Understanding American Constitutionalism

This assignment delves into the multifaceted concept of American constitutionalism. Students analyze Graber and Gillman's comprehensive work on the subject, tracing its historical roots back to the colonial era. The influence of key documents like Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest is examined. Additionally, students engage with Martinez-Carter's perspective on the meaning of 'American,' challenging conventional notions of national identity and exploring the complexities of American imperialism. Squire's article provides insights into the evolution of representation in colonial America, highlighting the relationship between constituents and representatives.

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Student’s name
Professor
Course
Date
The American History
Introduction
The American democracy has a long history as it encompasses the American
Revolution (Force 9). The Americas are brought up today knowing that they stand for liberty,
life, and happiness. However, nobody seems to pursue these stands because life has remained
debatable among the Americans (Martinez-Carter 1). For instance, many Americans blatantly
say that everyone is entitled to live, yet the death penalty and abortion cases have never been
challenged. The country experiences the worst conflicts as some Americans are exceptional
while others continue to fight for freedom and liberty. Through revolutions, the American
builds strong institutions and constitution that defined its images, ideas, and language (Graber
and Gillman 53). The seven-year war justified the radical new ideas that transformed the
America's global position. The American political identity became evident as it shared the
grievances with colonists.
What America represents
The American independence defined its liberties. The economy improved after the
conflict cooled. The sons of the revolution were beheld, as they remained determined to save
their country from the yolk of ruins from the enemies (History, Art & Archives 1). Many
Americans poured into the streets to demonstrate and riots. They raided the royal offices
because they were against the oppressions. Through the continental association document,
recommendations to establish a free country emerged. The Americans constitution defined
that all Americans were equal (Force 804). It became critical to secure their rights.

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What it means to be an American during the mid-colonial era
America boasts of a rich diversity than other countries. The diversity was evident
during the pre-revolutionary America. The middle colonies were composed of the Native
Americans and the African slaves (Force 3). The middle colonies had an assortment of
religions compared to the Puritan New England. For instance, the religions like Presbyterians,
Dutch Calvinists, Lutherans, Mennonites, and Quakers dominated the American faith (Force
1742). In The mid-colonial era, an American was defined by representation. This is an
important element in understanding the legislations. In the early republic, the colonial powers
failed to recognize the significance of representation among the American people. In 1619,
the country established a Representative Assemblies that acted as a representative body as
demonstrated in the American Constitution (Force 1032). These assemblies were distinct of
the colonies because it handled the governing itself. Inhabitants of the Plantation had the
opportunity to elect their representatives to the general assembly.
The country had elected assembly members to meet the expectations for the
electorates. The objective of the elected assembly members was to act as representatives,
especially the freemen (Squire 12). For instance, in Massachusetts, the colony’s freemen to
establish relevant laws granted the representatives powers (Graber and Gillman 206). The
lawmakers were meant to advance the interests of the colonies for the collective good. The
lawmakers were supposed to take oaths, especially when they were sworn in their Virginian
offices. This implied that the representatives were expected to act and protect the Burgess
Law. The lawmakers were expected to use their judgment in pursuing the interests of the
voters (Squire 9).
The preferences of constituents were diverse thus calling for proper considerations. It
became critical to change the electoral context to meet the interests of the constituents. The
Assembly elections were to regularly conducted, especially in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,

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and Delaware annually while in Rhode Island and Connecticut, the elections were held semi-
annually (Graber and Gillman 206). The changes in the election were to ensure that the
representatives addressed the interests of the constituents. The governors headed each colony
and they were elected after every seven years. The elective politics increased competition
thus increasing the attention of the electorates (Martinez-Carter 14). Some members retained
their seats depending on how they addressed the constituent’s preferences. To avoid losing
their seats, the elected members paid close interest to the voters regarding public policy. This
made the colonial assemblies stable (Landsman 182). In New Jersey, the turnover dropped
thus making the decline impressive. By 1775, the turnover dropped by 18 percent in
Pennsylvania.
Despite the electoral competition in some colonies, in the Virginia House, some
members never experienced competition. For instance, 75 percent of the members were never
exposed to completion. However, in Rhode Island, the party system existed thus defined the
modern American (Force 417). In most of the colonies, party politics were undefined and
unpopular thus making it difficult to offer an alternative policy platform (Graber and Gillman
254). Although some assembly elections were uncompetitive, the incumbents knew that the
electorates expected proper services. With the increasing demands from the electorates, the
assembly members increased the legislative agendas to cover the Indian relations, defense,
and transportation. The assemblies also handled complex polities because the population in
the colonies exploded.
Conclusion
The Americans defined their meaning based on diversity and representation. During
the colonial era, the majority of the colonies were represented in various assemblies. The
representative institutions emerged to serve the interest of the American population. The
American stood for liberty, value for life, and pursued happiness. Through representation, the

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realized their happiness and defined their expectations. The lawmakers were mandated to
formulate public policies relevant to the diverse preferences of their constituents. During the
colonial eras, party politics were uncompetitive. Nonetheless, the incumbent realized the need
to meet the expectations of the electorates. The colonial power tried to serve the American
people, but they opted for their independence.

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Annotated Bibliography
Primary Source
Force, Peter. American Archives: Consisting of a Collection of Authentick Records,
State Paers, Debates, and Letters and Other Notices of Publick Affairs, the
Whole Forming a Documentary History of the Origin and Progress of the North
American Colonies, of the Causes and Accomplishment of the American
Revolution, and of the Constitution of Government for the United States to the
Final Ratification Thereof; in Six Series. Washington, 1839. Print.
This American archive consists of a collection of the primary documents
regarding the American history. These collections including authentick records,
debates, state papers, and letters give the relevant information regarding the meaning
of being an American. It gives the progress and origin of the North American
colonies, revolution, and the constitutions. It forms a documentary history of the
country. Force has thus contributed greatly in defining the American history.
Secondary Source
Graber, Mark A, and Howard Gillman. The Complete American Constitutionalism.
Oxford University Press, 2015.
In this book, the authors Graber and Gillman have defined the complete
American constitutionalism. In the complete American constitutionalism, these
authors have analyzed the constitutional analysis by conducting an in-depth
exploration thus forming the American constitutional experience. It traces the
American constitutionalism to the colonial era. The authors have also highlighted the
sources of the American constitution and the Federal constitutional amendments
including the Charter of the Forest and Magna Carter.
Media Source

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Martinez-Carter, Karatina. “What Does ‘American’ Actually Mean?” 19 June 2013.
The Atlantic. 5 October 2017
<https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/what-does-american-
actually-mean/276999/>.
In this media report, Karina Martinez-Carter defines the meaning of America.
According to this journalist, an American is any person from the American continent.
The author narrates the way the Americans are mistaken because American should be
a region rather than a country. The United States has used the term America to justify
its imperialism. It evokes the memories of the imperialistic culture. The freelance
journalist has thus differed with the wide notion regarding the meaning of America.
Squire, Peverill. “The Beginnings of Representation in America: The Relationship
Between Representatives and Constituents in the Colonial Era.” 1-2 March 2013.
5 October 2017
<https://www.vanderbilt.edu/csdi/miller-stokes/01_MillerStokes_Squire.pdf>.
In this article, Squire has provided information regarding the history of the
American representation. The author explains the relationship between the
constituents and representatives during the colonial era. It is clear from the article that
the constituents had high expectations that the representatives needed to meet. The
constituents would use the voting powers to scrutinize the candidates who could
represent their interests. The representatives were aware of the wrath that awaited
them during the election if they failed to deliver.

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Works Cited
Force, Peter. American Archives: Consisting of a Collection of Authentick Records, State
Paers, Debates, and Letters and Other Notices of Publick Affairs, the Whole Forming
a Documentary History of the Origin and Progress of the North American Colonies,
of the Causes and Accomplishment of the American Revolution, and of the
Constitution of Government for the United States to the Final Ratification Thereof; in
Six Series. Washington, 1839. Print.
Graber, Mark A, and Howard Gillman. The Complete American Constitutionalism. Oxford
University Press, 2015.
History, Art & Archives. “Statutory Representation.” n.d. 5 October 2017
<http://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/HAIC/Historical-Essays/
Continental-Expansion/Statutory-Representation/>.
Landsman, Ned C. Crossroads of Empire: The Middle Colonies in British North America.
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010.
Martinez-Carter, Karatina. “What Does ‘American’ Actually Mean?” 19 June 2013. The
Atlantic. 5 October 2017
<https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/what-does-american-actually-
mean/276999/>.
Squire, Peverill. “The Beginnings of Representation in America: The Relationship Between
Representatives and Constituents in the Colonial Era.” 1-2 March 2013. 5 October
2017 <https://www.vanderbilt.edu/csdi/miller-stokes/01_MillerStokes_Squire.pdf>.