Essay On Democracy In Colonial America

As the King of Great Britain issued charters, more and more people began to arrive the colonies in hopes to escape religious persecution and find new job opportunities in the New World. It did not take a long time for colonies to form and eventually have their own government as more people settled. However, early British colonies were not democratic in their practice because not everyone was given a voice. For example, Africans had no representation in the government because they were considered property rather than humans. In addition, the colonies remained faithful to their kings, which shows that not everyone is equal.

If not everyone is equal, then it is impossible to describe a society as democratic. As seen in the Mayflower Compact, the king is the one who ultimately has control over the colonists. “ We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord King James” (Document A). The word subject implies subordinate. In a democratic society, the majority rules. Therefore, one person cannot determine the outcome of a situation because his opinion should not be weighed more than that any other person. Another example of undemocratic practices in British Colonial America can be seen in the House of Burgesses, where the governor has the ability to veto the opinion of
As seen in the Maryland Toleration Act, people who said anything offensive about God is severely punished. “ or shall use or utter any reproachful speeches… shall be punished with death and confiscation or forfeiture of all his or her lands” (Document D). This means that anyone who does not believe in God or believes in another God will most likely be shunned by society of Maryland or even banished. In other words, people are judged by the religion that he or she practices. In a democracy, no one should ever be persecuted because he or she does not share a