The Character Of Jedediah Peck During The Revolutionary War

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Jedediah Peck’s suffering as a soldier during the Revolutionary War made him such a strong believer in democracy and the power of the people. The extreme conditions he experienced with his fellow soldiers furthered his loyalty to the new nation and the people comprising it. In addition more faith in American citizens, fighting against the British encouraged vigilance against possible aristocratic tyranny and sparked a passion to defeat such regimes. Peck’s faith in people of the nation and aversion to aristocrats were greatly solidified during the Revolutionary War, if not created then. Jedediah Peck was drastically different from contemporary politicians at the time, such as William Cooper, largely due to his status. Peck was much poorer than most of the politicians at the time and held only one percent of Cooper’s prosperity; Peck was worth $1,325 while Cooper was worth $131,720. He was also uneducated, apparent in his language for which he was often ridiculed. However, he used that to his advantage, honing a familiar voice that connected better to the common people than the flowery discourse popular among most politicians. In addition to his status, Peck ignored political norms by promoting himself for election and targeting the common people. …show more content…

They opposed the Federalists so intensely because they thought Federalists were trying to reinstate the tyranny of the British. The Federalist ideal of empowering the government, which mostly consists of the elite, supposedly sought to oppress the common people and steal their prosperity. Republicans believed they had to remain vigilant at all times, lest the tyrannical Federal government encroach upon their liberties and destroy the purpose of the