Democracy In The 17th Century Essay

Essay #2

The United States’ strive for a democratic society dates back to the 17th Century when englishmen led a Protestant movement called Puritanism. The development of Puritanism was in response to King Henry VIII’s separation from the Roman Catholic Church , leading to the creation of the Anglican Church. When the “Church of England” was formed , many of the Puritans made great efforts in “purifying” the church because they felt felt the Church violated biblical principles of true Christians. In turn, Monarchs persecuted Puritans for not adhering to the practices Anglican Church. This partisanship in religion ultimately led numerous amounts of Puritans fleeing England, giving up on the Anglican Church all together. In 1620, these

“ Separatists” set sail for the New World in hopes of creating a land of religious freedom, free speech , and equality; key principles on which democracy is built upon. As English colonization in America progress, so does its strive for democracy. Monumental events such as Bacon’s Rebellion, an armed rebellion in 1676 by a group of indentured servants and free black men in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon in protest against the local government, and the First Great Awakening, an evangelical revival that swept the face of the American Colonies in the 1730’s, contributed greatly in the strive towards democracy in the New World.
In the 17th century , the New World had just begun taking shape, most of the colonies controlled by England and used for commercial purposes.

The thought of the separation and democracy was far and few between amongst the colonists. A thought such as revolution was even more farfetched. Bacon’s Rebellion took place in Virginia's western front, an area of great agricultural potential. As pioneers began to take up the farm land in the west, latter settlers had to move farther west in order to find feasible farming land. These settlers soon discovered that the western backcountry of Virginia was inhabited by many Native American tribes, and that farming in these areas would be extremely susceptible to raids from disgruntled Indians. When the Virginia governor William Berkley denied the authority to raise a militia to drive the Indian tribes out of farmland in the western backcountry, resentment of the eastern elite grew. Farmers sensed that the upper class intended to use them as expendable “ human shields” to avoid confrontation with the Natives. Led by Nathaniel Bacon , a wealthy immigrant who arrived too late to nab good fertile coastal land, the group of farmers formed a militia to attack the tribes. Fighting against both the Indians and colonial authority , these protesters lashed out against the Susquehannocks, and also the Pamunkeys ( English

Allies).