1. Based on the readings, the Constitution was primarily written by and for the wealthy elite class of early American society, including large landowners, merchants, bankers, and other men of property and means. This group, described as “gentlemen,” were creditors interested in protecting their possessions and economic interests. Examples include wealthy men who owned vast land grants and estates and merchants and bankers controlling commerce and industry. In contrast, the class excluded from participating in the constitutional process encompassed small farmers, artisans, tenants, laborers, indentured servants, women, African Americans (both enslaved and free), Native Americans, and white males without sufficient property. One of the main reasons why these working-class poor people could not be a part of writing the Constitution is that they didn’t have the privilege to take four months off of work to go to Philadelphia. So, “The debate between haves and have-nots never took place.”

2. The social class structure of early US society appears to have been more stark and rigid compared to today. However, there are noticeable similarities between early US society and today’s US society regarding social class structure. Reading 5.1 shows that “By 1700, three-fourths of the acreage in New York belonged to fewer than a dozen persons. In the interior of Virginia, seven individuals owned over 1.7 million acres. By 1760, fewer than five hundred men in five colonial cities controlled
most of the commerce, shipping, banking, mining, and manufacturing on the eastern seaboard.” A similar situation can still be witnessed in our society. If we compare this with reading 5.2 from last week where it says, “The top 1 percent own between 40 and 50 percent of the nation’s total wealth (stocks, bonds, investment funds, land, natural resources, business assets, and so on), more than the combined wealth of the bottom 90 percent. True, about 40 percent of families own some stocks or bonds, but almost all have investments of less than $2,000. Considering their debts and mortgages, 90 percent of American families have little or no net assets.” Indeed, society has improved today compared to the early US in terms of equal rights, slavery, and property requirements for voting. But it is also true that even today, the wealthy class possesses the power to influence politics to maintain their status and wealth and create more opportunities for themselves where most Americans suffer to meet necessities. Based on that, I would say that, for the most part, the social class structure of early United States society was the same as ours today.

3. The framers of the Constitution deeply feared democracy, primarily due to their concerns about protecting the interests of the wealthy class from the demands of the poorer majority. This is evident in James Madison’s writings in Federalist No. 10, where he states that “the most common and durable source of faction has been the various and unequal distribution of property.” Madison and his peers were worried about how to “secure the public good and private rights against the danger of such a faction, and at the same time preserve the spirit and form of popular government.” The readings argue that their fear of democracy was fundamentally rooted in class interests. They deliberately designed a system to protect their property and economic privileges from potential redistribution or debt relief measures that a truly democratic system might enact. Their goal was to maintain the existing social and economic hierarchy while providing just enough of the appearance of popular governance to secure legitimacy.

1.The Constitution was written by the upper class/middle class which means the wealthy, the ones that own land and property of their own/ property holders. Lower class weren’t allowed to be part of the process. 

2.The social class structure of early U.S society was different from now . Back then, everything and everyone were divided by groups . Lower class , middle class , high class . People weren’t allowed to vote only for certain people. Today , we have the right to vote no matter what class levels you are in and people have more opportunities.

3.Constitution we’re afraid of democracy because they were worried that lower class might team up and gain to much power. 

1. The Constitution was written by the wealthy elite. Those who owned large amounts of land, ran businesses, or were involved in banking and trade. This group had a lot of influence and wanted to make sure the new government protected their wealth and property. For example, Charles Beard explains that many of the people who wrote the Constitution were creditors and landowners who wanted laws to secure their investments. On the other hand, the “disenfranchised” class included enslaved people, indentured servants, propertyless men, women, and small farmers. They had no say in the creation of the Constitution because they didn’t own property or meet the qualifications needed to vote. Michael Parenti highlights that less than 10% of the adult population could actually participate in the political process during that time​. These groups were deliberately left out because the framers saw them as a threat to their own power and economic stability.
2. The social class structure in early American society was quite different from what it is today. Back then, only wealthy, property-owning White men had political power. The majority such as slaves, women, and those without property couldn’t vote or participate in government at all​. This created a strict divide between those who had power and those who didn’t. Today, while everyone (in theory) has the right to vote and participate in politics, wealth and property still play a major role in influencing power. Wealthy individuals and corporations can impact political decisions through lobbying and campaign contributions. So while the class structure isn’t as legally rigid as it was back then, economic power still creates a gap between the wealthy and the rest of society.
3. The people who wrote the Constitution were worried that too much democracy would allow the poor majority to pass laws that could hurt their own economic interests. They saw democracy as a potential threat to their wealth and property. For example, James Madison talked about the danger of “leveling impulses” from the masses—that is, the idea that poorer people might try to pass laws that would take away wealth from the rich. Charles Beard also points out that the framers built many safeguards into the Constitution to limit the influence of ordinary people. Things like the Electoral College and having Senators chosen by state legislatures were designed to keep decision-making power out of the hands of the general public. This fear of democracy was really about protecting the economic interests of the wealthy elite and making sure the lower classes couldn’t disrupt their hold on power​.

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 clearly specify the difference between the two classes by giving examples from the readings.
2. Would say that the social class structure of early United States society, was the same as ours today, or different? Explain.
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.