounds, beliefs, and interests that worked together to form one political union. So the big question is, How did each author, character, or founder find a balance between preserving individual rights and the formation of a strong and long-lasting union? In brief, a balance between the preservation of
Individuals lay the foundation of America. The Founding Fathers of this unique nation broke their allegiance with Great Britain to create an improved governing body. They desired an individual-centered authority as opposed to Britain’s monarchy, which ruled with tyranny. These Founding Fathers experienced a neglectful democratic monarchy that cared little about the ethical treatment of its people. The domineering actions of Britain challenged these historic individuals to form a new cultural identity.
John Locke was a philosopher and political scientist. He had many interests and produced a number of writings that influenced future leaders. One of these leaders was Thomas Jefferson, who was involved with the aid of America and the act gaining independence from Britain. The Declaration of Independence and Locke’s views on government contain many similar aspects. These ideas includes the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (natural rights); the protection that is provided by the government for these rights; and the altering or abolishment of government if it fails to provide and protect the rights of the people.
Introduction: While freedom as a concept feels fairly intuitive, nuances in interpretation can change the basis of an argument. John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government and Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America do not define liberty in precisely the same way, which in turn guides two different visions in how a government should function. When examining a core concept in an argument, it is important to inquire to whether its treatment is adequate. Is either definition of liberty sufficient, and does either author’s envisioned government adequately address liberty in that system? This paper will argue that Locke’s definition of liberty remains in the literal sphere while Tocqueville’s is more conceptual, but neither Locke’s nor Tocqueville’s
