- Which social class wrote the Constitution, and which class was excluded?
The Constitution was mainly written by the wealthy elite of an extremely early American society which had included landowners, merchants, bankers, and other affluent individuals. These men had significant property holdings and economic interests to protect. According to Michael Parenti, the delegates were wealthy, with their goal being to establish a strong central government to protect that wealth through it’s financial interests. Beard also highlights that some large groups were deprived of the ability to vote, including slaves, women, indentured servants, and propertyless men. who were excluded from the political process due to strict voting qualifications.
- Was the social class structure of early U.S. society the same as today?
I would personally say that the social class structure of early U.S. society differs at quite a large margin from today’s society. In the 18th century, power was concentrated in the hands of the wealthy minority, with legal barriers that prevented the majority of the population which included the poor, women, slaves, and non-property owners from participating in the political process. Today, while economic inequality persists, those legal barriers such as property ownership requirements for voting have been abolished, and the political system is more open to participation by all citizens.
- Why were the framers of the Constitution afraid of democracy?
The reasoning as to why the framers had feared democracy was because they associated it with the potential for the majority (the propertyless classes) to disrupt the interests that the wealthy minority had. They wanted to stay comfortable and not risk anything happening to their wealth. The framers were concerned about “the leveling impulses” of the majority, which could challenge the existing property distribution. Both Madison and Hamilton expressed concerns that a democratic government would not be able to protect the property rights of the affluent individuals in their society. The fear of popular uprisings, such as Shays’ Rebellion, further emphasized the need for a system that would maintain control over the masses.
