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The Roots of American Ideals
Throughout history, American principles and the ideals of freedom and liberty, an obsession with contracts and covenants, and a Puritan work ethic often appeared synonymous and uniquely American. The truth however is, although Americans are fixated with freedom and contracts, that strong work ethic no longer applies and their values are definitely not original. America just happened to be the first to make their dreams of freedom a reality.
After Britain began to enforce all the regulations they ignored in 1763, the fuse for the American Revolution was lit. The colonists wanted to be free from England’s watchful eye, and yearned to have the autonomy they had experienced while England was ignoring them. Had they not tasted independence, the colonists would still have been dependant on Britain and ideas of independence would have been far from their minds. All of a sudden, England was forcing them to following all these rules and regulations, and the Americans retaliated. The British also began imposing taxes: “After the Seven Years’ War, Britain had a HUGE debt, and though it fairly had no intention of making the Americans pay off all of it for Britain, it did feel that they should pay off one-third of the cost, since Redcoats had been used for the protection of the Americans.” Act after act came into affect, from the Sugar Act of 1764, to Quartering Act of 1765, to the Stamp Act. The British claimed these taxes and acts were completely fair, but the Americans argued that they “were unfairly taxed for an unnecessary army (hadn’t the French army and Pontiac’s warriors been defeated?), and lashed back violently, especially against the stamp tax.” No longer wanting to be forced to follow anyone else’s rules, the Americans longed for a free society where they would have the freedom to make their own choices. Just like a child in adolescence, the Americans had tasted freedom and realized they did not need their mother country any longer. Now they yearned to come into their own and leave their mother and all her rules behind. For this reason, the first American constitution, the Articles of the Confederation, had no executive branch (no single leader) and a weak legislative branch that could not regulate commerce or collect taxes. Once they had their freedom, they wanted to be sure that no one could take it from them.
In addition, Americans developed an obsession with contract and covenant from their difficulty working with England. Contracts are attractive because of their binding nature; they force both parties to keep their word. As long as it is in writing, neither party can alter the agreement without the others consent. After dealing with England and its King who altered decisions at his leisure, the Americans were fed up. Most colonies “deliberately created weak executive and judicial branches [because] they distrusted power due to Britain’s abusing it.” When they created their own society, they wanted to be sure that people had to honor their agreements.
Finally, Professor Bernard Bailyn once claimed that Americans have a uniquely Puritan work ethic. Because of their belief that everything should be plain and simple, not ornate, the original colonists were very prosperous; they did not just throw their money away. This ideal has changed greatly over the years, as we are a capitalist nation; as a whole, America is commonly viewed as a wealthy country packed with lazy people. Granted, the American dream that “through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity” still rings true for some, but the overwhelming majority proves otherwise. This ideal is no longer applicable. Another fallacy is that these ideals are all uniquely American. While it may be true that America was the first truly free society, the ideals they stood for probably were dreams of those still in captivity. These ideals may never have made it into a constitution before, but they are certainly nothing new.
Overall, the colonists’ longing for freedom first appeared after England’s abrupt ending of Salutary Neglect. If England had stayed focused on their American colonies, it is unsure whether the democratic society in existence today would have ever come about. In today’s world, America still is a symbol of a free society obsessed with contracts and covenants, however, unfortunately, the American work ethic appears to be diminishing.