THE "AMERICAN " CONCEPT
The question:
"What is the "American concept?"
An answer from a reader:
"I believe the American Concept is the idea that the people of this Nation hold the power not the officials governing the Nation.
"The concept of a Republic places the Peoples trust that their leaders represent them and have their best interests at heart when inacting [sic] legislation.
"Currently we have a system of democracy where the elected officials represent whomever lobbies them successfully hence handing the power over to corporations.
"Democracy is a system of government where the majority vote rule."
My comments on the above are that I agree with all four statements, but point out that it is today exactly like the Founding Fathers set it up - the only difference today is that those franchised to vote include a much greater percentage of the population than in 1776 (or 1789).
Power remains in the hands of the voters, who by a majority vote, elect representatives they trust to enact legislation.
That they elect representatives who listen to the lobbyists rather than to the voters is not a fault of the "system," it is the fault of the voters.
That political parties nominate candidates who may not represent their constituencies is also a fault of the voters.
Democrats and Republicans are voters, and responsive to their supporters.
That you or me (non-Party affiliated) are not represented by them is not their fault, it simply is that we are in the minority.
"America once had to separate from an oppressive government."
"Learn the truth behind our Nation and our Government, it's not as cut and dried as you think."
Agree again, and the separation from an oppressive government was definitely not "cut and dried."
It wasn't just an oppressive "government", ie., the British Parliament, it was an oppressive life for the great majority of residents in the 13 Colonies.
Here is what the 13 Colonies looked like in 1775.
First, in 1750: 900,000+ Europeans (650,000 immigrants since 1700); 240,000+ Africans (180,000 imported as slaves since 1700); 200,000+ Native Americans.
The population doubled approx. each 25 years from immigration, importation of slaves, and birthings.
In 1775 it was between 2.5 and 3 million. 50% of the population were indentured servants (75% in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland), 33% of the population were slaves and/or native Americans.
Of the remaining 17%, more than half were women and children - let's guestimate 10% - so 7% were white males, of whom half, or 3.5% owned land.
With rare exceptions the Founding Fathers came from that 3.5%, who were also, after the Constitution was adopted, the only voters.
They were the "movers and the shakers" and argued and debated and ended up with the most magnificent Constitution the world had ever seen.
But they also voted democratically for their Representatives to the U.S. Congress and to their newly formed State Congresses (and the State legislators voted for U.S. Senators).
It was relatively easy among such a select group to know what a person thought and what legislation he would support.
Political campaigns were closely fought; and thus in reality 2% of the residents of the U.S. were directly represented.
- 1788 Presidential Election. Only adult white male property owners who paid taxes had the civil right to vote; and in many states also had to demonstrate official religious/church membership. 38,818 voted, approx 1% of the U.S. population, which was 3,929,214 two years later, as computed by the first U.S. Census.
- 1800 Presidential Election. Same qualifications as above; 67,292 voted out of a population of 5,308,483; approx. 1.3%.
- 1810 The last religious membership requirement in the states was eliminated, but still only adult white male property owners paying taxes could vote.
- 1812 Presidential Election. 273,212 voted; 7,239,881 were counted in the 1810 Census, so about 3.7% voted.
- 1820 Presidential Election. 226,997 out of 9,638,453 voted; 2.3% voted.
- 1832 Presidential Election. 1,185,985 voted and 12,866,020 were counted in the 1830 Census; about 9.1% voted.
- 1840 Presidential Election. For the first time, more than 1 of 10 residents went to the polls as slavery issues heated up the campaign and there was a much higher proportion of property owners and taxpayers due to the expansion westward. 2,404,244 voted out of 17,869,453; 14.1%
What is different today?
The voting franchise has gradually been increased, with women's suffrage, eliminaion of literacy requirements and poll taxes, and the Civil Rights legislation in the mid-20th century, so that almost all adults can now vote. 75% of U.S. residents eligible to vote in 2000 did so; and population has continues to increase.
As more and more people became eligible to vote - educated or not, informed or not - the process gradually became unwieldy, and political parties formed in an attempt to maintain the original plan of the Founding Fatherss, i.e., a republic with democratically elected representatives.
Today's problem is not that we've veered from the Constitution and the system set up by the Founding Fatherss, it is just that it no longer can work!
5% voting in a small population could work, 75% voting in a huge population doesn't.
The 2-Party system needs to be changed, but a 3rd party isn't the answer.
Excellent website for the Colonial times prior to the Revolution ––
http://www.teacheroz.com/colonies.htm
Some more about the demography of the 13 British Colonies (and Florida, which remained loyal to the King) in 1775.
Much like today the wealth of the Colonies was in the hands of 5% of the residents, landowners who had purchased their land from the original owners, who had been chartered, i.e. given the land, by the British Crown.
Forget about the inhabitants, the Indians - although there were some treaties, and trinkets traded for land, most of it was simple taken.
The remaining 95% of the new settlers were poor, i.e., subsisting but not holding or accumulating wealth.
The actual farming workforce (65% of the population) were families who grew their own food, and cash came from excess agro-production and alcohol - indentured servants, Afro and Indian slaves, and tenant farmers.
Off the total population 5% were craftsmen, artisans, and mechanics, who also usually grew their own food - half of whom were indentured servants/slaves and half free white males.
The remaining 30 - 35% were fishers/whalers with a very small industrial workforce.
Of the colonists 38% had no religion, 20% were Presbyterian (Puritans), 15% Anglicans, 15% Baptists, 10% Quakers, 2% Catholics, and .009% Jewish. All the Colonies but 4 (Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and part of New Jersey) had official state religions.
It is easy to understand why the 5% wanted to be freed from the yoke of the King as to "taxation without representation," i.e., make more money but there were two other major factors which the Founding Fathers also realized were necessary for the other 95% to support the Revolution.
There must be some incentive for gathering support from the "workers" who really had little hope for bettering themselves (98% of the land in all 13 Colonies was already owned by the 5% and being utilized).
There also had to be opportunities for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as the Founding Fatherss so proudly proclaimed. They were realists.
The two other factors were fishing rights in the Grand Banks and the "open" lands westward of the Colonies (again, forget about the Indians) to the Mississippi River.
The Constitutional Congress' Board of War established that any freeman or indentured servant who "signed on for the duration" would receive "$20 and 100 acres of land" once the war was won, with most of the land westward.
The treaty which ended the war did allow for fishing rights and westward expansion, thus creating opportunities to the vast numbers of people living in poverty before the war.
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