© 2014 by Christy Mitchell-Grider Democracy in America What is democracy? Webster’s Dictionary defines it as such; “Democracy: 1.) A form of government where people choose their leaders by voting; 2.) An organization or situation where everyone is treated equally or has equal rights; 3.) A country ruled by democracy.” (Webster, M) . I’m sure it is the lack of understanding, combined with a certain powerlessness, that has allowed America to be run without democracy for all since it became a country. Based on the dictionary definition of Democracy, the things I’ve learned in American History I and II as well things learned through my own life experiences, Democracy in America is one very short word shy of being an oxymoron; democracy for all has never existed, simply because if it doesn’t exist for all, there is no democracy Three groups of people; women, slaves and Native Americans or indigenous people will be used to illustrate my thesis Catherine Beecher, the elder sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote, “Essay on Slavery and Abolitionism.” (232). This was actually an essay about a women’s role as an activist, along with Ms.Beecher’s reasoning why women needed to be subordinate to men; “But the moment woman begins to feel the promptings of ambition, or the thirst for power, her aegis of defense is gone...” (U.S. History). Ms. Beecher didn’t like the behavior of the Grimke sisters. “Angelina and Sarah were daughters of a South Carolina slave owner.” (Foner 232). The Grimke sisters were very popular as lecturers, they “Delivered popular lectures that offered a scathing condemnation of slavery from those who had witnessed its evils firsthand.” (232). Angelina Grimke was also a writer. She wrote, “Appeal to the Christian Women of the South, urging them to take a stand against slavery.” (232) and (240). Angelina’s August 2, 1837 letter in The Liberator spoke of freedom from oppression for all, “The discussion of the wrongs of slavery has opened the way for the discussion of other rights, and the ultimate result will most certainly be the letting of the oppressed of every grade and description go free.” (240). The Grimke sisters thought they saw, in righting one wrong, it would present an opportunity to right another. Chief Sharitarish, “principal Chief of the Great Pawnees, a hunting tribe of the Great Plains.” (188) made the trip, along with others, to meet with President James Monroe. The Chief gave a speech, “Describing the lives of his people and how they had changed as they came into contact with white traders and hunters.” (188). Beginning his speech, Chief Sharitarish spoke so simply he may have been trying to come across as unable to comprehend all new things. As The Chief continued it becomes very apparent he comprehends everything with a clarity that is timeless. Chief Sharitarish speaks of a natural order; there is a place for everyone, though not necessarily everyone in the same place. The Chief speaks of, “A time when we did not know the whites, our wants were fewer than they are now.” (190). He makes it clearer by saying, “Our wants were always within our control-we had then seen nothing we could not get.” (190). He speaks more about the changes, all negative, and concludes by humbly bestowing gifts upon President Monroe. The Chief gives a description of each object, concluding with, “We wish to have them deposited and preserved in some conspicuous part of your lodge, so that when we are gone and the sod turned over our bones, if our children should visit this place, as we do now, they may see and recognize with pleasure the deposits of their fathers and reflect on times that are past.” (190). “One of the early laws of Andrew Jackson’s Administration, the Indian Removal Act of 1830, provided for uprooting the Cherokee and four other tribes with a total population of about 60,000 living in the southwest.” “The Cherokee had made great efforts to become citizens….” (191). Our textbook goes on to enumerate things the Cherokees did to further this goal, one of which was, “To petition Congress to allow them to live on the land of their fathers.” (191). “They also went to court to protect their rights.” Even though the court upheld that, “Such jurisdiction violated the Cherokee’s treaties with Washington, Andrew Jackson refused to recognize the court.” (191). Not only is there no democracy here, we see the indigenous people behaving in a manner they had very quickly caught on to, a peaceful civilized manner, taking their grievances to court rather than the battlefield. “Andrew Jackson referred to them as savages, and supported Georgia’s efforts to seize Cherokee land.” (191). The Cherokee’s and other, “Civilized tribes were forced to leave their home.” (191). In doing so, many died along the infamous Trail of Tears. Even those among the Indian Tribes who saw the event far ahead of time, got out, established entire peaceful communities in Arkansas were not left alone by The Indian Removal Act of 1830. “A group known as the Old Settlers previously had voluntarily moved in 1817 to lands given them in Arkansas where they established a government and a peaceful way of life. Later, however, they were forced to migrate to Indian Territory.” (Cherokee Nation, paragraph 1). I feel it is noteworthy that many Indians were held in camps prior to the forced march to Indian Territory, or death. Watch out for those camps. They are a nasty, recurring theme in history. My only familiarity with Jim Crow Laws came from a very unscholarly source; a movie. It was the catalyst that made a 62 year old white woman decide she was interested in finding out more on the subject. Were matters so extreme? Yes they were, much more extreme. I am told Jim Crow was a way of life by David Pilgrim in his article, “What Was Jim Crow?” I am geographically challenged when it comes to this subject, though I am the correct age. There was a time not very long ago when there were rules for the behavior of “blacks” although they were referred to as “colored” at that time. To show a white woman the simple courtesy of lighting a cigarette could get a black man in trouble because it “implied intimacy.” Or, “White motorists have the right of way at all times.” (Pilgrim, Paragraph 2). Can you imagine the chaos that would cause? These had to be very terrifying times for African Americans. Democracy? Really? The people impacted by these “laws” would have probably been very happy to settle for being left in peace, which is not that they should have. Is there democracy in America? Not the America I see today on the news, the Internet, or even in the streets of Ferguson, MO. I’m not such a radical to suggest we take one side over the other without all the facts. I am concerned though, and concerned people express their concerns. They call their country out when it’s out of line by breaking the laws we are all supposed to uphold and obey. As I study history a pattern emerges. I see the same events in other times, with other faces, happening all over again. I don’t think it’s that as a people we can’t or don’t learn. It is as a people, some among us are so greedy for money, power, whatever else that can be placed in that category, that one group of people takes us into wars, labeling them falsely, for their profit. One day one side will invent a weapon that will wipe us all out. It certainly won’t be because democracy was granted to any one group of people...
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 11:48:42 +0000
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