The writers of the constitution were the wealthy and powerful white upper class that owned property and had social influence. The lower class/working class including poor artisans, farmers, indentured servants, women, and slaves were not represented. The lower class did not own land typically and were deeply in debt.
I would say that early society class differences are very similar to ours today in that the elite have a heavy hand in government and political decisions and our politicians are typically wealthy themselves. One difference would be that women and people of color can now have a say in government.
The constitution writers feared democracy because they believed that giving a voice to those in the common class would go against their interests. They held the opinion that democracy was “the worst of all political evils” and that by giving any power to the lower class they risk losing their own power. in reference to the constitution, George Washington claims it is necessary “to contain the threat of the people rather than to embrace their participation and their competence,” lest “the anarchy of the propertyless would give way to despotism.”
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.
Would say that the social class structure of early United States society, was the same as ours today, or different? Explain.
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.
