Ideas+about+Power+and+Virtue--Eroding+the+Bonds+of+Empire

=VIRTUE vs. POWER, THE COLONIAL PRESS, AND LEFTOVER TENSIONS =

//Pontiac’s Rebellion//
VIRTUE vs. POWER There were clear ideological differences between the colonists and the British, in the realm s o f politics. The colonists sided with a political ideology that encompasses a strong moral component. The origin of this perspective is difficult to locate, however it is almost certain that the Great Awakening played an extensive role in creating a general awareness of a commitment to carry out public and private affairs according to the moral imperatives of the Scriptures. The Americans during the Revolution were all about //virtues//. Even in their political culture, virtue was an important factor. The Great Awakening was happening around this time, causing this morality to be ingrained into the American people. This would greatly contrast to the corrupt British government they were still dominated by. The **British and the American Loyalists** never really caught on with this notion. Colonial readers felt that Locke’s works provided a brilliant description of what was, and what should be American political practice. He was a political thinker of the Enlightenment, who logically pointed out the purpose of government. His reasoning attracted many American legislators. // "Locke claimed that all people possessed natural and inalienable rights. In order to preserve these God-given rights—the rights to **life**, **liberty** and **property** formed contracts.” These agreements were the foundation of human society as well as civil government, and they required the consent of the people who were actually governed.”  // What you should really remember about Locke’s ideal was that he justified rebellion, if the government was violating these rights or not properly governing its people. Locke was perhaps one the most influential men during this time, stirring within the American people the beginnings of a rebellion.

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This virtue was opposed to something “extremely dangerous” to the American people. Power. This dislike for too much power resulted from the **Commonwealth tradition.** It changed how the Americans viewed its government. If the government was making mistakes and flawed laws, it meant now that it was corrupt with power. On the other hand, if it is reasonable and efficient, the government is responsibly saving the liberties of the people and therefore is, a good government.

The Rise of the COLONIAL PRESS One can also call this the age of the press. As virtue and hate for power became very strong themes in American culture, journalists attacked politicians for corruption, a lot of them being from Britain. One might ask: were the facts they presented true?

Hardly. In fact, a lot of the reasoning behind these articles had little logic, more religious ranting. These pamphlets were ubiquitous in the American colonies. As the Americans began to become more familiar with their national and local situations, the thirteen colonies became much more united. Think of the colonial press like the Internet’s Youtube. Their world became smaller with these pamphlets, and a unity came to exist because of it. They slowly grew into a national community.

     ...AND LEFTOVER TENSIONS      Even though the Americans and British successfully evicted the French from mainland North America, tensions between the colonies and the mother land were still high. For one, there was an enormous debt the British acquired during these French and Indian wars. After gaining land into the heart of the mainland, the British failed to leave enough troops. The Americans couldn’t defend themselves at all. The Native Americans took advantage of this opportunity, causing scattered violence across the frontier.

Pontiac’s rebellion, for example, began attacking Detroit, Pennsylvania, Virginia. The Native Americans lost their opporutnity to play the British against the French and were left powerless. The Paxton Boys of Pennsylvania attacked the Native Americans and anyone who stood up for them. They were angry that the British government could not protect the frontiersmen against these Indian attacks upon the Americans. It was a horrible massacre along the frontier. Anger against the Native Americans and against the British was at its all time-high.