American Republican Ideology

The American Revolutionary Period was a time of extreme progress. During this time period the Rationalist movement erupted, sparking American interest in intelligence, exploration, and creativity. These kinds of advancements in society were only made possible by the Declaration of Independence. Without the freedom produced by the Declaration, the American Dream of upward mobility would not be possible. This dream of upward mobility was exemplified in the lives of both ordinary people and influential leaders of the time like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine.

The creation of state governments and the search for a national government were the first steps that Americans took to experiment with their own system. Expansion, postwar depression as well as the new distribution of land were all evidence that pointed to the gradual maturing of the economic system. Although America was fast on its way to becoming a strong and powerful nation, the underlying issues brought about by the Revolution remained an important part in the social, political and economical developments that in some instances contradicted revolutionary principles in the period from 1775-1800. The American Revolution stirred political unity and motivated the need for change in the nation. Because many Americans fought for a more balanced government in the Revolutionary War, they initially created a weak national government that hampered the country's growth and expansion.

Tocqueville, while impressed at the amount liberty and freedoms that citizens had, believed that America had a long way to go before it could call itself a truly free country. Fast forward over a hundred years later, and John Rawls lived in a time were the conversation on equality and justice were major political issues. Rawls proposed a brand new way of looking at concepts of equality and justice and how to define them. The idea of liberty has played a significant role throughout the history of America, however how it is defined and what its implications are have changed from the Puritans, to Tocqueville and finally with John Rawls. The Puritans came to the New World in the 17th century with the intent to establish a homogenous state where they could practice their religious beliefs freely, but also to create and control a government that would complement their religious society.

By examining these three particular factors, America’s military assets, it’s aid from other countries, and its own spirit of independence, one’s understanding of the Revolutionary War, an essential root of this nation, is truly increased. Despite the low expectations for the American colonies, they amazed the world as they rose to the occasion by taking advantage of their military assets, even those they did not know they had. For instance, George Washington proved to be a valuable asset for the American colonies. Washington was already held in high esteem prior to the Revolution for his few, but impactful, military accomplishments prior to the Revolution and for his praise-worthy character. (Schweikart and Allen 74) Because of his lack of experience commanding, he learned to excel in familiarizing himself with new tactics and responsibilities very quickly.

Also, it created a country where freedom and religious acceptance are the rights for all mean in the country. The Declaration put into words what the colonists felt needed to be done. Without such powerful document, the colonists would have never gotten chance to win against the powerful English monarchy. That moment when Congress signed the Declaration of Independence in July 4, 1776, it ultimately became the stepping stone for America. America was on its way to becoming a more successful nation.

If the government “derviv[ed] their just powers” from the people, not from divine authority, as it was with Britain and other monarchies, then it followed that the government would only be able to exercise powers in the areas allocated by the people and, therefore, would be limited to their purview alone (Cummings 2015, 64). This was an important point because it ensured the America would never be under the illegitimate rule of a tyrant again. This idea directly connected to the final important principle of government the Declaration laid out; the right to revolution. If a government had become “destructive of these ends”, such as failing to protect the people’s rights or abusing the

The Founding Fathers were strong advocates of republicanism and they were the ones who founded that system in America since 1776. Although Dickinson originally proposed a strong central government, which could control the western lands and provide equal representation for all states(http://www.barefootsworld.net/aoc1777.html), these ideas were not accepted by the 13 states. They did not want to create a strong central gove... ... middle of paper ... ...the Puritans and Quakers of the previous two centuries? Could they embody the 'spirit' of capitalism without actually being capitalist? (Henretta) Hernetta states that Weber considered the religions one of the first promoters and the biggest influence in the development of capitalism in America.

In 1775, the American movement towards freedom was gaining strength. Many authors during this time wrote about how the colonies needed to break away from England and become a free, independent nation. For example, Thomas Paine, John Adams and his wife Abigail are historic figures that played a significant role in the independence movement. They wished for an independent, British-free society where revolution was the means to achieve their common goal. The eventual triumph over Britain fulfilled the promises and aspirations of both Paine and the Adamses.

This proves that Franklin may be the ultimate contributor in the creation of American literature. Franklin successfully influenced the states in more than one area. Franklin changed the fields of literature and technology forever in the states. However, not all of his influence was direct, an example being the American Revolution. Because of the advertisement and support his paper gave the war, the colonies eventually earned their freedom and ultimately developed their own style of literature.

During the eighteenth century, many milestones of American history were accomplished and can be considered major turning points for the colonies. A turning point can be defined as “the point at which a very significant change occurs” (“Turning Point”). Before America was known as the United States of America, it was just composed of colonies under British rule. After a long period of salutary neglect, colonists began to recognize the abuses of Britain and the importance of independence. Due to this recognition, the colonies were then motivated to unite in order to fight for what they felt America required.