Understanding American

Understanding America's Politics
Video Index

4 min videos Introduction History of Democracy Why Socrates Hated Democracy Why Protests Are An Integral Part Of Democracy

History of Democracy 6.min Ideologies of Political Parties 8.min.

Index: Prologue: 1. Definitions 2. Taxonomy of Democracy

Conservatives primary source Conservative Sensibility by George Will
Progressivism primary source American Nations by Golin Woodard
secondary source The Modern Political Tradition: Hobbes to Habermas
11 Nations Tried to Assimilate
Early Colonial America's Characteristics
Toward Toward a Constitution

summary by Walter Antoniotti 2/11/21 antonw@ix.netcom.com

Republic is a free, equal, self-ruling people.
Democracy requires majority rule because people disagree.
Possible limits on democracy or majority rule
1. Majority may elect representatives to pass laws.
2. Guarantees of individual rights for all, including minorities
3. A constitution that limits what governments can do to minorities

Classical Liberalism, supported by today's conservatives
high degree of individual liberties, a free-market economy,
constitutional limits to government power and
few restrictions on individual freedom of property owners.

Editor/Author Walter Antoniotti

Japan and South Korea
collective harmony.

Western Europeans
Social Democratic Position
prioritizing the common good.

UK, Canada, Australia
and New Zeeland
Western Middle

United States
individualistic Neoliberal orientation.

Conservatism
from Conservative Sensibility by George Will
Based on US Declaration of Independence

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers
from the consent of the governed..."

Progressivism
Inspired by American Nations by Golin Woodard
Based on US Constitution

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty
to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution
for the United States of America."

11 Nations Tried to Assimilate
textbooksfree.org/American Nations.htm

11 nations with
distinct identities and values formed a shaky pact in hopes of slowly growing
into one nation.
1. The First Nations American natives worked well with French in Northern areas until broken promises and English beliefs about their own superiority soured them.

2. El Norte – These outposts of Spain's Colonial Empire consisted of independent minded Spanish frontiersman ranchers coming up from Mexico.
3. New France – Expanding the French colonies, these furs trading explorers wanted to take care of the lands they settled in Canada and upper New England. They were explorers, not terribly ideological, who wanted to trade. They integrated peacefully with Native Americans and wanted to take care of the land.
4. Yankeedom – Founders wanted to create a Puritanical fundamentalist Utopia with mandated education, justice, rights for all humans. They hated the English and most wanted freedom of Relegion as long as it was their own.

5. New Netherlands – Dutch founders wanted to trade furs and engage in shipping from a cosmopolitan meeting place. Did not care about English politics or slavery.
6. The Midlands – Quaker William Penn wanted a tolerant isolated Quaker anti-slavery society. They loathed the Yankee religious theocracies.
7. Tidewater – English gentry created estates in Virginia using indentured servitude but they switched to slavery when the indentured servitude system degraded.

8. Deep South – English traders from Barbados where they acquired resources using violence and slavery. In Charleston they grew cotton in a society designed to benefit a wealthy few.
9. Greater Appalachia –Mostly lowland contrarians from Scotland and Ireland came to escaped English domination. They settled in poorer Appalachians lands. These hearty people valued individual liberty.
10. The Left Coast – Ingenious people who moved West to preserve the land's natural beauty. Wanted a utopian planned educated community.
11. The Far West – Explorers, hunters and adventures were joined by East Coast anti-government capitalists. They railroads and river transport to create wealth from mining, lumber and oil. Sources: Prelude
American Nations Book Summary

Early Colonial America's Characteristics
10 Nations¹	Native Relations	image	Sundry
Yankeedom	Savagery, Disastrous Wars	Community Driven Local Control Authoritarian Theocracy	1676 King Philips War Began Two Century of Indian Removal
New Netherlands	Trade then Disastrous Wars	Self Made Commercial Autocrats	1664-AlI Immigrates Welcome
Midlands	Varied	From Amish Utopia to Autocracy Scott/Irish German Temperaments Many Forced Westward	Pontiac War
Tidewater	Savagery, Disastrous Wars	Indentured Servant Tobacco Based Autocracy
Deep South	Disastrous Wars	Autocracy Based Cast System using Barbados Slave Code which treated saves atrociously	1619 Begins Representative Democracy and Slavery
El Norte
Greater Appalachia	Disastrous Wars	Rebellious, Destitute, Oppressed, Indolent, Scotch/Irish	Paxton Boys
Left Coast			¹First Nation in Canada from author/editor Walter Antoniotti Book has much more explanation.
Far West
New France	As equals, trade, integrated, utopian	Utopian


	Desires	Early Result	Participation
4. Yankeedom Relegious Oligarchs	Independence from Crown Control and Protect the Social Order for the interest of Community.	Public Militia Quickly Controlled all but Occupied Boston. War Won!	Soldiers, Supplies, Spies, anything to help cause
7. Tidewater Aristocratic Oligarchs Classic Republicans	Independence from Crown Keep control of production, share little, didn't fear the many indentured servants or the few slaves.	Gentlemen Officer Aristocrat joined by lowland peers reacting to freedom offer to slaves who fought for the Crown.	Soldiers Provided by East
6. Midlands Aristocratic Oligarchs	East was Like Yankeedom but had Autocracy Western Borderlands Eliminate Authority	East Lost Early West-Anarchy, Civil War	Western Soldiers Fought Perceived Central Control
8. Deep South Planter Oligarchs	Maintain Plantation Slavery with British Power but Joined Independence War with British Occupation.	Lost control with British Occupation. Borderland had Sectional Civil Wars.	Some Western Borderland all 3 governments
5. New Netherland Business Oligarchs	Maintain Control of Commerce	Loyalist Quickly Regained Control	Center for Loyalists
Greater Appalachia Clan Oligarchs	Individual Freedom No Authority	Civil Wars against any authority	Soldiers Fought Authority

Now We Are Two

Thought Experiment By Erin Grace / / World-Herald columnist What if they existed as their own sovereign countries? Below is a little thought experiment in which the author tried to stereotypically illustrate those nations.
Nation	Native Relations		Capital	Food	Drink	Music	Sport	Fashion	Vehicle	Spirit Animal
Yankeedom		Motif	Boston	dairy	microbrews	R&B or Motown	hockey	scarf	Cadillac	moose
New Netherlands			New York City	floppy pizza	champagne	hip-hop	baseball	sneakers	taxi	rat
Midlands			Pittsburgh	dogs, burgers	light beer	Blues Brothers	basketball	mom jeans	minivan	wild turkey
Tidewater	Savages	Aristocratic	Baltimore	crab	martini	John Philip Sousa	golf	power suit	black SUV	terrapin
Deep South			Atlanta	barbecue	Budweiser	country	football	ten-gallon hat	an old pickup	feral hog
El Norte			Tucson	Tex-Mex	tequila	Latin pop	rodeo	cowboy boots	convertible	rattlesnake
Greater Appalachia			Louisville	fried chicken	whiskey	folk/bluegrass	hunting & fishing	trucker hat	1969 Charger	bald eagle
Left Coast			Portland	salmon	red wine	indie	running	plaid/flannel	Toyota Prius	blue whale
Far West			Salt Lake City	beef/bison	Coors Light	classic rock	X-Games	leather	Ford F-150	grizzly bear
New France	As equals	Utopian	New Orleans	jambalaya	bourbon	jazz	uhh… shrimpin'?	beads	airboat?	alligator

5. New Netherland Business Oligarchs

5. New Netherland
Business Oligarchs