Democracy and the Origins of the US Constitution

Religion and politics don't mix.

Democracy and the Origins of the US Constitution

In a democracy:

Citizens elect their leaders
People have a right to change their leaders
People choose their leaders through elections which are held frequently.
Elections are free and fair
People have civil rights.

All of these ideas about democracy originated from a number of sources.

Ancient Athens

Ancient Athens is often referred to as the cradle of democracy. The Athenians developed a unique system of government in which citizens were allowed to take in the decision-making process. They called it democracy. One of their most famous leaders, Pericles, described their government this way :

"Our government does not copy our neighbors, but is an example to them. It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few."

The Athenian form of democracy was called Direct Democracy. All the male citizens would gather, discussed the issues, and then voted on them. This was possible because the male population in Athens was small, about 40,000 men. This was an advanced form of government for again, as Pericles noted, most governments at the time were ruled by monarchs or small groups of people. The idea of giving people the power to make important decisions is an important democratic principle.

Athenian democracy is limited to only male citizens. Women, slaves and foreigners were excluded.

Our Founders realized that the Athenian form of democracy was impractical in large nations. They took the idea of democracy and came up with "representative democracy." Under this system, citizens elect representatives to make these decisions for them. It's for this reasons we have elections through which we elect our leaders.

The Magna Carta

The Founding Fathers found the Magna Carta an inspiring source. In 1215, a group of English nobles, demanded certain rights and forced the King to sign the Magna Carta or the Great Charter. 500 hundred years later the American colonists were to use this example to demand their rights from the British King.

These rights included: The right of jury trial, protection of private property, limits on taxation, and some religious freedoms.

Note that these rights were intended to be enjoyed by the rich; it didn't apply to the people. These rights above became a part of our Bill Of Rights and apply to all.

English Bill of Rights

In 1688, William and Mary became the new King and Queen of England through a peaceful revolution known as the Glorious revolution. To prevent further abuse by the monarchy, Parliament forced them to sign an historical document called the English Bill of Rights.

The Bill then guaranteed certain basic rights to prevent abuses including the following:

The King cannot pass or suspend laws without the consent of Parliament.
The people must have the right to petition the King.
Only Parliament could authorize the keeping of an army during peacetime.
Certain people should have the right to bear arms.
Excessive bail or fines should not be imposed,; nor cruel or unjust punishment be meted out.

Note that the Bill of Rights began by listing the grievances of the nobles against the King. Similarly, the American colonists began the Declaration of Independence by listing their grievances against King George.

These rights became part of the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Mayflower Compact

One of the early steps toward democracy in America was taken aboard the Mayflower by the Pilgrims in 1620. Shortly before their arrival, the colonists agreed on a set of laws that would govern their Plymouth colony in Massachusetts. These laws, which came to be known as the Mayflower Compact, in essence, stated that the government would make "just laws and equal" with the consent of the colonists.

John Locke

No other individual influenced the author of the Declaration of Independence more than Unitarian John Locke (1632-1704). He was a British philosopher who rejected the idea that Kings had a divine right to rule. Instead, Locke argued that people are the source of power, not kings.

Locke argued that people are born with certain "natural" or "inalienable" rights. These include the right to "life, liberty and property." Government did not give people these rights; rather they are born with them and as such, no government can take them away.

According to Locke, people formed governments to protect their rights, which he called a "social contract." People agreed to obey the government and in return, government had the responsibility to protect peoples' natural rights.

Locke also argued that if the government failed to protect our natural rights, then the people had the right to replace the government. Locke's ideas became very influential in developing democratic ideas. Thomas Jefferson, in writing the Declaration of Independence, drew heavily from the writings of John Locke.

Above: extracts from: CLASS NOTES- AMERICAN HISTORY by Levi Anthony January 30, 2004.

I should be very clear here in regards to the Founding Fathers of America (Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, etc.): If one claims they were Deists on the basis of "God went away" and the radical French Enlightenment of Voltaire and the French Encyclopedists, the answer is clearly no. They clearly believed God was both present and active. They also clearly drew their moral beliefs from Christianity. Most/all clearly rejected the doctrines of the Trinity, Original Sin, predestination, etc. In other words it was often a rejection of Calvinism. (The Puritans) For the most part they would be rational theists or Unitarians.

The primary influences of the US Constitution were John Locke, Montesquieu, the Bible, Greek philosophy, and the Freemasons.

It should be noted that the Age of Reason needs to be separated from the later mostly French Enlightenment. I base this on the 11 volume set The Story of Civilization by Will Durant. (Buy it here) The Story of Civilization is in eleven volumes: (1) Our Oriental Heritage; (2) The Life of Greece; (3) Caesar and Christ; (4) The Age of Faith; (5) The Renaissance; (6) The Reformation; (7) The Age of Reason Begins; (8) The Age of Louis XIV; (9) The Age of Voltaire; (10) Rousseau & Revolution; and (11) The Age of Napoleon. This is a must read for those serious about history for the average person. They are free of politics and religious hostility from a secular scholar.

Another excellent reference is The Faiths of the Founding Fathers by David L. Holmes. (Buy it here.)

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