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Essay Available:
Pages:
4 pages/≈1100 words
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Style:
APA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
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Topic:

How democratic was American society after the American Revolution?

Essay Instructions:

Draft of the Midterm Essay (up to 100 points) At the direction of your instructor, write a first draft of each element of the required mid-term essay. You will be given writing time in class. Completed first drafts of all the element must be posted here as a single document before the due date. The draft will be reviewed by the instructors and serve as the basis for in-class discussion with other students. Each completed draft element of the essays earns 10 points. A completed draft of each essays containing all five elements earns 100 points. The theme and elements of the essay are as follows:
How democratic was American society after the American Revolution? A short original essay on this topic. The essay is required to have 5 distinct elements, which are described below. Each element is worth 20 points. Each essay should be about 1,000 words or 3½ double-spaced pages in 12 pt font with 1-inch margins on all sides of letter stock (8 ½ x 11), and must be submitted as a Word (doc or docx) attachment on Sakai:
The US Declaration of Independence issued in 1776 and the US Constitution ratified in 1787 established a new, independent nation, which presented itself as the world’s first modern democracy. In your view, how democratic was it?
Write a short essay setting out your views on this question. Your essay needs to include the following elements and answers to the following questions:
an opening paragraph that “hooks” the reader’s attention and draws them in;
a definition of democracy: of what does it consist?
a list of the ways you think American society, more generally, and the American political system, more particularly, was not democratic after the revolution. Include at least two contemporary events, trends or witnesses to support your views;
a list of the ways in which you think American society and the American political system was democratic, including at least two contemporary events, trends or witnesses that support your views; and,
a closing paragraph (or more, as necessary), which consider(s) the merit of these two contrasting viewpoints and spells out their moral, or the most important lesson.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

How Democratic was American Society after the American Revolution?
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Institution
Due Date
How Democratic was American Society after the American Revolution?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (Declaration of Independence, 1776). These words have been repeated time and again by politicians who I often feel water down what the founding fathers meant. To me, these words define and explain the fundamental principles of democracy. Well, a simple definition of democracy is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. What this means is that the government is in power because of the people and its main goal is to ensure the rights of every individual is protected. Democracy does not necessary denote the people’s ability to vote, it is so much more and includes rights chief among them is the right to life. Additionally, it includes the government’s agenda to protect the rights of its citizens and to ensure that everything including the laws that are being adopted do not in any way infringe on the rights of the people. Democracy means a lot more than the right to vote and vie for political office as certain people interpret it to mean today. So, people need to demand more from their governments and know they are the ones who possess the power to either make or destroy a government.
Well, before the American Revolution took place, the US was a British colony. Before the revolution, all the aspects and facets of America were controlled by the Britons. The colonialists controlled everything including the economic aspect of the US and this was one of the issues that led to the revolution. But after the revolution, things changed and the US was recognized as the first modern democracy. However, was it really a democracy?
After the revolution, America did change and adopted different policies and measures which were different to what was being advocated for during the colonialist era. However, the American political system was not entirely democratic because slavery was still legal. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines slavery as “submission to a dominating influence.” Well, in the US, slavery which was introduced by the British colonialists was still considered legal and African Americans found themselves in the same plight even after promises of freedom had been issued prior to the war. Being a slave meant that one was a property and they did not have any rights. The slaver owner decided the fate of his slaves. As a slave owner, one could kill, maim, sell, and shame a slave without any sort of reprimand. Well, being a slave also meant that one could not vote or run for any political office. The political world was left for the white men who controlled everything in the country. The African Americans were still considered inferior to the white men and could not be allowed to try their hand in politics.
Secondly, the political system was not democratic because it did not allow women to vote or take part in the political proceedings. Unlike today where the likes of Hillary Clinton could run for the highes...
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