Principle of American Democracy - Essay Sample

Introduction

Since the beginning of America, the debate about slavery due to the state's dedication to liberty and human equality has been escalating day by day. During the time of founding America, the nation had more than half a million slaves, and most of them were in the southernmost state since more than 40% of the population in those states were slaves (Spalding, 2002). Most of the leading founders of American such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison possessed their slaves although some did not own any slave. For example, Benjamin Franklin believed that slavery was a vicious debasement of human nature making it the primary source of brutal evils. In this regard, together with Benjamin Rush formed Pennsylvania Society in 1774, which primary purpose was to promote the abolition of slavery (Spalding, 2002). Moreover, John Jay had s society that was serving the same purpose, and he believed that the honor of the nation and as well as humanity and justice, he campaigned for rescuing these oppressed and unhappy people. He believed that contending for their liberty and denying the blessing to others was an inconsistency that could not be excused. The tenet of the American democracy can be analyzed as follows.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Liberty refers to the ability of people to have control over their lives, and this is regarded as a critical aspect of political philosophy. The concept of liberty plays a crucial role in the discussion of natural rights and sovereignty. The founding fathers of the U.S. such as John Stuart argued that the law governs both human and heavenly affairs. Hence it gave the king his power instead of the king's power lending force to law. The concept of law should focus on the relationship between humans, and this should be given the priority. Individual liberty is fundamental given the Nature and Nature of God. In an ideal nation, the nature of God would be as expansive as possible. This means that the conception of liberty ensure free people are freer within the context of a nation that provides stability through the establishment of laws. According to the founding fathers, under natural laws, all folks are entitled or have the right to liberty, life, and estate. In this regard, individuals can instigate a revolution against the ruling government in case it acts against the interest of the people, and replace it with the one they believe will serve the interest of citizens. For example, in 1775, 5,000 free Black Americans and slaves who were serving in Continental army fought the battle at Fort Ticonderoga as well as the one of Bunker Hill as a way of opposing the power to possess other human beings as slaves. Due to this revolution, most of the states such as Virginia had granted freedom to their slaves who were serving in the Revolutionary war by 1778.

Equality is a state where all folks within a given group or society are entitled to the same status in particular respects. It means that social equality has to include equal rights according to the law dealing with issues such as voting rights, security, property rights, freedom of speech, as well as equal access to essential social goods and services. Social equality entails the same obligations and opportunities. Hence it involves the entire society. The laws involving social equality states that there should be no legally enforced caste or social class boundaries and no unjustified discrimination emerging from the inalienable part of individual identity. Some example of a person's identity includes gender, sex, age, race, origin, and income, the color of the skin, sexual orientation, and religion. Equality of opportunity ensures that all important jobs are given to qualified individuals regardless of the background, religion, or race. All individuals should be entitled to vote, acquire education, and employment. However, after 1777 many states were struggling to ensure they locked doors for black American and white women to vote. For instance, New Jersey changed its state constitution in 1807, to include minimum property requirements for one to vote and this consequently denied all women and blacks right to vote. Similarly, in 1821, New York passed a law to ensure all white men could vote and at the same time set high property requirements for Africa Americans. Due to this law, only 68 free Black Americans out 13,000 could vote in 1825 (The Expansion of the Vote, 2018).

Conclusion

Americans politics have been based on democracy as this is one of the only ways that equality among all citizens could be attained. Democracy government ensures that all eligible individuals have equal right in making decisions that are affecting their lives. In the democracy, all people should have the right to vote or participate in any other democratic activities such as the drafting of the constitution. At the beginning not all Americans citizens especially the poor, blacks, and women were allowed to vote. However, through revolution and amendments of the constitution all Americans citizens are now entitled to vote. The entire body of American citizens remains the sovereign power although the political power is indirectly exercised via elected representatives. In the U.S. the irony is after all that struggle to ensure everyone one is entitled to vote, a significant number of the blacks and youth do not go vote to exercise their democratic right.

References

Spalding, M. (2002). How to understand slavery and the American founding. Retrieved from https://www.heritage.org/american-founders/report/how-understand-slavery-and-the-american-founding

The expansion of the vote: A white man's democracy. (2018). Pre-Columbian to the New Millennium. Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/us/23b.asp