Causes Of Democracy In America By Alexis De Tocqueville

A Shattered Liberty “Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.” Asserted by Alexis de Tocqueville, French political thinker and historian and author of the book, Democracy in America, this quintessential truth regarding freedom encapsulates the movement for freedom during the American Revolution. At first glance, this revolution seems to be one that was formed from a desire for wealth and power, because of the flawed intent of the British parliament and their taxes, that emanated from the colonists in America. Although the American Revolution’s result demonstrates a revolt rooted in desire for wealth and power, because the oppression wrought about by the British was less economically devastating and more politically
The first of four acts was the Boston Port Act of 1774, which shut down the ports of Boston until the tea destroyed in the rebellion was reimbursed in full. Secondly, the Massachusetts Government Act of 1774 restricted the democratic town meetings in Massachusetts and transformed their governor’s counsel into an appointed body. With this law in place, the governor was required to be one appointed by the British government themselves but also that governor would have a more extensive scope of political power. Thirdly, the Administration of Justice Act of 1774 protected British officials in the New World from criminal prosecution. The fourth act, the Quebec Act of 1774, benefited the Catholics and especially the Canadians, allowing Catholics religious freedom not only in the thirteen constituent colonies but also into the extended French territory in Canada. Additionally, the Quebec Act allowed the Canadians to have their own independent judicial system even going so far as to extending the province of Quebec’s territory to include parts of what is currently Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ontario, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana (The Annals of America
However, the most expected one – that these taxes were too pressing and unaffordable – is only a conjecture. The major cause for this movement for freedom is the attack on the intrinsic principles of the colonists of the new world. In a speech at the Ashland Colloquium: Leadership and Ethics in American Business, J. Patrick Mullins, a PhD student in the History Department at the University of Kentucky specializing in the history of the American Revolution, stated that the Stamp Act attacked the principles of the American Patriots (Mullins 7), the principle towards the preservation of natural, essential, rights, those of which are life, liberty, and property (Locke 18), in any society. This is a principle clearly condensed by Samuel Adams in his report of the committee of correspondence to the Boston town meeting, The Rights of Colonists. Adams affirms that that is the purpose of a government – to protect, support, and defend those rights – for to willingly surrender those rights is the greatest calamity known to man (Adams 15). Many people like John Locke were strong supporters of the protection of property. Locke explains that nature gives property to man and that man has a responsibility to managing his property; property meaning property a man has in his person as well as his goods. He also affirms that it is the government’s responsibility to protect it (Locke