Thursday, October 21, 2010

It's a Party in the USA

It was inevitable to happen. People of like ideas will most likely get together. There was nothing that the colonies could have done to stop the forming of the federalists and the republicans. But would they have wanted to?

With the forming of the federalists they were able to have organization and control the government which allowed them to pass their agenda. The federalists controlling the government was both a good and bad thing. It was good because it allowed Alexander Hamilton to devise a plan to eliminate the national debt. While some of his ideas were considered too "aristocratic" most of his ideas like the national bank, which influenced banking of today, and his taxes provided a way to help eliminate the national debt. But the federalists mostly represented the elite and rich of America. If the federalists were to remain in power they could create laws that only affect and support their supporters. Someone needed to check the federalists much like how the sections of government are checked by other sections. The republicans were an apposing force to the federalists. No longer could the federalists control government with out apposition. The republicans also made sure that everyones opinion was being expressed. The republicans represented the farmers of America and the republicans had a very different view of America than the aristocratic view of the federalists. The republicans wanted an agrarian republican where the people of america would farm their own land.



Despite the believe at the time that parties were bad for America they were actually good. They provided a way for both sides of the picture to be seen. The federalists showed a aristocratic America and the republicans showed a agrarian America. The parties also allowed for representation of all people. This idea goes back to the heart of what America was founded on, a government by the people for the people. The parties made sure that people are being represented.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Where did Britain go wrong

In class yesterday we talked about the relationship between Britain and the colonies. Some people in class said that the relationship between a colony and a country is doomed from the beginning and while I agree with that partly I think that there are always exceptions, like Porto Rico who doesn't want to be a state. I believe that Britain could have salvaged the relationship they had with the colonies. I believe that the British made a fatal mistake when the passed the Coercive Acts, better known as the "Intolerable Acts". The British thought that they would put an end to the unrest in the colonies by making an example of Massachusetts by showing the other colonies that actions like the Boston Tea Party would not be tolerated. But, as mentioned in the reading on page 108, if backfired and the other colonies saw Boston as a martyr. I believe that this also greatly contributed to the colonies seeing themselves as a whole rather than individual colonies. The colonies saw this as a threat and thought if this could happen to Massachusetts what's to stop it from happening to me. It was no coincidence that the first Continental Congress was held the same year.

If the colonies did not unify themselves I think that the British could have handled the situation. It would have been much easier if British were to deal with 13 individual colonies than all of them together. Britain could have easily overpowered the colonies if they did not stand together. They also could gain the favor of individual colonies at a time rather than trying to please all the colonies at once. Also once the colonies organized themselves at the Continental Congress they become uniform. If the colonies had not become organized then Britain could have easily dealt with the coloines because they would be unable to create a military force and would not be able to create andy legislations or proposals. It is like the old saying goes "Together we stand, divided we fall."

Link about Porto Rico: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/04/29/house-approves-puerto-rico-statehood-measure/