Chapter 2 1. Country bumpkins on the wild continent

In the eyes of those of us Chinese who are used to solemn and solemn scenes, the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention in 1787 was not sacred at all.In the meeting room, there is no high rostrum, no giant long table and round table for delegates to sit side by side, only some small square tables and chairs.The size of the table is only big enough for four people to eat fast food together.These square tables looked scattered and scattered in the meeting room, and the representatives sat around them in groups of three or four.If it weren't for a set of tables and chairs dedicated to the chairman, you would feel that the whole venue is more like a salon, bar or coffee shop.It also seems that the representatives sitting here are not here to formulate a constitution, but to drink afternoon tea.

This is not surprising.Because this is the so-called "United States of America", which is actually still in its infancy; and the so-called "Americans" are just country bumpkins on the wild continent that has just gained independence from the British Empire.They are free and loose, hate hegemony, and yearn for an unfettered life.If it were not because of necessity, they would not even want the country and the government.The representatives they appoint belong to 13 local political entities.These representatives, and the political entities they represent, are as independent from each other as the tea guests in a salon.Originally there was only a loose connection.They came together for a meeting, also out of necessity.If they are dissatisfied with the meeting, they can leave at any time, and no one can stop them.Therefore, this teahouse-style meeting place is really suitable for such a meeting.

To understand this, we must also start with the history of the founding of the United States. Anyone who has read a little bit of American history knows that before the Declaration of Independence, there were no countries in North America, only some colonies, some of which belonged to the British Empire and were called "British Colonies".However, although the British king claimed to have sovereignty over them, in fact they were managed by the colonial people themselves, that is, "the sovereign belongs to the king, and the right to rule belongs to the people".Between 1607 and 1732, there were 16 such British colonies.Three colonies were later annexed, leaving only 13.In order from north to south, they are: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia.The so-called United States of America was formed by the union of these 13 colonies.

It is not easy to unite them.First of all, although these colonies are mainly Anglo-Saxons and all claim to be British, they have nothing to do with each other and have nothing to do with each other.Each colony was established on an ad hoc basis, with political power derived directly from the charter of the crown.For example, Virginia was established by the Virginia Company because of the charter (also known as the "Virginia Charter") issued by King James I on April 10, 1606.This category is called "corporate colonies", and in addition to Virginia, there is Massachusetts. In 1620, some English secessionists in Holland took the Mayflower ship and planned to settle down in Virginia.However, after 66 days at sea, they arrived not in Virginia but in Massachusetts.On board these wretched and brave men swore to enact such laws, rules, and regulations as would be most suitable and expedient for the people of the colonies.The "Mayflower Convention" became the first document that embodies sovereignty in the people, and Massachusetts became the birthplace of American independent thought and movement.

The second category is called "lord colony", which is granted to a certain or certain lords by the British king.Moreover, just like the emperor Zhou enfeoffed princes, such colonies can also be enfeoffed.For example, Maryland, named after Queen Mary of England, was granted to George Calvert, the first generation of Lord Baltimore, and Lord Baltimore divided 60 manors.Another example is Pennsylvania. Because King Charles II owed the nobleman William Bean £16,800 in debt, he sealed off a large piece of land in North America to William Bean Jr., the youngest son of Bean, and named it Pennsylvania.These colonies are the most numerous.

The third category is called "self-governing colonies", also known as "contract colonies".They belonged neither to the king nor to the lords, but were established by the free immigrants themselves according to the contracts between them, such as Rhode Island and Connecticut. In 1636, under the leadership of Roger Williams, some people with different opinions broke away from the Massachusetts Bay Company and came to Rhode Island to establish an autonomous region according to their own agreement among residents.Later, it signed a "Charter" with the United Kingdom and achieved self-government. In 1639, residents of some towns along the Connecticut River (such as Hartford, Windsor, Wethersfield, etc.) signed the "Basic Covenant" and established the second "Contract Colony" and also signed a "Charter" with England , achieved autonomy.

It is clear that the conditions of these three groups of colonies are very different.Even with the same type of colonies, the South and the North are very different.If they are not of the same kind, and one is south and the other is north, the difference will be even greater.For example, Massachusetts and Connecticut are governed by oath or contract, but South Carolina delegates all legal proceedings to a "Gendarmerie Commander," and Georgia has official decisions about what crops are planted in the field.In fact, before the War of Independence, these 13 colonies could be said to be irrelevant, and the north and the south were even more "indifferent".

Obviously, each of these colonies has its own situation, each has its own interests, and each has its own ideas, and it is not so easy to group them together.What's more, the British Empire has always implemented "vertical leadership" over them, and has not established a unified management government agency in the local area.In other words, they are not like those princes in our Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, and there is a "common master of the world" above.In other words, although there is, it is far away.Therefore, these colonies are not related to each other, and they can not buy each other. That was one reason why the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was a difficult one.

This created an obstacle for their joint filming, and also laid the foundation for them to move towards a republic.But in the beginning, their union was out of necessity.In fact, if it were not for independence from the UK, these colonial people who were originally "disconnected" would probably live their own lives behind closed doors and continue to "do not communicate with each other until old age or death".But the British brought about their union. In 1774, the British Parliament passed five laws, stipulating that British officials accused by the colonial people could only be tried in England, that British troops could forcibly enter colonial houses, that Massachusetts’ self-government status be revoked, and so on.

This was of course intolerable.For those who have independent thinking and democratic consciousness, and regard freedom as their life, it is even more unbearable.You must know that the reason why many people leave their hometowns and come to this wild continent as country bumpkins is for independence and freedom.Just think of Massachusetts. In 1620, when the first group of English Puritans came here by the Mayflower ship, there were 102 of them in total.But just one winter's cold wind took away 58 lives.However, when the Mayflower ship came here again in the spring of the following year, the captain was surprised to find that no one was willing to go back to the "civilized" England with him, but would rather stay here and struggle for death.This is really "give me liberty or give me death".Perhaps it is for this reason that although Massachusetts was not the first colony on the land of North America (the first was Virginia), Americans still regard those who came here on the Mayflower ship as their spiritual pioneers. .Similarly, when the 1787 Constitutional Convention elected its full committee on May 30, the 49-year-old Nathaniel Gorham was elected chairman with a high number of votes, probably because he was a Massachusetts native.

In short, although these colonies have their own reasons and ideas, the word "independence" still unites them. On September 5, 1774, 55 representatives from 13 colonies held the first "Continental Congress" in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The meeting passed the "Declaration of Rights", declaring that the colonial people have the right to life, liberty and property.They submitted a petition to the King of England, demanding the abolition of those "intolerable decrees", and at the same time decided to boycott British goods and stop exports to the UK.This originally limited resistance was regarded as a rebellion by King George III of England, who declared that these colonial people "must fight to decide whether they belong to this country or become independent".The people of the colonies were also unambiguous, and they decided to take up arms and fight for freedom. On April 19, 1775, the war first started in the most free-thinking and independent-minded Massachusetts (specifically in Lexington and Concord). On May 10, the second "Continental Congress" was held in Philadelphia.The meeting decided to form a "Continental Army" and appointed George Washington as its commander-in-chief.The War of Independence began, and lasted eight years. In fact, the colonial people have long been dissatisfied with Britain.They pay taxes to the UK and have no seats in Parliament.We know that the government runs on taxpayers' money, and officials are supported by taxpayers' money.How can the British government spend a lot of taxpayers' money in the North American colonies without allowing them to send their own representatives?Therefore, as early as 1765, there was an "Anti-Stamp Act Congress".The convention was held in New York on the initiative of the most restless Massachusetts.Nine colonies were represented.Moreover, this lady produced the concept of "American Nation" at the General Assembly.Christopher Gadston argued that no one should call himself a New Englander or a New Yorkshireman on this continent anymore.We are all Americans.Well now, since the people of these British colonies no longer have anything to do with England or Yorkshire, they will never just start a war against him and count it all. In fact, the second "Continental Congress" also did three extremely important things: one is to issue the "Declaration of Independence"; the other is to formulate the "Articles of Confederation"; , and legally establish a new government "capable of protecting the happiness and security of its constituents." On May 10, 1776, the plan was passed at the meeting.On July 4 of the same year, the Declaration of Independence was passed.On November 15 of the following year, the "Articles of Confederation and Permanent Union" (referred to as the "Articles of Confederation") drafted by Delaware representative John Dickinson was passed, and it came into full effect on March 1, 1781 (Maryland's last approve).This act declared that the 13 colonies would be permanently united under a common name and title - United States of America