1. The social class that wrote the Constitution was the wealthy and rich upper class. According to the reading titled “Class Power in Early America” by M. Parenti it states that these men were the “wealthy and powerful “gentleman”, our “Founding Fathers””. The lower class was not allowed to participate in this process. This included poor White men, women, and African Americans.
2. I think that the social class structure of early United States society is still alive and well. Our government still does not function in a way that will allow each and every American no matter their race or background to succeed. The upper class still holds the power within society. They run/own many businesses, college institutions, and so much more. It is not guaranteed that every descendant of a rich family will be successful but it does open many doors that a child from an impoverished neighborhood would not have access to.
3. The people who wrote the Constitution were afraid of democracy because it meant that the same people that were poor and uneducated could overrule them. Democracy also means that people could be swayed by different individuals because of the fact that they were uneducated.

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.

*As mentioned in Readings 6.1 and 6.2, wealthy white men who had considerable sway over other social groups drafted the Constitution. According to Reading 6.1, the working class of the era was careless and dependent on government benefits like paper money, which continues to influence contemporary perceptions of the working class as needy. This perspective, however, oversimplifies the varied realities of today’s working class.

    2.Would you say that the social class structure of early United States society was the same as ours today, or different? Explain.

*Reading 6.2 emphasizes how the Constitution excluded women, men who did not own property, slaves, and indentured servants, among other marginalized groups, which served to further solidify the concept that the wealthy elite held the majority of the power. The social class gap still exists today, despite efforts by laws to address inequality, which do not entirely eliminate exclusion or discrimination. Even though the working class is diverse, it continues to be portrayed as being dependent on government assistance. Plus, there has been a reversal rather than advancement in handling inequality, as evidenced by the reversal of various working-class protections.

    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.

*Democracy was feared by the creators of the Constitution because it would make it harder for them to maintain control over the majority working class. Even though money still has an impact today, the majority of people in a democracy can change the balance of power, illustrating the persistent conflict between popular representation and wealth.

1-The social class that wrote the Constitution based off readings 6.1 and 6.2 is the wealthy class of specifically men. All white men who happen to be of powerful influence to the rest of the social groups at the time. According to reading 6.1, “The working people of that day have been portrayed as parochial spending thrifts who never paid their debts and who advocated inflated paper money.” This quote portrays the working class as is thought be the by wealthy. Undisciplined in order to take control of benefits the government had to offer. Which in modern society has not changed much given that government benefits such as well-fare and food stamps are still around. It presents an image of dependence that the working class are all grouped into when that is untrue for a lot of us. Second, in Reading 6.2 it says how marginalized groups of people were excluded from the Constitution. “… the slaves, the indented servants, the mass of men who could not qualify for voting under the property tests imposed by the state constitutions and laws, and women, disenfranchised and subjected to the discriminations of the common law. These groups were, therefore, not represented in the Convention which drafted the Constitution, except under the theory that representation has no relation to voting.” Many groups in the added quote were excluded from the Constitution’s draft and later the final writing of it. Representing the exclusivity much of this power had to the wealthy class.

2- A small reference to contemporary time was made in my previous statement. How modern social class of the United States has not much changed other than the implemented laws. Even with laws in place, discrimination and exclusion is not eradicated as an issue. Unfortunately, the similarity remains as working class citizens are still labeled as dependent on the government. A highly subjective and incorrect natured statement grouping together many different minority groups who belong to the umbrella term of working class. The government is no help in de-escalating what hostility working class social class citizens face considering most laws we had previously to protect us are being overturned in modern time. Proving that there has been a reversal or a step-back than progression to where we need to be as a society.

3-The people who wrote the Constitution were so afraid of democracy because it made their power over the working class less effective. Since those in the working class were a majority of citizens, their voting in a democratic social structure would throw the wealthy off. The influence the money has is still prevalent but not as much as when numbers of citizens are in affect. No way in escaping that number to out count the amount of money a person has in their pockets to influence their power dynamic away from the majority.

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.

The Constitution was written by the elite, property owning class, wealthy merchants, landowners, and slaveholders who sought to protect their economic interests. In Reading 6.1, it highlights how many framers, including James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, were concerned about protecting property rights and preventing excessive democracy. In contrast, the working class, small farmers, debtors, enslaved people, and women were excluded, lacking political representation. In Reading 6.2, i discusses how events like Shays’ Rebellion, where struggling farmers protested debt and taxation, alarmed the framers, leading them to create a system that restricted direct participation by the masses. By establishing a strong central government with checks on popular influence, such as the Electoral College and indirect election of senators, the framers ensured that power remained in the hands of the elite.

Would say that the social class structure of early United States society, was the same as ours today, or different? Explain.

I think theres similarities and differences between both time periods. The main similarity is both wealth and power are concentrated among an elite class that influences government and economic policy, while the working class faces systemic barriers to upward mobility. In early America, political power was explicitly tied to property ownership, and disenfranchisement was legal, whereas today, legal voting rights are broader, though economic inequality and political influence still heavily favor the wealthy. Modern corporations and lobbyists function similarly to the landowning elites of the past, shaping laws to protect their interests. However, social mobility has increased, and legal protections exist for marginalized groups, making today’s class structure more fluid compared to the rigid hierarchy of early U.S. society.

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.

The people who wrote the Constitution, primarily wealthy landowners, merchants, and elites, feared democracy because they saw it as a threat to their power and economic interests. They believed that too much political influence in the hands of the lower classes such as small farmers, laborers, and the poor could lead to policies that redistributed wealth, canceled debts, or undermined property rights. Readings 6.1 and 6.2 highlight how figures like James Madison worried about “mob rule,” where the majority might use government to challenge elite control. To prevent this, the Constitution included safeguards like the Electoral College and the Senate, which limited direct democratic influence and ensured that real power remained with the upper class.

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.

1. Based on the arguments presented in readings 6.1 and 6.2 a wealthy class labeled “gentlemen” wrote the constitution and excluded the working class. By their definition, you had to have ownership over a specified amount of property as well as, depending on the state, have a worth of more than $1,000. An example of these wealthy “gentlemen” were those who held seats in legislation, such as governors and senators. The majority of individuals who were excluded are all those who lacked sufficient property. As an example, this mostly consisted of people of color, indentured servants and even white males.
   
   Would say that the social class structure of early United States society, was the same as ours today, or different? Explain
   
2. The social class structure of early United States society compared to our current definitely differs. The gap between the wealthy, middle, and the working class has expanded even further, making it more difficult for them to obtain a standard of living. An example of this would be how the middle class used to have proper access to healthcare, housing, and essential services now struggling to obtain stability in these factors just as the working-class.
   
   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.
   
3. The people who wrote the constitution were afraid of democracy due to what they called the insurgent spirit. They felt the over-abundance of working-class individuals would band together and create anarchy. The working class held the majority as the wealthy capitalist class continued to reap the benefits of their work and slowly became more of the minority. As such, they wanted to focus on strengthening the national government instead of the people to keep away the idea of despotism, which is when a single individual rules with absolute power from them.
   

1. Who wrote the Constitution and who was left out? 

The Constitution was drafted by a group of wealthy landowners, merchants, bankers, and slave owners by their standards. However, these men were not only establishing the laws for the country but also protecting their wealth and interests. As Charles Beard points out, many of the framers had substantial property claims, government bonds, or other business interests; therefore, they wanted a strong government that would safeguard their investments.

But common people farmers, workers, women, Indigenous folks, and enslaved people were left out completely. They had no say in how the nation was to be ruled. For instance, the Shays’ Rebellion between 1786 and 87 had farmers who protested about high taxes and indebtedness. Instead of listening to them, the wealthy viewed them as a threat. The Constitution was drafted to centralize power and make it difficult to facilitate any major change such as providing relief to distressed farmers.

2. Is the class system back then the same as today? 

Some aspects changed while others remained the same. The wealthy white men of that era held the right to vote, while the common people largely had little political power. Nowadays, however, voting rights have been expanded to encompass more individuals, and we have laws to safeguard workers and combat discrimination.

However, money still dominates the game, and power rules politics, with lobbying and the influence of wealthy businessmen and corporations operating much like they did in the 1700s. This suggests that while there appear to be some improvements to the established structure, the system continues to be a paradise for millionaires. 

3. Why were the founders afraid of democracy?

The wealthy men who authored the Constitution were afraid that if the common people, especially the poor, were allowed too much power, they would vote in favor of the rich and increase the tax on the wealthy or cancel the debts of the farmers who were in distress. They saw democracy as a threat; to them, it could trigger major changes that were harmful to their wealth and power.

Therefore, they purposely erected barriers to stop this from happening. They designed these barriers to restrain direct democracy within the structure of their new government: for example, Regular people were not able to directly choose the president due to the Electoral College. Senators were not chosen by the people in the first place; they were picked by state legislatures. Supreme Court Justices were given lifetime appointments so that they wouldn’t have to fear being cast out of office by voters. 

Michael Parenti states that the Constitution was not made so that everyone would be equal in its providence was so that the rich would remain in control while pretending that there was a democracy.

1. The capitalist class wrote the constitution and the working class did not partake in the process. Reading 6.2 states, “we first encounter four groups whose economic status had a definite legal expression: the slaves, the identified servants, the mass of men who could not qualify for voting under the property tests imposed by the state constitutions and laws and women… these groups were, therefore, not represented in the convention which drafted the constitution”. Reading 6.1 states, “(c) effectively propagate the financial and commercial interests of the affluent class and (d) defend the very wealthy from the competing claims of other classes within the society”. These were the main interests of the delegates when creating a stronger central power. Reading 6.1 states, “The working people of that day have been portrayed as parochial spendthrifts who never paid their debts and who advocated inflated paper money”. For this portration the working class was excluded and not allowed to participate given their lack of value and benefit that they could provide unlike the capitalist class. 

2. I would say yes the social class structure of the early united states society is the same as ours today. The elite wealthy still own a large chunk of the country’s wealth in investments, stocks, etc. Without having to do much of the labor that the working class puts into effort to sustain them as the working class tries to sustain enough for themselves. In reading 6.1, The capitalist class has a high mindedness attribute in which they believe that what was good for themselves was ultimately good for their country. The capitalist class still look after themselves and their close allies to benefit from the working class as much as they can. This is true in which the government may not really regulate corporate companies that compete each other out and exploit the open market with the promise that it benefits everybody. But in reality this can be unfair for consumers and those trying to gain wealth.

3. The delegates were afraid of democracy as they were worried that their selfish interests would be disturbed. In the system where the capital class owners offer money from job opportunities to the working class in exchange for the labor power that the working class can provide to do the work. They both rely on each other firmly. Whereas if the working class didn’t want to provide the labor to produce the capital money at the end of the process, the capitalists could not sustain their wealth for long. Same way the capitalist owners don’t provide work, the working class won’t have work to make income from. In the eyes of the delegates, “The people should have as little to do as may be about the government”. Back then and even now this can still be said about the working class to counter any potential knowledge that they might have had to use against the delegates. Reading 6.1 also states, “all communities divide themselves into the few and many”. There were risks of division and unstableness to arise from a democracy in place.

1. The upper class created the constitution, wealthy white men who owned land. To separate them from poor farmers they had to own a certain percentage of land. The working class was left out. They also excluded Native Americans, women, people of African descent, white men that didn’t own enough land and slaves.

2. I feel as though the structure is the same. Especially with this administration, we see how money influences government decisions that benefit the wealthy. 

3. The wealthy were afraid of democracy because they wanted to stay wealthy and they wanted to benefit from the government and they wanted the government to protect their interests. 

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. The constitution was written by the minority ruling class of all white wealthy owning class white men. Landowners, merchants and banker types or the haves as they were referred to were the only ones that could afford to take the time to gather privately for months to brainstorm and come up with the constitution unfortunately the have nots, working class did not have a seat at the table. This exclusion was also based on race and gender, as people of color and women had no voice in the process.
2. Would say that the social class structure of early United States society, was the same as ours today, or different? Explain. I would say that the social class structure of early United States society and that of today’s are identical. The minority wealthiest remain the ruling class, as the working class brunt the responsibilities of the taxes and can’t seem to rise out of poverty. Present-day wealth inequality, such as the concentration of wealth in the hands of a small group of individuals or corporations, mirrors the unequal distribution of wealth in the 18th century. Additionally, the lack of social mobility today reflects the same challenges faced by the working class in the 18th century. The only difference is 7 thousand dollars of wealth back then is equal to 1 million dollars today.
3. Why were the people who wrote the Constitution so afraid of democracy? The founding fathers were afraid of democracy because it threatened their wealth and control over political power. This is why they kept the wealthy class in control of the affairs of the nation so to keep in check the “leveling impulses” of the “property-less” majority working class. As written in Federalist No. 10 “the first object of government is the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property. This fear of “democratic excess” led to the creation of structures like the Electoral College and the Senate, which were designed to limit direct popular influence.