help on essay

[Maddwraph]

Affect of American Revolution on political ideas and Institutions.

 

This is my essay question, I will take the essay in lcass, but he gave it to us beforehand i guess so we know what to study. im nto sure what he means by institutions, schools i guess?

 

ANyone ahve any ideas or stips on this? its a college cours,e but im ony in high school so its pretty hard i got some ideas so far. thanks.

[HumanTyphoon]

Well, due to the American Revolution, we, the Americans, were able to seek out new laws and our own government type instead of following the British Empire's. Something like that...other than my little social studies book from last year...I can't help you that much.

[Beiner]

The institutions hes referring too are the rights and freedoms of america. Basically America got its independence, then rewrote its own laws and freedoms.

[DLopez]

Here's some starting places:

 

Political Ideas

 

1. Where did the idea for the three separate branches of the federal government come from? (Executive, Legislative, Judicial)

 

2. Where did the idea for checks and balances in government come from?

 

3. What did it take to get all of the states, each with their own governments, to agree to be governed at a higher, federal level?

 

Hint: The first two didn't exist before the Constitution was ratified in 1788.

 

Institutions

 

1. Since America's type of government was radically new, and even took a couple tries to get a workable Constitution after the Articles of Confederation failed, there was no established pool of academia on this type of government to draw reference from. Who was going to train the minds of it's future leaders?

 

Okay, thought of a second idea.

 

2. A change of ideas occurred on what the Framers thought was important in running a government, between when the Articles of Confederation was ratified, and the Constitution was ratified. (On the job training? ) What were some of those changes?

 

Hope that gives you some ideas of what to write about.

[delta1]

...there was no established pool of academia on this type of government to draw reference from.

 

Hey, DL! That was pretty good fer a Texan! (Actually, I'm American by birth, Texan by the grace of God as well, just transplanted. ) But I do have to disagree on the one part I quoted, though I'm not sure you intended it like it sounds (or like I took it). The Founders had a wealth of sources to draw from! 'Le se fare, le se passe' was one of the major philosophies in the western world at that time- and after our revolution it gained in popularity and momentum. English Common Law was a direct source and influence on our Constitution and form of government. The Founders were well educated and well read, and had volumes of references. And most of them were very religiouse, so consequently the Bible was one of the primary sources for the principles they brought to all things, including the Constitution. Even as an unabashed sinner, I have to acknowlege that there is no 'seperation of church and state', except in that the 'state' can make no laws governing the practice of religion. Religion, and Christianity in particular, have allways been a major part of our government.

 

What we did that is unique in history is to guarantee the rights of the individual over the interests of the majority. Our constitution, in its' original form, limmited government- NOT people! Individual rights and freedoms were guaranteed, and government severely restrained in the reason and methods that they could take any ones freedom. Checks and ballances were set up. Not just in the three branches of government, but in the courts and the Electoral College. The Electoral College makes it difficult for the major population areas to control Presidential elections and thereby the country.

 

The courts are a very interesting check on government. Not only do you have the right to be tried by a jury of your peers, but those peers can find you innocent simply because they don't like the law you violated, or they don't think it applies in your case. It is called 'Jury Nullification', and the idea is that while a jury cannot change a law, they can refuse to enforce it. If enough juries find 'not guilty' because the law is offensive, it is effectively nullified.

 

Furthermore, before you can be tried for capitol offenses, or put in prison, you have to go before the Grand Jury and they decide if there is enough cause to send it to a Pettit Jury to determine guilt or innocense. And the Grand Jury is pretty much omnipotent. They can take testimony from anyone they desire, and no one can stop them. They can even clear the courtroom to take testimony, and this includes the judge!

 

I'm sure that this is news to most people, because most of us are victims of the 'Public Fool System". And they certainly don't tell jurors about these things! Man! Would I love to sit on a Grand Jury!!! But, alas- they have ways of weeding people like me out. So I have to be content to spread the word to as many as will listen.

[DLopez]

But I do have to disagree on the one part I quoted, though I'm not sure you intended it like it sounds (or like I took it). The Founders had a wealth of sources to draw from! 'Le se fare, le se passe' was one of the major philosophies in the western world at that time- and after our revolution it gained in popularity and momentum. English Common Law was a direct source and influence on our Constitution and form of government.

 

I didn't mean it to sound like the Founding Fathers, and the Framers of The Constitutions weren't learned men. They were exceptionally wise, especially considering that, at the time, living in "The Colonies" was viewed as a distinct step down on the social level back in England.

 

What I meant was there was no blueprint for our Government at the time of the Revolution... No working example to copy or emulate. Indeed, the very fact that the first attempt at a Federal Government under The Articles of Confederation failed miserably highlights that what the Founding Fathers thought would work at first, actually didn't despite all their wisdom. But they figured it out, hammered out The Constitution which established the 3 branches of the federal government with it's checks and balances, and we are where we are now thanks to them!

 

But of course, the USA didn't really acheive greatness until they added The Republic of Texas as the 28th state in 1845!!

[battousai16]

actually, dosen't a lot of our constitution come from the works of thomas paine, john locke, etc.? or am i confusing stuff again?

[DLopez]

Yes!! There you go Batt!

 

Read Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" papers! You will find lots of ideas of his that went into the Constitution.

 

I thought Thomas Paine's writings were a little easier to read than John Locke's, but Locke is equally opinionated on how a government should be.

 

Maddwraph, you're getting some good stuff for writing an essay now!

[battousai16]

bah, i found both paine and locke to be a bit dry, but they're certainly important people to read, if for no other reason than to know where your government came from... y'know, if you're american and all.

[aefibird]

In my previous studies of history and sociology, when we've referred to "Institutions" it has meant religion, politics, eduaction systems and the monarchy (in the case of the UK), as well as issues such as social class/social status, marriage and the family.

 

As well as reading Thomas Paine and John Locke, I'd recommend Mary Wolstonecraft (as The Vindication of the Rights of Women is a good social counterpart to The Rights of Man), along with Edmund Burke, William Godwin and Richard Price.

 

Reading some of the 'great' literature (plays, poetry, etc) of the period will also give you a 'feel' for the era, especially if you read British & European authors, as well as American. Reading contemporary European accounts of the impact of the American Revolution will help you to understand the social and political impact that the War of Independence and the Revolution had upon Western society and trade.

 

Good luck writing your essay!