1. Based on the arguments presented in Readings 6.1 and 6.2, which social class wrote the Constitution, and which class was excluded and not allowed to participate in this process? In your comment, make sure you specify the difference between the two classes by giving examples from the readings.
    The capitalist class wrote the Constitution, while the working class was excluded and not allowed to participate in the process. According to reading 6.1, even if ordinary, working-class individuals were permitted, they were not able to take time off of work to go to Philadelphia to argue their positions as the Constitution was being written. Therefore, it was the capitalist class of early America, the merchants, slaveowners, and manufacturers, who assisted with writing the Constitution as they were able to attend and were invited to do so to protect their interests (and those of the Founding Fathers, who also were within the capitalist class). Additionally, when it came to holding office and participating in the government, people had to have a certain amount of wealth before they were able to take part, so once again, there was a strong division between the working class and the capitalist class, where the capitalist class helped to write the constitution in their favor.
  2. Would say that the social class structure of early United States society, was the same as ours today, or different? Explain.
    The social class structure of the early United States society seems to be nearly identical to what it is today. The social class structure of today is divided between the capitalist class who owns a lot of wealth and the working class that own some, little, or no wealth, which is the same as it was in the early days of the United States. While the means of production and social climate may have changed, the actual social class structure remains the same, as the Constitution writing had hoped it would.
  3. Why were the people who wrote the Constitution so afraid of democracy? Hint: think about how to answer this question by discussing it in terms of social classes.
    According to reading 6.1, the working class wanted to abolish debts (which were to be paid to the capitalist class), and equally divide property (giving more to the working class and thus taking away from the capitalist class), among other things. In a democracy, where all people genuinely had the right to vote, the working class as the majority would be able to better fight for these things and thus remove capital and power from the capitalist class. This is opposed to the situation that the Constitution established, where only the wealthy White men who owned land could vote, who still represented a minority and were more likely to be part of the capitalist class like the writers of the Constitution. Therefore, democracy was a terrifying concept to the capitalist class that wrote the Constitution, as they wanted to maintain their wealth and power and protect it from being taken from them. Democracy was a terrifying concept for them because it would mean that they could lose their footing, power, and money to those that they deemed as less intelligent and less able to uphold the country.

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