Roots of Amerian Democracy - The Six Nations

[Pah]

The people of the Six Nations, also known by the French term, Iroquois Confederacy, call themselves the Hau de no sau nee (ho dee noe sho nee) meaning People Building a Long House. Located in the northeastern region of North America, originally the Six Nations was five and included the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas. The sixth nation, the Tuscaroras, migrated into Iroquois country in the early eighteenth century. Together these peoples comprise the oldest living participatory democracy on earth. Their story, and governance truly based on the consent of the governed, contains a great deal of life-promoting intelligence for those of us not familiar with this area of American history. The original United States representative democracy, fashioned by such central authors as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, drew much inspiration from this confederacy of nations. In our present day, we can benefit immensely, in our quest to establish anew a government truly dedicated to all life's liberty and happiness much as has been practiced by the Six Nations for over 800 hundred years.

http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/
The above link contains many links to broaden an understanding of the contribution our Native Americans made to the democratic principles of the United States.

Bob

 

[jewscout]

And the English had no concept of representative government?

While I'm not discounting the influence of Native American culture on the formation of the US i'd argue that the majority of our present system was a result of the influence of the existing system in England. Much of our constitution and bill of rights come from England.

 

[Pah]

And the English had no concept of representative government?

While I'm not discounting the influence of Native American culture on the formation of the US i'd argue that the majority of our present system was a result of the influence of the existing system in England. Much of our constitution and bill of rights come from England.

Actually, England was a monarchy.

Bob

 

[jewscout]

And Parliament?

 

[jewscout]

By the time the US came into being, in fact by 1776 the parliament of England had a great deal of power. Yes England had, and has, a monarchy but it was not the same as what existed in countries like France. "Taxation without representation"? This was a slogan the colonists used because they didn't have the representation in the parliament in London. Parliament was in charge of finances along with many other important activities in the governement. By the formation of the Constitution, England was more and more a representative government than a out and out monarchy.

 

[linwood]

How were those members of Parliament decided?

What system was used to give them their seats?

 

[jewscout]

How were those members of Parliament decided?

What system was used to give them their seats?

They were elected from their respective regions by those who were eligible to vote, which weren't many.
Of course the system they used was not a very good one (don't ask me the exact detail i'm not certain all i remember was that they weren't very good) and it took years to reform the system.
That not withstanding, England was an early form of representative democracy, regardless of how ineffective the system was.

 

[huajiro]

Ignorance is bliss....I will just follow the link and read up, I don't know enough to respond....thnx Pah

 

[linwood]

They were elected from their respective regions by those who were eligible to vote, which weren't many.

I could be entirely wrong but I seem to recall those who were eligible to vote were nobles who had been given or maintained their nobility at the whim of the monarchy.
Any truth to this?

That not withstanding, England was an early form of representative democracy, regardless of how ineffective the system was.

If my earlier statemnt is true (and i`m not entirely sure it is) then I would suggest this early form of democracy was more of a con than a democracy.

I don`t want to debate it though because from whats been posted so far I think we`d be going through many posts only to realise we were actually in agreement all along.

I hate when I do that.

 

[jewscout]

I could be entirely wrong but I seem to recall those who were eligible to vote were nobles who had been given or maintained their nobility at the whim of the monarchy.
Any truth to this?

By the time of the American Revolution men who held land could vote. Much of the power of the monarch had been taken away by this time and the monarch had a more difficult time of doing such drastic things as taking away a noble's land or power. The king's power was not absolute. Much of the system we have today comes from the Magna Carta and the English bill of rights.

Having said that i don't doubt the influence of Native American culture and governement in the formation of our own system. In fact there were several small West African nations who had a system almost identical to our own but i don't think that they were the primary source for our government. To not look at what English settlers brought with them to the new world would be to ignore a large part of history.

Each colony already had a legislature working, essentially, independently of the Parliament back in London. The problems the Colonist's had weren't from the monarch, but the Parliament who was in charge of taxation. The King became the point of hatred, because it's easier to have one man as a target than a big group of them.

But i'm ranting again sorry

 

[kreeden]

Interesting that the Iroquois Narion was the bases for the American system of democracy , but they themselves were not allowed to vote until the 1950s .

http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/naind/html/na_041800_voting.htm

Edited to add that Canada and Australia wasn't any better ...