AMSCO Ch. 2

5/13/2016

The early colonists developed various forms of self-government. By the time of the Revolution, distinctly American ideas about what a government should do for its people led to an experiment in democracy. This would leave one to believe that those early forms of self-government were also democratic in nature. To what extent do you see evidence of democracy in the colonies? Focus your attention on the following colonies:

Plymouth

Massachusetts

Virginia

3 Comments

Yana Emer

7/5/2017 11:55:10 am

The colonies of early America began to show democratic concepts even before the constitution was written. These premature democratic ideas were later revised and drafted into the constitution as the country began to form. Of the many colonial settlements, Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Virginia were some of the primary developers of the American democracy because of their early political institutions.

One example of early democratic ideas can be seen in the development of Plymouth’s community. Plymouth was first founded by Separatists, also known as Pilgrims, who traveled to America because they persecuted in England for their religious beliefs of creating a church independent of royal control (26). The Pilgrims created and signed a document known as the Mayflower Compact that allowed them to make decisions based on the majority. It was one of the earliest documents that showed self-government and a form of constitution (27). This document allowed the colony to make its own rules and decisions while at the same time taking the account of the needs of its population.

The political institutions of Massachusetts show another early form of democracy in colonial society. Puritans, English Christians who believed that the Church of England should be reformed, founded the Massachusetts Bay colony in order to seek religious freedom (26). All free male members of the Puritan Church in Massachusetts had the right to participate in the elections of the colony’s governor, governor’s assistants, and representative assembly (27). The early ideas of the English Puritans in Massachusetts were the foundation for what a nation needs to be a democracy. These ideas allowed colonists to choose who they wanted to represent their community and run their colony based on their views.

The colony of Virginia also had various democratic policies in its early years. Virginia’s creation of the representative assembly showed early democratic ideas. Virginia began with establishment of Jamestown by the English king, James I, who chartered a joint-stock company, Virginia Company (25). The company encouraged settlers to come to their colony by promising colonists the same rights that residents of England had such as representation in lawmaking. Several years after Jamestown’s founding, the settlers organized the House of Burgesses, the first representative assembly in America (27). This type of self-government gives the colony a sense of independence in how they make decisions based on what their specific group wants. Bacon’s Rebellion, an uprising led by Nathaniel Bacon in Chesapeake against the dictator governor Sir William Berkeley, was another display of democracy (29). The colonists fought to gain equal rights for the low class farmers and sought to be more independent from England.

Paige Lockett

7/14/2017 05:22:05 pm

Several forms of self-government were cultivated by the early colonists. There is an abundant amount of evidence of democracy in the colonies provided, specifically in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

There were various concepts of self-government formed in the Plymouth colony. This colony was formed by several hundred Separatists, who were searching for religious freedom. Separatists were radical dissenters to the Church of England (26). In the second paragraph on page 26 it states, "they wanted to organize a completely separate church that was a independent of royal control". In 1620, the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact,an early form of colonial self-government, in which gave them the power to make decisions by the will of the majority (27). These quotes reveal that the Pilgrims did not want to be under direct authority, and they did everything in their power to change that.

A distinct amount of that evidence was also found in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was formed by a group of dissenters that wanted to purify the Church of England, the Puritans. When Charles I took the throne in 1625, there was an increase in the persecution of Puritans. In result, "a group of Puritans gained a royal charter for the Massachusetts Bay Company"(26). Another democratic concept that was found in the Massachusetts Bay Colony was the right of the male members of the Puritan Church to vote for the colony's governor, his assistants, and a representative assembly. These were very prominent when giving details about the different forms of self-government shown.

Although there is an abundant amount of evidence of democracy in the other colonies, the evidence shown from Virginia seemed to be much more profound. The Virginia Company guaranteed colonists "the same rights as residents of England, including representation in the lawmaking process"(27). The Virginia colonists the House of Burgesses, "the first representation assembly in America"(27). The colonists organizing a representative assembly alone reveals a concept of a democracy. Allowing the colonists a say so in the lawmaking process reveals another form of self-government to the reader.

Lise Lee Larsen

7/15/2017 09:35:57 pm

Early democratic views were seen in the development of the Plymouth colony after pilgrims arrived there instead of their intended destination. They had set sail for Virginia in search of religious freedom. In Plymouth, the pilgrims had a document known as the Mayflower Compact they had put together aboard the Mayflower "that pledged them to make decisions by the will of the majority"(27). This compact is evidence that there were signs of democratic ideas forming though there were still some steps that needed to be taken before colonial self-government grew to become what it needed to be.

The colony of Virginia showed much evidence of democracy. The first sign was when the Virginia Company encouraged settlement in Jamestown by "guaranteeing colonists the same rights as residents of England, including representation in the lawmaking process"(27). Many years after the settlement of Jamestown, the first representative assembly in America, the House of Burgesses, was founded by Virginia's colonists, showing the colonists the power they have as a people. An event that highlighted "colonial resistance to royal control" was Bacon's Rebellion because the colonists revolted against the dictatorial powers of the royal governor of Virginia, William Berkeley.

Massachusetts was one of the earlier colonies along with Plymouth and Virginia that shown light on the bases of democracy. Seeking religious freedom, the Puritans sailed for Massachusetts and founded Boston along with several other towns. "In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, all freemen had the right to participate in yearly elections of the colony's governor, his assistants, and a representative assembly"(27). Without these ideas, there would be no real foundation to a democratic government.

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AMSCO Ch. 2

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