Eric Foner Give Me Liberty Analysis
According to Eric Foner in his book Give Me Liberty!, politics in the eighteenth-century America had a more democratic quality than in Great Britain. In Britain the requirement of voting laws was property qualification. The main purpose of this was to guarantee that men who had an economic stake in society and the independence of judgment would be the ones to determine the policies of the government.
Women, slaves, servants, the poor, tenants, and adult sons living with their parents all lacked something in common which was a will of their own. This was a huge problem, because it would not allow them to vote. This only allowed five percent of people to vote in Britain at the time.
However, the group of people mentioned above were the only
ones not allowed to vote. Jews, Catholics, and Protestant Dissenters (such as Baptists and Quakers) were not allowed to vote either. Also, Native Americans and free blacks were likewise a group of people who were not allowed to vote. Basically, voting was reflected as a white male privilege.
During the first half of the eighteenth century, British adopted a policy of “salutary neglect” towards their citizens which left them mainly to govern themselves. Since the authority was so weak, large landowners, merchants, and lawyers who conquered colonial meetings claimed the right to control local governments.
These people who were convinced that they represented the will of the people, elected colonial meetings and used the fact that they had lots of money to influence over chosen governors and councils. Typically, the members of the British nobility were people who had suffered financial problems and hoped to recover their fortunes in America. Governors eventually learned that to run successfully they would have to collaborate with the colonial elite.
Women, slaves, servants, the poor, tenants, and adult sons living with their parents all lacked something in common which was a will of their own. This was a huge problem, because it would not allow them to vote. This only allowed five percent of people to vote in Britain at the time.
However, the group of people mentioned above were the only
ones not allowed to vote. Jews, Catholics, and Protestant Dissenters (such as Baptists and Quakers) were not allowed to vote either. Also, Native Americans and free blacks were likewise a group of people who were not allowed to vote. Basically, voting was reflected as a white male privilege.
During the first half of the eighteenth century, British adopted a policy of “salutary neglect” towards their citizens which left them mainly to govern themselves. Since the authority was so weak, large landowners, merchants, and lawyers who conquered colonial meetings claimed the right to control local governments.
These people who were convinced that they represented the will of the people, elected colonial meetings and used the fact that they had lots of money to influence over chosen governors and councils. Typically, the members of the British nobility were people who had suffered financial problems and hoped to recover their fortunes in America. Governors eventually learned that to run successfully they would have to collaborate with the colonial elite.