Dbq Simple Life

The simple life was a concept American colonists attempted to execute over the course of the countries creation. Simple living between 1630 and 1830 was focused on plain living, self reliance, despising luxury, and religious responsibility. Being able to live simply was held with great regard. Across the colonies people were expected to put pious living before all other aspects of life. Although the concept of the simple life was viewed as the highest accomplishment a person could achieve, it was unable to take root in the American colonies. The simple life faced many obstructions during its development. Economic advancement possibilities and social change were the two largest and most consistent factors in America’s evolving society

dictating the growth of simple living.
In the Puritan community simple living connected greatly with the Puritan way. The Puritan way, was placing community needs and religion before an individual’s desires. All individuals were to dedicate themselves to the prosperity of their village and praising God, above striving for personal luxury. Unfortunately, the new abundance of material wealth in the new world allowed for economic expansion among the colonist. Human nature of course pushed the Puritans to work toward this new possibility of success, pulling them from the values of simple living. These colonist aimed to make a better, more luxurious life for themselves rather than focusing on the Puritan way that was preached to them constantly. Another aspect within the Puritan way was what they referred to as the “calling.” The “calling” was given to the Puritans by God, he gave both a spiritual and temporal calling. The spiritual calling was the summoning of the colonist to gain salvation through their pursuit of Christ, where the temporal calling accepted hard work as a practice to serve Christ. This temporal calling gave the Puritans the an excuse to pursue hard work, which led to an increase in money that allows for superfluous living. Using this logic Puritans deduced indulging individual impulses was acceptable to God. Under this impression the Massachusetts colonist began to abandon the ideals of simple living for less pious values. Puritans also allowed for an individual to have freedom in the marketplace, unlike the ideals created by John Calvin who completely denounced such an idea. The leeway from this allocation created more opportunities for Puritan colonists to access economic growth. It was expected that the people were to moderate themselves with these grants of fiscal freedom, however the colonist were human and when such chances are given the road toward monetary success is taken. Following such developments caused by exemptions, came the sumptuary laws. These regulations, which managed wages and prices, were not accepted because of the freedom already experienced, as well as the feelings that the common Puritans held toward the laws. The lower classes felt that the ruling group was simply trying to keep the hierarchical social system already in place functioning. This was true, the rich feared the economic advancement of the commoners would threaten their power. Along with the disparity between classes, the presence of new citizens and expanding populations undermined simple living. With larger populations the feeling of community was lost among the people. Individualism took root where communalism once thrived. Towns and villages grew in size leading to a need for an increase in trade which brought more goods, people, and ideas. The populations began to develop into many different factions, no longer holding Puritans as the majority. Many felt that the idea of simple living was just a mean of manipulation, to keep the lower class submissive and the more affluent people in power. These changes lead to Puritanism being put on the defensive simply trying to protect its values, simple living being one. Puritanism was not only fighting to keep its relevance within its own colony but against other groups starting their new colonies, such as the rival Quakers.
The Quakers abided by values similar to the Puritans, which they called the Quaker ethic. However, the differences between the values of the groups led to the Puritans hate for the Quakers. Although they had their disparities the two groups had two major similarities; their focus on simple living and failure to comply with the values of simple living. Quakerism aimed to teach how to live rather than how to make a living. The Quaker ethic promoted social justice in spreading wealth, not completely evenly but enough to lessen great disparity. Quakers took an authoritarian stance in promoting their simple living ideals. For example they had officials regulate the behavior of the colonists, sumptuary laws to limit the colonists, and mandatory charity. Even though the group took significant steps to keep their people dedicated to the simple life, it caused the opposite reaction. The Quaker people distanced themselves for their ideals because of the strict regulations. This allowed for them to accept the economic possibilities presented because of their new home and take advantage. Prosperity was on the rise, and accompanied by new immigrants that did not have the Quaker values pushing the Quaker population, much like Puritans, into a minority. In response to the development of wealth worshiping the Quakers had their own Great Awakening. During the Awakening, Quaker leaders attempted to dissuade their fellow colonists from divulging in superfluities, yet this did not work until John Woolman joined the movement. Woolman was the epitome of simple living because of this he managed to gain followers. He preached ideas of social justice such as; helping the poor, natives, and slaves; along with luxurious living negatively affecting the economy. Eventually some of the Quakers began to fall back into their original ethic because of the great reformers of their awakening. Unfortunately those who upheld the simple life values were few in number. They were only able to keep up their Quakers ethics because they wanted to live non-hypocritically, so they removed themselves from positions of political and social leadership. The actions taken made the group a great minority again. The Quakers were left to practice their take on simple living alone, as the rest of the colonist developed their idea of the simple life. In the colonists idea, moderation was not a tightrope they had to walk with caution, but a four lane highway with a lot of flexibility.
The colonists relaxed ideas of simplicity evolved alongside the colonies changing demographics. In the mid eighteenth century the colonist were left after the Great Awakening with tension amongst each other, especially between social classes. The rich and poor had a great disparity among them and it was growing. This separation led to the need for reform which would bring both groups closer together, creating community meant to support one another, like what the Puritans had striven for. The colonist needed solidarity to stand up to their mother country England. Leaders of the colonies utilized the English activities collectively viewed as negative among the colonist to being the country together. They believed pushing for political independence from the British would lead to collectivism. The Puritan ethic was employed secularly, convincing the colonist that England was the root of luxurious living and ending the relationship between American and them would lead to the re-emergence of simple living. A common enemy was created, redirecting the colonists anger to one object, bringing the colonies together making community. The new connection amongst the people led to the development of a republic. This republic held virtues known as republican simplicity, which encompassed simple living, discussed and advocated for by the leaders of the group. Sam Adams, John Adams, and Ben Rush are most notable for intertwining spirituality and politics, along with denouncing materialism. Although these were the qualities the founding fathers aimed to base America on, the colonist defaulted back into their materialism once the war was over, because other European countries were ready to supply the American desires. The lower class was willing to continue republican simplicity because they already had to live frugally. However, the higher class was experiencing business growth, so the lower class joined in as well. This created producer republicanism, once again easing the mandates of simple living to allow more luxury.
American having just become a country led to a new era of simple living encouragement.

Traditionalist wanted the new country to break away from their material based ways in order to prevent the fall of the republic, because of their knowledge from the Romans. Others however, felt that expecting a newly formed country to have a moral revolution was far too much. They felt that the lack of the English influence would allow the people to grow and leave behind materialism with time. Those opposed to the traditionalist also felt the imposing of institutions, for example public schools, to promote republican virtues would also allow for moral growth. Public schools were the most prominent organization used as an example to increase republican virtues. They were to enlighten all who attended in literacy and other basic skills so that voters would be informed rather than causing mobocracy. Schools would also regulate the values taught to the youth, especially those related to materialism to make sure all Americans would be effective in contributing to society and supporting simple living. Although the country was formed under the Articles of Confederation, the Founding Fathers quickly found that having a loose confederacy was not effective in binding a country, or making sure all those included in the country were living by republican values. This realization led to the creation of the Constitution. The Constitution would regulate America in all ways to commit to simple living. With the Constitution those in charge would be the best of the population, knowledgeable and republican. Alexander Hamilton even brought ideas of how to regulate the economy and trade to improve the country, however they did not support the simple living ideals most wanted to follow. Hamilton thought that living luxuriously would strengthen the government because the standard of living would be higher, giving the people a sense of purpose because they were always striving for more. This

did not agree with the other Founding Fathers desires to make America a simple agrarian based country. In the end his ideas passed through, making America more involved with international trade dissuading Americans from practicing simple living. Once again Americans were given the opportunity to indulge their materialism and they wasted no time in doing so. European ships were arriving constantly with more and more material items to buy, feeding the materialist culture developing in the United States. Americans were also ready, much like right after the war to purchase such things whether or not there was need. The republican virtues were held by few and almost impossible to uphold.
Simple living was the one concept most Americans hoped to achieve. Although many wished to live simply very few were able to do so. Simple living failed at becoming integrated into American culture because of the economic advancement possibilities presented to the colonist once they arrived, and the social change constantly occurring within the colonies because of growing populations and immigrants. In many cases the American leaders whether they be religious or political were not able to convince their followers to live simply, because of the constant materialistic temptation ruling the country. This inability to resist economic growth led to a materialistic culture. A culture that spends frivolously to satisfy one's desires, rather than a culture that focuses on its growth as a community and society.