Colonial Past Made Possible Our Country's Present

How have the values and ideas of America’s colonial past made possible our country’s present?
People in the United States today do not take in consideration the impact of colonial ideas. However the journey from slavery, women rights, and the balance of power in government help determine the aspects of modern day society. Therefore, colonial society helped develop a structure of present day America.
America today is one of the best countries in the world because there are many opportunities for everyone and fair laws for people; however, we would not be privileged and live as we do today if it were not for the colonial past this country holds. Examples of some of the grand values of America's past is the economic support slavery offered, the
progress and flexibility for women rights, and early structure and balance of power much similar to the one we use today.
Slavery had a fast development in Colonial America.
It was a new concept to both the colonists and the slaves, and later it progressed with strict rules and tasks given from master to slave according to Kolchin (28-29). During the colonial era the north and southern colonies both possessed slavery, however it was the south that took great benefit of the slaves by making them work on plantations, farming Americas staple crops. African slavery had a greater impact than indentured servants and laborers because they did not have to be paid; they were not even recognized as people at the time. The development and enforcement of slavery not only was the basis of economy in the south but also helped boost the economy of the whole United States post-colonial period. Not only did slavery have an economic impact but it also lead to the ideas of abolition and true equal freedom for all that would later be addressed and
accomplished.
` Women in the early colonial era played the cliché role of staying in the house, giving birth and some even made dresses and cooked. While the husbands and sons were receiving education and serving the military the only thing a woman in the colonial period could serve was food. English colonial women had fewer rights than Dutch and Spanish colonial women (DeLuzio 22). Some women if divorced would not have custody of their children and the only ones holding any right like a man were the widows, they held some of the property their husband had left them until their time of death. That is until the American identity started to develop. Women were starting to have a more important role in the colonies. Close to the revolution, women had become a great factor in how the United States obtained independence. Women manufactured a lot of colonial goods and some even had ideals of what America's identity was and therefore they received more flexible rights. Such improvements of flexibility lead to women having discussions about politics. They were to be represented as the source education for their children, the next generation of leaders of the United States. These small steps allowed woman to have an opportunity to work, suffrage, and an equal amount of importance in their opinions about the government and laws today. Early government in America was shown since the Mayflower Compact; even under the crown English colonies had their own courts that enforced the common law of England.
Even though the colonies differ on background and history and most of them follow a similar if not the exact same pattern as the English government, the colonies were tired of the tyranny of one ruler so they developed governments that were balanced. In the colonies there was not a ruler that told everyone what to do. There was a fine structural government on each of the thirteen unique colonies. The local governments they had then are a reflection of what we have today. It is because this type of government was made on the basis of representation (Janiskee 15) that we now have the government we do now. These early ideas of government and the tyrant ruler of England contributed to the future creation of the three branches and the checks and balances which we use in the present
government. In conclusion the values and ideas of America’s colonial past, although it started out full of sorrow for the slaves, desperation for women rights, and some of early yet failed attempts of government have structured and developed over time the country we live in today. God bless America.