Historical Influences on the United States Constitution Anglo-Saxons The British Isles are geographically separate from the rest of Europe, and developmentally separate from the rest of Europe. With the Anglo-Saxon invasion at about 500 A.D., the national character of the English Speaking Peoples were identified as being one that was strong on individualism, land ownership, natural rights, a government by the consent of the people, and a free market. The rest of Europe developed very differently, evolving from the absolute rule of the Roman Empire, and the authoritarian nature of the Roman Catholic Church. Under the stronger monarchies in Mainland Europe, the rulers owned the realm, and the people had little say about the nature of their government. The Kings were seen as having been divinely appointed, and they ruled with a heavy hand. In 1066, mainland Europe came to England, in an attempt to subjugate the land dominated by the Saxons. The Normans invaded, and conquered England, and implemented their feudal system into what was a relatively free society. The common people became nothing more than servants to the conquerors, and the land was distributed to King William, the Church in Rome, and Williams loyal supporters. England became a land ruled by a few elites, but the freedom that had been planted by the Saxons had never been forgotten. The Rule of Law reemerged in 1215 with the Magna Carta. The “English Charter” forced the king to accept the rights of the individual, and unlike the rest of Europe, limits were placed upon the king. Limited rule had been a Saxon tradition, and the English were not going to automatically accept absolute rule from their monarchs. As time passed, again power consolidated with the ruling class, and many of the limits placed upon the monarchy by the Magna Carta were being ignored. The condition in England continually worsened, until 300 years later, when the Protestant Reformation emerged. King Henry VIII sought a divorce from Catherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. He wanted an annulment from the Pope, claiming Catherine was not a virgin when she married him. Pope Clement VII refused. Martin Luther in Germany was calling for the reformation of the Catholic Church, so Henry VIII decided to support Martin Luther’s cause, and severed ties with the Catholic Church. The pope excommunicated King Henry VIII, and in return the Protestant Church of England was created, setting Henry VIII up as head of the church. He granted himself the allowance to have a divorce, and England, once again, was separated from the traditions of authoritarianism that ruled the countries of mainland Europe. In an attempt to bring England back into the fold of the Catholic Church, Charles V of Spain declared war on England and sent a massive armada to England to set the rebellious nation straight. A large storm in the English Channel scattered the armada, and Sir Francis Drake defeated the remaining Spanish vessels. England, shortly after, established colonies in the New World, partially to seek riches to help pay for the war with Spain. The legacy of the Anglo-Saxons society of freedom played a strong influence on the new colonies, such as Jamestown, in 1607. After pursuing a failed communal style system of governance, which nearly doomed the colonies, each of them returned to the roots of England. Limited government, a free market, and land ownership. As a result, the colonies began to thrive. Back home, in England, the King of England was working on a plan to force absolute rule on the English People. The year was 1688, and economic, political, and religious forces came together to stop the overreach of the monarchy, which resulted in the king fleeing London in shame, disguised as a woman. Absolute tyranny was not acceptable. The principles of the Anglo-Saxons were the choice of the people. Individual freedom was the engine behind the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the establishment of a parliamentary system, and a return to the principles of a limited monarchy. The feudal system of master and serf, where it was believed God gave power to the monarch to rule over the people, was no more. In the reemerging system, the people were seen to enjoy God-given rights, and the monarchy was to be governed by the consent of the people. The people were considered to be sovereign individuals, and the stage was set for the emergence of an end of the system with doctrines of divine rule and absolute power of the king. The Glorious Revolution set the foundation of what would later become, across the ocean, American Exceptionalism, and the birth a nation founded on the principles of limited government, individual rights, free markets, and the private ownership of property.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 07:50:27 +0000
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