Colonial Governments
Introduction
American colonies, which are referred to as colonial America or the thirteen colonies, encompass 13 British colonies. They were created in the 17th and the 18th centuries and form what is now known as the Eastern part of the United States[1]. The colonies exemplify the history of the United States over the years. As a way of unraveling our understanding of these colonial governments, the following study will assess the philosophical, religious, and economic factors that influenced these unique governments of the 13 American colonies. The study will further assess the influence of one or more factors on the American government that was created after the revolution.
Compared to the European governments whose formation is largely credited to natural factors, the formation of the United States government is largely credit to artificial factors. While the people have been the greatest drivers and authors of the constitutionalism in the country, the colonization at the beginning of the seventeenth century on major colonies, also defined the country’s constitution in one way or another. While the governments from where the colonizers emerged, such as Britain, were not directly involved, they used merchants, aristocracy members, and adventurers to influence the formation of governments in the colonies. The following is an in-depth analysis of how the colonialists influenced the formation of governments in the American colonies (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 1). The growth of the colonies is traced to the Atlantic coast towards the cost and grew to 13 in number from the time of their formation up to the American Revolution (Jonathan 2009, 78). The settlements spread from the Appalachians and experienced their extension from the northern part of Maine to Georgia, where the first revolution was witnessed. At the time, there were close to 3 million colonists of the United States.. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The first colonies were the Massachusetts and Virginia bay, which were formed on the Joint Stock Company, which was an instrument that was used to advance the commercial expansion of the colonies (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 2). They formed the typical charter that provided a number of privileges such as the rights to convey titles to the established domain portions, land grants, and the title of all the precious metals that were discovered within the locations (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 3). The charter was the one vested with the control by the company. In addition, it was also mandated to set up the local governing body that had various responsibilities such as the establishment of courts, to defend and gather the coins that were collected in the colonies. It was also mandated with the responsibility of gathering the ordinances for the government (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 4).
Another company was formed in Plymouth and settled in these colonies, whereby their interest in oversees ventures was increased. The Virginia Massachusetts became the actual constitution of the colony (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 5). The company acquired lying between 3 miles, North of the Merrimac River, and on the southern part of the Charles River and onwards to the western sea (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 6). The Massachusetts government structure was influenced largely by the charter.
There was also a formation of the proprietary principle that led to the holding of vast recipient land, and the colonialists ruled the new territories like Kings (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 10). The autonomy that was established in the colonies was escalated by the English Civil War (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 13). There was a second wave of the colonization of colonies, which included Pennsylvania, New York, Carolina, and New Jersey (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 16). The second wave saw the introduction of a mixed theory of government, which acted as the principle of combining authority and liberty. The new ideal was meant to provide a distinct role in the structure of the government (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 28).
The growth of the assembly power that saw the lower assembly houses gaining power up until the eve of the American Revolution and after the revolution was the center of the gravity of the American constitution (30). After the revolution, the assembly powers introduced the rights to initiate legislation, elect the speaker, and provided different sittings in the assembly (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 31). The new structure involved governors and a council of governors that could appoint judges, command the military, appoint subordinate officers, enforce and administer laws in the country (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 32). The council was established to be the voice of the elements of aristocracy in the country (Belz, Harbison, Kelly 1991, 33).
The economic factors that influenced the unique governments of the various American colonies include the economic opportunities that existed with the availability of land in these colonies. The fact that the colonies had an abundance of resources, including vast water shores that could be transformed into beaches, lakes, and minerals, was the other factor that drove the formation of the colonies. The colonies provided trade opportunities to the immigrants, who also played a pivotal role in the formation of unique governments in these colonies. The encouragement of immigration through inducements to those who visited land beyond the ocean, for instance, is one of the opportunities that encouraged immigration.
Some of the social factors that influenced the creation of the unique colonies include the fact that the land encouraged large families and marriages. Families therefore grew, and it was common to find families with more than ten members. In spite of hardships and diseases that were common at the time, the colonists continued multiplying.
The growth in the colonies mainly resulted from the continued immigration from Western Europe through the Elbe River and from Great Britain. The larger European continent and Britain, in particular, viewed the colonies as a land of opportunities. There was an increased arrival of immigrants from Ireland, Scotland, and Germany in the 18th century[2]. Immigrants from Netherlands and France also formed a critical part of these new colonies.
In the southern colonies, the population was mainly comprised of English immigrants, while the middle colonies had a mixture of cultures. Other than German and Dutch cultures that diminished with time, the most dominant culture was that of the English, and the language also took dominance in the colonies. By 1763, however, the term had become common across all the colonies (US History n.d).
Religion was another critical factor that encouraged the unique governments in these colonies. The foreign Protestants were particularly encouraged to venture into these colonies. The English people who formed the greatest number of foreign Protestants found leverage as a result of the easy assimilation into these colonies. The French, however, had internal religious conflicts that prevented them from realizing the immense opportunities that were provided by the colonies[3]. Their attempts to establish governance in the valley of St. Lawrence were, therefore, unfruitful. The Englishmen, therefore, established governance from Maine to Georgia and impacted these places with a flow of capital and people. The British immigrants further took up the smaller colonies such as the Hudson Valley and the Delaware River, both of which had been occupied by a group of Dutch and Sweden, respectively. After a century, the British established 13 colonies in the cost of the Atlantic Ocean, which include North Carolina, Massachusetts, Georgia, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York (Facing History 2020).
After a short period, the colonists had reached the Appalachians from the strip of Tidewater. They then crossed the mountains through the Ohio River. After several decades, the inhabitants’ outlook becomes more American, and the European outlook was abandoned. The fact that they had abandoned their western European culture and adopted their own cultures made them become more individualistic.
Philosophical Factors
The Europeans who settled in these colonies had been enlightened through the middle ages. The ocean voyages ensured that they civilized with the world through trade and thereby creating a successful middle class. The reformation of the Protestants influenced the religion of these colonies since many of them questioned the Catholic Church practices. The printing press also grew rapidly in these colonies and thereby led to the development of new ideas and opinions. There was an emergence of philosophers who promoted justice through equality and individual liberty. Some of the philosophers who have influenced the American government after the revolution period include Thomas Hobbes, the Englishman who wrote the book Leviathan, which insinuated that people could not rule themselves (John 2015, 51). Thomas was of the opinion that people were naturally quarrelsome and self-centered and therefore needed a rigid leader to rule them. Later, philosophies such as Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Voltaire, however, advocated for more democracy[4]. Their ideas led to a criticism of the established monarchs and therefore advocated for a separation of powers into various government branches. The above philosophers would be integral in the creation of modern-day America. The students of these philosophers later become the founders of the government of the United States.
Another influential philosopher whose influence was critical in the shaping of the American government after the revolution period was John Locke. John Locke was an Englishman who redefined how the government was crafted. Despite agreeing with Hobbes that human beings are self-interested in nature, he was of a different opinion than people had the ability to reason and could, therefore, overcome any self-interest that could result from an inherent tyranny.
Locke argued that the legitimacy of a government is got when those that are being government accept or give consent to the government. Locke insinuated that the primary aim of the government was to protect the rights of the citizens, including property, life, and liberty[5]. Locke further mentioned that the failure by any government to safeguard these indelible rights should be overthrown. In the declaration of independence, these tenets were taken into consideration (Constitutional Rights Foundation 2001).
The political system of the British was also the basis for the creation of the governance system in the American colonies. The monarch governments had advocated for the restriction of the powers of these colonies. The above was Magna Carta that influenced the creation of the parliament, but Locke’s assertions later changed some of the initial tenets[6].
The foundation of the American government after the revolution period was influenced by the enlightenment of the Europeans during the 18th and 17th centuries during the colonization period of the thirteen colonies (Gertrude 2008, 21). The founders of the country were versed with the philosophical connotations and the opinions and ideas that were suggested by the philosophers and integrated into the American government system[7]. The founding fathers took the enlightenment values on equality, justice, and liberty, which were suggested by the philosophers. Many years later, the philosophical values that were suggested still form a critical part of the modern-day America[8].
Conclusion
It is evident from this study that there are various philosophical, economic, religious, and social factors, which influenced the creation of the American colonies. While there was an amalgamation of different cultures at the time, including English, Irish, Scottish, French, and Dutch cultures, the English culture was the most dominant and had the largest influence on the creation of these colonies since it took up virtually all the colonies at the time. The English language also had the main influence, and it is the primary reason why it is the most spoken language in modern-day America. There are various philosophers who emerged at the time who influenced the creation of the American government, such as John Locke. Other philosophers who had an influence on the creation of modern-day America include Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Voltaire. The founding fathers’ incorporated various ideas and views that were coined by these philosophers and thereby influencing how pre-revolutionary American government.
References
Constitutional Rights Foundation. 2001. “The Declaration of Independence and Natural Rights.” Accessed March 20, 2020. https://www.crf-usa.org/foundations-of-our-constitution/natural-rights.html
Facing History. 2020. “Religion in Colonial America: Trends, Regulations, and Beliefs.” Accessed March 20, 2020. https://www.facinghistory.org/nobigotry/religion-colonial-america-trends-regulations-and-beliefs
George, Carey. n.d. “A Student’s Guide to American Political Thought.” Accessed March 20, 2020. https://isi.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Students-Guide-American-Political-Thought.pdf
Herman, Belz., Winfred, Harbison., Alfred, Kelly. 1991. The American Constitution: Its Origins and Development. New York: W. W. Norton & Company
Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 2008. The Roads to Modernity: The British, French, and American Enlightenments. London: Vintage.
Israel, Jonathan. 2009. A Resolution of the Mind—Radical Enlightenment and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Democracy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Pockock, John. 2015. The Machiavellian Moment: Florentine Political Thought and the American Republican Tradition. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Rogers, Hummel. n.d. “Benefits of the American Revolution: An Exploration of Positive Externalities.” Accessed March 20, 2020. https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2018/HummelAmericanrevolution.html
US History. n.d. “The Colonial Experience.” Accessed March 20, 2020. https://www.ushistory.org/gov/2a.asp
[1] Israel, Jonathan. 2009. A Resolution of the Mind—Radical Enlightenment and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Democracy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
[2] US History. n.d. “The Colonial Experience.” Accessed March 20, 2020. https://www.ushistory.org/gov/2a.asp
[3] Facing History. 2020. “Religion in Colonial America: Trends, Regulations, and Beliefs.” Accessed March 20, 2020. https://www.facinghistory.org/nobigotry/religion-colonial-america-trends-regulations-and-beliefs
[4] Pockock, John. 2015. The Machiavellian Moment: Florentine Political Thought and the American Republican Tradition. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
[5] Constitutional Rights Foundation. 2001. “The Declaration of Independence and Natural Rights.” Accessed March 20, 2020. https://www.crf-usa.org/foundations-of-our-constitution/natural-rights.html
[6] Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 2008. The Roads to Modernity: The British, French, and American Enlightenments. London: Vintage.
[7] George, Carey. n.d. “A Student’s Guide to American Political Thought.” Accessed March 20, 2020. https://isi.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Students-Guide-American-Political-Thought.pdf
[8] Rogers Hummel. n.d. “Benefits of the American Revolution: An Exploration of Positive Externalities.” Accessed March 20, 2020. https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2018/HummelAmericanrevolution.html