With the establishment of the first American colonies, there existed a level of unprecedented self-rule. As time went on, more and more trademarks of democracy appeared and laid the foundation for the future nation. Coinciding with this was the Enlightenment across the Atlantic which soon spread to America and introduced the notion that each individual had certain natural liberties. When the British Parliament passed numerous acts that violated these rights, colonists were outraged, which spurred groups like the Sons of Liberty into taking drastic measures. Members of such organizations became Patriots during the Revolutionary War, while a sizable minority of Americans remained loyal to the British Crown. Though the transition from English
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Present in the nation’s Declaration of Independence from Britain, this concept provided a staggering juxtaposition to the typical European basis of government. In those systems, the monarch, who was an ultimate authority of the country, was acquainted to grand opulence; there was an affluent nobility, but the majority lived an impoverished existence. Those born to wealth were of a higher order than those who had less, and there was certainly no concept of equality amongst these groups of people. Social classes were divisive and explicit, meaning that once an individual was born in one position, it was nearly impossible to better himself. Every section of the Declaration, the primary document which formed the foundation of the Revolution, challenged this accepted way of life, in favor of a libertarian form of thinking. In regards to the freedoms of the people, the document states that “[all men] are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (“The Declaration of Independence”). This statement was revolutionary on its own, as it shows how in America, the rights an individual had was not defined or limited by their social class. These liberties transcended any caste system, and the fact that they were incorporated into the cornerstone of the Revolution demonstrates the radical nature of
Present in the nation’s Declaration of Independence from Britain, this concept provided a staggering juxtaposition to the typical European basis of government. In those systems, the monarch, who was an ultimate authority of the country, was acquainted to grand opulence; there was an affluent nobility, but the majority lived an impoverished existence. Those born to wealth were of a higher order than those who had less, and there was certainly no concept of equality amongst these groups of people. Social classes were divisive and explicit, meaning that once an individual was born in one position, it was nearly impossible to better himself. Every section of the Declaration, the primary document which formed the foundation of the Revolution, challenged this accepted way of life, in favor of a libertarian form of thinking. In regards to the freedoms of the people, the document states that “[all men] are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (“The Declaration of Independence”). This statement was revolutionary on its own, as it shows how in America, the rights an individual had was not defined or limited by their social class. These liberties transcended any caste system, and the fact that they were incorporated into the cornerstone of the Revolution demonstrates the radical nature of