The Evolution Of American Democracy: A Historical Essay.

The American Revolution and the Ideals of Liberty, Life, and Happiness

The American democracy has a long history as it encompasses the American Revolution (Force 9). The Americas are brought up today knowing that they stand for liberty, life, and happiness. However, nobody seems to pursue these stands because life has remained debatable among the Americans (Martinez-Carter 1). For instance, many Americans blatantly say that everyone is entitled to live, yet the death penalty and abortion cases have never been challenged. The country experiences the worst conflicts as some Americans are exceptional while others continue to fight for freedom and liberty. Through revolutions, the American builds strong institutions and constitution that defined its images, ideas, and language (Graber and Gillman 53). The seven-year war justified the radical new ideas that transformed the America's global position. The American political identity became evident as it shared the grievances with colonists.

The American independence defined its liberties. The economy improved after the conflict cooled. The sons of the revolution were beheld, as they remained determined to save their country from the yolk of ruins from the enemies (History, Art & Archives 1). Many Americans poured into the streets to demonstrate and riots. They raided the royal offices because they were against the oppressions. Through the continental association document, recommendations to establish a free country emerged. The Americans constitution defined that all Americans were equal (Force 804). It became critical to secure their rights.

What it means to be an American during the mid-colonial era

America boasts of a rich diversity than other countries. The diversity was evident during the pre-revolutionary America. The middle colonies were composed of the Native Americans and the African slaves (Force 3). The middle colonies had an assortment of religions compared to the Puritan New England. For instance, the religions like Presbyterians, Dutch Calvinists, Lutherans, Mennonites, and Quakers dominated the American faith (Force 1742). In The mid-colonial era, an American was defined by representation. This is an important element in understanding the legislations. In the early republic, the colonial powers failed to recognize the significance of representation among the American people. In 1619, the country established a Representative Assemblies that acted as a representative body as demonstrated in the American Constitution (Force 1032). These assemblies were distinct of the colonies because it handled the governing itself. Inhabitants of the Plantation had the opportunity to elect their representatives to the general assembly.

The country had elected assembly members to meet the expectations for the electorates. The objective of the elected assembly members was to act as representatives, especially the freemen (Squire 12). For instance, in Massachusetts, the colony’s freemen to establish relevant laws granted the representatives powers (Graber and Gillman 206). The lawmakers were meant to advance the interests of the colonies for the collective good. The lawmakers were supposed to take oaths, especially when they were sworn in their Virginian offices. This implied that the representatives were expected to act and protect the Burgess Law. The lawmakers were expected to use their judgment in pursuing the interests of the voters (Squire 9).

The Emergence of a Political Identity and the Importance of Representation

The preferences of constituents were diverse thus calling for proper considerations. It became critical to change the electoral context to meet the interests of the constituents. The Assembly elections were to regularly conducted, especially in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Delaware annually while in Rhode Island and Connecticut, the elections were held semi-annually (Graber and Gillman 206). The changes in the election were to ensure that the representatives addressed the interests of the constituents. The governors headed each colony and they were elected after every seven years. The elective politics increased competition thus increasing the attention of the electorates (Martinez-Carter 14). Some members retained their seats depending on how they addressed the constituent’s preferences. To avoid losing their seats, the elected members paid close interest to the voters regarding public policy. This made the colonial assemblies stable (Landsman 182). In New Jersey, the turnover dropped thus making the decline impressive. By 1775, the turnover dropped by 18 percent in Pennsylvania.

Despite the electoral competition in some colonies, in the Virginia House, some members never experienced competition. For instance, 75 percent of the members were never exposed to completion. However, in Rhode Island, the party system existed thus defined the modern American (Force 417). In most of the colonies, party politics were undefined and unpopular thus making it difficult to offer an alternative policy platform (Graber and Gillman 254). Although some assembly elections were uncompetitive, the incumbents knew that the electorates expected proper services. With the increasing demands from the electorates, the assembly members increased the legislative agendas to cover the Indian relations, defense, and transportation. The assemblies also handled complex polities because the population in the colonies exploded.

Conclusion

The Americans defined their meaning based on diversity and representation. During the colonial era, the majority of the colonies were represented in various assemblies. The representative institutions emerged to serve the interest of the American population. The American stood for liberty, value for life, and pursued happiness. Through representation, the realized their happiness and defined their expectations. The lawmakers were mandated to formulate public policies relevant to the diverse preferences of their constituents. During the colonial eras, party politics were uncompetitive. Nonetheless, the incumbent realized the need to meet the expectations of the electorates. The colonial power tried to serve the American people, but they opted for their independence.

Primary Source

Force, Peter. American Archives: Consisting of a Collection of Authentick Records, State Paers, Debates, and Letters and Other Notices of Publick Affairs, the Whole Forming a Documentary History of the Origin and Progress of the North American Colonies, of the Causes and Accomplishment of the American Revolution, and of the Constitution of Government for the United States to the Final Ratification Thereof; in Six Series. Washington, 1839. Print.

The Meaning of Being an American during the Colonial Era

This American archive consists of a collection of the primary documents regarding the American history. These collections including authentick records, debates, state papers, and letters give the relevant information regarding the meaning of being an American. It gives the progress and origin of the North American colonies, revolution, and the constitutions. It forms a documentary history of the country. Force has thus contributed greatly in defining the American history.

Secondary Source

Graber, Mark A, and Howard Gillman. The Complete American Constitutionalism. Oxford University Press, 2015.

In this book, the authors Graber and Gillman have defined the complete American constitutionalism. In the complete American constitutionalism, these authors have analyzed the constitutional analysis by conducting an in-depth exploration thus forming the American constitutional experience. It traces the American constitutionalism to the colonial era. The authors have also highlighted the sources of the American constitution and the Federal constitutional amendments including the Charter of the Forest and Magna Carter.

Media Source

Martinez-Carter, Karatina. “What Does ‘American’ Actually Mean?” 19 June 2013. The Atlantic. 5 October 2017

<https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/what-does-american-actually-mean/276999/>.

In this media report, Karina Martinez-Carter defines the meaning of America. According to this journalist, an American is any person from the American continent. The author narrates the way the Americans are mistaken because American should be a region rather than a country. The United States has used the term America to justify its imperialism. It evokes the memories of the imperialistic culture. The freelance journalist has thus differed with the wide notion regarding the meaning of America.

Squire, Peverill. “The Beginnings of Representation in America: The Relationship Between Representatives and Constituents in the Colonial Era.” 1-2 March 2013. 5 October 2017 <https://www.vanderbilt.edu/csdi/miller-stokes/01_MillerStokes_Squire.pdf>.

In this article, Squire has provided information regarding the history of the American representation. The author explains the relationship between the constituents and representatives during the colonial era. It is clear from the article that the constituents had high expectations that the representatives needed to meet. The constituents would use the voting powers to scrutinize the candidates who could represent their interests. The representatives were aware of the wrath that awaited them during the election if they failed to deliver.

Force, Peter. American Archives: Consisting of a Collection of Authentick Records, State Paers, Debates, and Letters and Other Notices of Publick Affairs, the Whole Forming a Documentary History of the Origin and Progress of the North American Colonies, of the Causes and Accomplishment of the American Revolution, and of the Constitution of Government for the United States to the Final Ratification Thereof; in Six Series. Washington, 1839. Print.

Graber, Mark A, and Howard Gillman. The Complete American Constitutionalism. Oxford University Press, 2015.

History, Art & Archives. “Statutory Representation.” n.d. 5 October 2017

<https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/HAIC/Historical-Essays/Continental-Expansion/Statutory-Representation/>.

Landsman, Ned C. Crossroads of Empire: The Middle Colonies in British North America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010.

Martinez-Carter, Karatina. “What Does ‘American’ Actually Mean?” 19 June 2013. The Atlantic. 5 October 2017

<https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/what-does-american-actually-mean/276999/>.

Squire, Peverill. “The Beginnings of Representation in America: The Relationship Between Representatives and Constituents in the Colonial Era.” 1-2 March 2013. 5 October 2017

<https://www.vanderbilt.edu/csdi/miller-stokes/01_MillerStokes_Squire.pdf>.