Assignment #4: Zinn Chapter 5 - engine of souls

Date: Sep 19, 2007

Assignment #4: Zinn Chapter 5

Date: Sep 23, 2007

Question with answer: The U.S. is a work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economic interests.

The Founding fathers did consider the economic interests of the people living in America, but they left out over half of the population. The set of rules for this new country talked about equality of all men and their interests were to be considered. All men that is except slaves, indentured servants, men without property, and especially women. So who was left to represent? Rich, property owning, white men who didn't get affected by economical changes in the first place. How could the Founding Fathers create a government that would suit everyone if they didn't include everyone in the thought process? The dominate economic interests were what they took into consideration. The only problem that these Founding Fathers would face is a rebellion of slaves, farmers, and even women, who decided to stand up for themselves. The dominate economic interests of rich, land owning, white men, were what shaped the constitution that we live by today.

Date: Sep 23, 2007

Answer to the question:

America was a work of genius put together by rich white men to benefit their economic interests because the structure of America's econimic and social build did not benefit the minorities of America which were slaves and free blacks, native americans, women, poor farmers, and non property owners.Right from the start of the Revolutionary War, minorites were not allowed (or encouraged) to take part in the fight for freedom. Howard Zen, in his writings, stated: "they knew the Revolution had no appeal to slaves and indians". He was indeed right. Although the war was fought for freedom it was fought for the freedom of all rich white colonists, not of anyone else. The economy of the colonies was very important. In the south, agriculture was the main way to reap economic gain while in the north, industries was thier way. Although rich white men didn't suffer to form the colonies' economy, minorites did. Slaves were forced to work the fields in the south to help boost their economy while poor farmers supplied the economy though their farming. Minorites helped make the economy what it was but the rich white men didn't have any regard for that.

Date: Sep 23, 2007

b. A work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economic interests

America was run by the rich white land owners. In almost every state only landowners could vote. In every state slaves were not given rights at all. The working class were not given the same oportunities as the richer class. Officers in the army were given good salaries and a cash pay every year. Somehow the common soldier was overlooked when it came to being paid, they got paid very little or not at all. The working class could rebel, but ultimately it was up to the rich class to change the laws by getting affected by what the poorer classes were doing.

Date: Sep 23, 2007

I just wanted to remind everyone to answer this question as though it was a DBQ. You should cite the chapter and outside information to support your thesis. Remember to highlight or underline your thesis as well. Thanks. Let me know if you have any questions.

Date: Sep 24, 2007

The U.S. was a work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economic interests because the rich men had complete control of the country, of course they would take care of their needs before anyone elses. The Native Americans, African slaves, poor whites, and woman were not even thought of during the process of developing our country. The Natives were killed and pushed to the west. The Africans were enslaved and thought as if they were inhuman. The poor whites were just simply unlucky because they didnt have enough money to have any say in the government. The women were just looked upon as if they were illiterate, like the only thing they could do was take care of the house and family. I think the men in charge at this time thought they were superior to everyone else and shaped the U.S. to their needs because they had the power to do so.

Sources: A Kind of Revolution- Howard Zinn

Date: Sep 24, 2007

The U.S. had undoubtably evolved dramatically over a very short period of time. It now employed a republican government which they had said was a government by the people. This was however only if you were a landowning, white, male. As it seems the U.S is a work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economic interests. What were the founding fathers so afraid of??

To be completly honest the founding fathers were afraid to include the masses. They were so afraid of ignorance that they put in every available safeguard to protect the government and its processes. To them the "common people", women, and slaves, knew little or nothing about political intrests and policies. This forced them to believe that they would make bad decisions regarding these issues. Now the other side to that would be whether this in essence was true.

During that era ignorance was everywhere. It wasn't that the people were stupid but they didn't have the financial means nor the time to learn. However even the precautionary measures that the Founding Fathers instated had their faults. Not every landowning white male had any political sense, but yet they were allowed to vote over many educated women and educated free slaves and even some that were still on plantations.

So the Founding Fathers did have realistic fears. The inclusion of the masses COULD have been detrimental to our government. However I don't feel that their safeguards were the most though-out or best ones available. There were still many ways for politically uneducated people to be in the system. It does seem for that the time period everything mostly worked out.

Sources:
Howard Zinn's text
My AP US Government textbook
The American People textbook

Oh and I also used my brain as a reference biggrin

Date: Sep 24, 2007

Erin =] wrote:

The U.S. had undoubtably evolved dramatically over a very short period of time. It now employed a republican government which they had said was a government by the people. This was however only if you were a landowning, white, male. As it seems the U.S is a work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economic interests. What were the founding fathers so afraid of??

I underlined the wrong sentence...My fault:

As it seems the U.S is a work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economic interests.

Date: Sep 24, 2007

Assignment #4: Zinn Chapter 5

Read Chapter 5 of A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn by clicking here.

Then respond to the following statement: The U.S. was: a. A work of genius put together by lies humane men, who created a legal framework for democracy and equality, b. A work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economic interests, c. A work of genius which balances the interests of slaves, indentured servants, women, men without property and men with property, d. A compromise between slave holding interests of the South and monied interests of the North, e. All of the above.

Your response should be detailed and use both the information that you have gathered from the chapter 'A Kind of Revolution' as well as your text and outside sources (which you will cite). This will be graded similar to a DBQ. We will use the rubric for grading AP exam document based essays. Be sure to click on it and read it. This assignment will be due Monday, September 24th.

b., A work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economical interests.

The US was a work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economical interests because it was mainly rich men who put together the documents to govern our country. Women, slaves, and people under the high society mark had no part in creating the laws we would follow as a united country. It was a work of genius because it was somethign that would actually work when it came down to ways to govern thirteen separate colonies. The main focus of this new government was to find wealthy men to help come up with new ideas and plans, which was accomplished by them, even though I believe women should have been included also.

Outside Sources: "A Kind of Revolution"
History Book

Date: Sep 24, 2007

The United States was a work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their own economic interest while disregarding the interests of slaves, indentured servants, women and men without property.

The Founding Fathers went to the Constitutional Convention with their own interest in mind. Zinn tells us that the Continental Congress was made up of rich men linked together in compacts by business and family connections. Since the majority of the members of the Congress were lawyers and wealthy businessmen their own economic interests was the basis for eliminating British rule in the Colonies. Charles Beard in his book An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution found that all of the authors of the Constitution had some direct economic interest in establishing a strong federal government.

It is evident that from the beginning of the Colonial conflict with the British that there was a separation of social class. Zinn tells us that some groups such as free Negroes, Indians and white servants were not allowed to join the militia. He also writes that an attempt was made to get poor people to fight for a cause they may not see clearly as their own. Charles Beard, tells us that slaves, indentured servants, women and men without property, were not represented at the Continental Congress or within the Constitution. This did not go without notice and members of some of the groups that did not benefit from the new Constitution saw the inequalities that existed and staged uprisings, such as Shays Rebellion. The Founding Fathers were interested in calming the masses and Zinn tells us that in an effort to make the Constitution more acceptable to the public that a series of amendments called the Bill of Rights was passed.

The addition of the Bill of Rights served the purpose and did help to quiet the masses. It was a tactic that the Founding Fathers agreed on to prevent an internal revolution. Even in the design of the Bill of Rights they were concerned with their own interests.

Sources:

A Kind of Revolution by Howard Zing

History Textbook

Date: Sep 24, 2007

B. A work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economic interests, (and the interests of those within their own social class)

The U.S.s Constitution, early government framework, and laws were engineered largely by those 50 men in congress, in which a good majority of them were extremely wealthy. These elitists who in the days of the Revolution praised equality and rebellion, now frowned upon the same ideals that made them the founding fathers. The sentiment against totalitarianism and minority rule were replaced by thoughts like those of Alexander Hamilton, All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and well born, the other the mass of people The people are turbulent and changing, they seldom judge or determine right. Give therefore to the first class a distinct permanent share in the government

The founding fathers put a great deal of work into creating a more free and equal nation, but not however at the expense of their political and especially economic power. To prevent power slipping into the hands of Americas other class they excluded many rights to groups like slaves, indentured servants, women, and men holding no property who arent even represented in the original constitution Charles Beard states. These men maintained their positions by strictly enforcing their laws and cutting down anyone who (in a way) represented the same revolutionary ideals they preached just over a decade earlier.

The upper class may have also feared that a government of the majority based on equality would cause a backlash against them and their economic interests. As Charles Beard said manufacturers needed protected tariffs, moneylenders wanted to stop the use of paper money to pay off debts, the land speculators wanted protection as they invaded Indian lands, slaveholders needed security against runaways, (ect.). All this was at risk if the majority gained the upper hand. The Old World ideal that the people were unfit and unsuited to rule themselves, and the risk of destruction to the first families fortunes and mammoth monopolies coerced many of the founding fathers into implying and enforcing strict tax laws as well as excluding many rights from some of those belonging to the lower other or second class.

Recourses:

Chapter 5 of A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn

http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/constitution/

The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society

Date: Sep 24, 2007

The US was a work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economic interests, because rich white men only cared about what rich white men had to say. Our leaders made a government for the people by the people, but that word people wasn't necessarely all the people. They discriminated on women, Native Americans, slaves, and any white person who didn't own land by not letting them take part in the government they were going to be ruled by. It was genius because, it planted the seeds for what would soon become a thriving and successful independent government based on what the people want.

Outside source: Success of modern day government.

Date: Sep 24, 2007

     The United States Constitution, even if a stroke of genius, was founded on principles contradictory to its very palaver. It is chockfull of cajolery and overflows from an abundance of pure and blatant lies. By no stretch of the imagination were the founding fathers fretting over equality or the lowly. What was truly splitting their hairs was their own political and social security. The document is a brain-child of the American system, a direct agenda of the strong and wealthy elite. Its ludicrous to think the interests of the people were represented. The people were held in contempt by the revolutionary leaders, and simply too licentious, too incompetent, too imprudent, and too turbulent to know what was in their best interest. In the plainest of terms, the Constitution reflected the interests of rich, white, men. Everyone else was invisible in the eyes of the new political democracy.

     All men are created equal was for some time the principal misconception in American history. If equality was even slightly on the minds of the founding fathers, the position of slaves, Native Americans, and women would have been at least a topic of discussion during the Great Convention. Instead, outright neglect of equality ensues and thus we have the Constitution and the solidification of aristocratic supremacy. In addition, the document, discussed, drew up, and revised by the wealthy elite was manipulated to fit the importance of its fifty-five signers; the strong federal government brought: the manufacturers protective tariffs, land speculators protection as they invaded Indian lands, and slave owners federal security against slave revolts and runaways. Until definitive strides were taken, many of the purported truths in the manuscript failed in holding water.

     As did its makers, the Constitution lived, breathed, and relished in the so-called American system. As described in Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States, the document is the work of several groups trying to maintain their privileges, while giving just enough rights and liberties to enough of the people to ensure popular support. The Constitution clearly serves the interests of the wealthy elite but does enough for other middle-income workers and farmers to build a broad base of support.

     Its absurd to think the mass who convened at the Great Convention met to discuss a government that would better serve the needs of the everyday person. Its surprising to think that the everyday man, so integral to the revolutionary fervor would be looked at by the aristocratic society to the point where George Washington felt, we have probably had to good an opinion on human nature. The empowered felt that the democratic zeal of the revolution had gone to far and that aristocracy of talent should lead the country. Other revolutionary leaders commented on the subject with similar sentiments: the people are turbulent and changing, nothing but a permanent body can check the imprudence of democracy. And: experience has taught us that men will adopt and carry into execution measures the best calculated for their own good, without an intervention of a coercive power. Its just illogical to think the views of the normal colonial folk would manifest itself in an environment in which such life is looked upon with such disdain.

     Its not difficult to be swept off your feet by the innovative charm of the constitution. It is, as a matter of fact, considered the worlds oldest national constitution. However, it can be argued that the Constitution was a product of the rich and privileged and thus a tool to be used by the rich and privileged. Even more, there are countless grounds and motives to base such an opinion, although the fact remains, it is merely an opinion. Nevertheless, there are more than enough reasons to believe that a cornerstone of our government wasnt after all, looking out for the greater good of all people. Its thought a provoking idea and one that wouldnt come as a surprise if found to be true.

Sources:

A Kind of Revolution, Ch. 5, A Peoples History

Chapters Six and Seven from the text, The Rise of Federalism

Date: Sep 25, 2007

The years after the Revolutionary war brought tumultuousness to the masses and uncertainty about the future. After breaking away from England and declaring independence the leaders of our country had to set up a new government different from anything that had been done before of this scale. The U.S. was founded and made into a work of genius by the wealthiest men of the colonies who sought to protect and preserve their own economic interest but at the same time appeal to the general population in order to achieve this.

In a way the war was a way for the elite persons of the colonies to kick out the elite persons of England and take their place. However they werent going to imitate their ideological or political viewpoints. During the war and after the war these revolutionary leaders gained the support of white men with property, who were to only ones able to vote and were largely small landowners or farmers, and for the most part ignored every other group except only for revolutionary support. In doing so they created a sort of line of supportive defensive against any chance of opposition from the other groups of people they didnt help such as black slaves, indentured servants, Native Americans, women, and men without property. The constitution drawn up after the war represented those who wrote it and their group who all had interest in a strong federal government. They also wanted a strong central government to protect them from discontent groups of farmers and other possible uprisings by other discontented groups.

Although they didnt represent the other groups they did add features to the constitution to appeal to the other groups and achieve popular support to meet their own ends. In the constitution, it gives rights and liberties to the people that were represented and fought for in the Revolutionary war but only just enough to gain popular support. It also benefited the white small property owners and workers by protecting them from foreign competition. For example the city mechanics relied on a government that would control the flow of foreign goods in order for them to prosper and as a result voted for the wealthy conservatives who would give this and gave them power.

To show that they really were creating a constitution that benefited them people took notice and saw that this powerful central government would bring corruption and abuse its power if left unchecked in the from of aristocratic tyranny or the like. To remedy this a Bill of Right was proposed and ratified which gained even more popular support for the elite class and its government for it appealed to everyone as it made the government the protector of many freedoms. Another example that the wealthy men of the colonies created the constitution to benefit them was what Hamilton stated. He believed that the government should ally itself with the wealthiest of the colonies to make itself stronger and of course the wealthy people agreed. So the Bank of the U.S. was setup and created a partnership with the government to help pay back the war bonds of which most were owned by again of course the wealthy and elite. The money for this was raised by taxation of the colonies imposed by tax laws.

The post-war period was a time in which the colonies were shaping their new country and creating an acceptable and stable government. The wealthiest men held the most influence and with it made the U.S. into a remarkable work of their own in which they made sure to protect their own moneyed interest as well as gain the support of white landowners and the general population by giving and protecting certain liberties.

Sources:

Chapter 5 of A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn

Chapter 6 and 7 of from the text, The American People

Date: Sep 26, 2007

b. A work of genius put together by rich men to benefit their economic interests

No new social class acually came when the American revolution happened. The men who engineered the revolt were all upperclass men with educations and athurity. People such as George Washington who was the richest man in America. John Han**** who was a prosperous Boston merchant and Benjamin Franklin was a wealthy printer. Peolpe such as these are the people who led the revolution. It was not the common people that benifited from the war. It was only the officers who recevied half-pay for life if they stuck it out thoughout the whole war, while the common soldiers who were not getting paid at all suffered the same as the officers in the cold and though sickness. Also in politics it was the same. It was the upperclass who created laws, who voted on laws, who created documents, and who had a say in what happened in the country. Women were still not aloud to vote, slaves did not get anymore rights, and the poor stayed poor unless they earned a way to become a higher class which was very rare even in the military and in very rare cases did rebelions from lower class citizens ever successeed they were usually crushed by upperclass citizens. In the end of everything it was still the rich who ran everything and the poor who were forced to live off what they had with very little opertunity to change who they were.

Date: Nov 5, 2007

grades updated 11/4