Emerson and Feudalism essays

Emerson and Feudalism essays America was opened after the feudal mischief was spent, and so the people made a good start. Was Ralph Waldo Emerson correct in that assertion? Why or why not? How were a persons rights and responsibilities determined in the feudal era? How are a persons rights and responsibilities determined in the United States today? What evidence is there in the U.S. Constitution that Americans rejected or accepted beliefs that were commonly held in the feudal era? To begin to fully understand what Emerson really meant in his speech from Bostons Old South Church, we must break it down. First, when Emerson speaks of the feudal mischief being spent, he means that the peak of the feudal era has passed in Europe when the colonists began to arrive in North America. In the second half Emerson asserts that because the colonists came over to America to build their own governments, without the influence of feudalism. These governments, free of feudalism, were an indication to Emerson that the colonists had made a good start. While Emerson was right in the assertion that America made a start free of feudalism in the early stages of the colonies, he was incorrect in assuming that America would never experience feudal mischief again. A resurgence of feudalism by King George in later years caused the colonists to revolt. Until 1763, the colonies existed in a state of salutary neglect, where the King and Parliament relatively ignored the colonies, allowing self-government. After 1763, England decided to enforce a policy of mercantilism, in which the mother country protected the colonies in exchange for exclusive trading rights. New legislation like the Stamp, Tea, and Quartering Acts eerily reminded the colonists of feudalism because their rights were being limited and they didnt have a voice in their government. As Adam Sandler said, Man does not know ...