Historical Update...circa 1987.

[Ike Bana]

American students are taught that democracy was invented by our Founding Fathers, who adapted it from Ancient Greece. This is a myth as foolish as Columbus "discovering" America. The U.S. Senate even passed a resolution in 1987 finally acknowledging that "the confederation of the original thirteen colonies into one republic was influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy, as were many of the democratic principles which were incorporated into the constitution itself.

[merrylander]

Prior to the Constitution women had the vote, they only lost it after the Constitution was ratified and finally regained it with the 19th Amendment.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Prior to the Constitution women had the vote, they only lost it after the Constitution was ratified and finally regained it with the 19th Amendment.

Yep. And had the holy founders got it right the Declaration would have read...

"All white men of property are created equal."

[donquixote99]

Cynic.

[nailer]

Each colony determined its voter eligibility.

Originally, the Constitution did not define who was eligible to vote, allowing each state to determine who was eligible.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by nailer

Each colony determined its voter eligibility.

Originally, the Constitution did not define who was eligible to vote, allowing each state to determine who was eligible.

Whosoever defined it...white men of property we're eligible.

[nailer]

Originally Posted by Ike Bana

Yep. And had the holy founders got it right the Declaration would have read...

"All white men of property are created equal."

Wrong. "The pursuit of happiness" included those who were willing to work and acquire property. The revolt needed soldiers.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by nailer

Wrong. "The pursuit of happiness" included those who were willing to work and acquire property. The revolt needed soldiers.

Except if you were a bond servant you got to work but acquired nowt.

BTW the Declaration of Independence was never codified into law.

[nailer]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Except if you were a bond servant you got to work but acquired nowt.

Those who bound themselves into servitude did it in order to pursue happiness once the period of indenture was met. In addition, many received land (as a part of their indenture agreement) at the conclusion of their indenture to further said pursuit.

[donquixote99]

The revolutionary stuff in the Declaration of Independence was the assertion that government was the possession of the people, not the other way around, and that they could change it. And no, it was never law, and under that law that existed it was utterly illegal. But law isn't everything.

The founders took some big, liberal steps. It's wrong to damn them because they didn't take more.