1. Who Wrote the Constitution and Who Was Left Out?
     The Constitution was written by wealthy landowners, merchants, and investors—the upper class of the time. Ordinary workers, small farmers, enslaved people, and women were not included in the process. Reading 6.2 explains that individuals who didn’t own property or who were legally restricted, such as servants and slaves, had no representation in drafting the Constitution. The framers were primarily concerned with controlling factions, which James Madison defines in Federalist #10 as groups united by a common interest that could be harmful to the rights of others or the public good. The working class was often seen as one such faction, as they might push for economic policies that threatened the wealth of the elite. According to Reading 6.1, the framers believed that working people lacked the necessary faculties—or natural abilities and resources—to govern responsibly, justifying their exclusion from political participation.
  2. Is the Social Class System the Same Today?
     Yes, social class divisions today resemble those in early America. Wealthy individuals continue to control major industries, while the majority of people work to support themselves without accumulating much wealth. The capitalist class still believes that policies favoring them will benefit society as a whole, similar to what Reading 6.1 describes about the attitudes of the framers. Madison argued that factions would always exist because people naturally have different levels of wealth and power. He proposed two ways to control factions: removing their causes or controlling their effects. However, removing the causes would require eliminating freedom or enforcing equal property ownership, which the framers saw as unrealistic. Instead, they chose to control the effects by establishing a republic, where elected officials would make decisions, rather than a pure democracy, where people directly vote on every issue. This system helped ensure that economic elites remained in control of government policies.
  3. Why Were the Framers Afraid of Democracy?
     The framers feared democracy because they worried that the majority of people—who had less wealth—would push for policies that reduced the power of the wealthy elite. Madison argued that in a pure democracy, the majority could easily unite against the wealthy minority and make laws that redistributed wealth. In contrast, a republic would allow elected representatives—who were often wealthy themselves—to filter the public’s demands and ensure that laws protected private property. Business owners and landholders relied on workers for labor, and they wanted to keep control over economic and political decisions. Reading 6.1 mentions that the government was designed to limit direct participation by ordinary citizens. The framers believed that if too many people had a say in government, they might pass laws that favored workers over business owners, potentially redistributing wealth or challenging private property rights. To prevent this, they created a system that kept the most important decisions in the hands of a select few.
  4. What Does “Disenfranchised” Mean?
     “Disenfranchised” refers to being denied the right to vote or take part in government decisions. It applies to groups that have been excluded from political influence.
  5. Who Were the Disenfranchised?
     The disenfranchised included groups such as enslaved individuals, indentured servants, women, and people without property. These individuals had no say in government decisions and were often subject to laws created by the wealthy elite. Many of them lacked economic resources, legal rights, or social standing, which kept them from influencing policies that affected their lives. Beard’s analysis points to the lower-class population as the group left out of the political process. The framers feared that if these groups gained political power, they could form factions that would challenge the authority of the elite.
  6. Which Social Class Did Property Owners and Businessmen Belong To?
     Landowners, investors, and those involved in trade and finance were part of the upper class. Their status is clear because they controlled land, businesses, and large amounts of money. They were able to use their influence to shape the Constitution in a way that protected their economic interests and kept power concentrated among the wealthy. The framers argued that these individuals had the faculties—meaning the intelligence, education, and resources—to govern responsibly. This belief justified their control over government decisions while ensuring that the working class had little influence over policies that affected their lives.

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