The USA Becoming Less Democratic Prior To The Revolution

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rose by at least 13% (Doc. G) Since a larger percentage of the population is being involved in the electoral process, the town is becoming more democratic. Freedom is a characteristic of almost all successful democracies. Evidence of expanding religious freedom in Weathersfield is found in a law enacted by the Connecticut assembly in 1770 (Doc. K). The law says basically that no Protestant person can be penalized for not attending church. Although this freedom was restricted to Protestants, it was still an improvement from how it had been prior to that law. One more document, an account of Jared Ingersoll, who was forced by a mob of New England "radicals", to step down from his job as distributor of stamps for Connecticut, shows that people were feeling more iclined to fight for what they believe in. This motivation of the common man is further suggests that democracy was on the rise. In Ingersoll's account he says that he was met at his home by a large group of men who implied ...

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is that it is harder for a person to work his way up in society, as the family companies are already well established, and it is difficult for a person to wedge his way into a particular field of business. In these cases, the upper classes are given more power in the government, and they use this position of power to secure that they will remain aristocrats in the future, usually by oppressing the lower classes. A listing of the wealthiest adult white males in Weathersfield shows there was plenty of opportunity for this kind of power structure bullying. In 1756 the five wealthiest men in town were J. Chest Sr., T Belden, E. Belden, . Grizwold, and S. Buck. In this group we already see ...

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