The American Colonies
were settled by Europeans who arrived to enrich their Royal Rulers and
themselves. The Spanish and Portuguese settled South America, the Dutch and
British settled the North American Eastern Seaboard and the French settled the
Midwest. They all needed settlers to
stabilize their commercial activities and export routes.
Many early settlers in
the British colonies were members of Protestant congregations who were not
particularly popular with the Royals. These groups were offered passage to
America to become these settlers. This solved their need for religious liberty
and the Royals got to banish them. Early settlements were organized by
merchants to produce wealth for their Royals.
But the settlements were ruled by pastors who imposed a strict moral
code that also required a strong work ethic.
Our Founding Fathers
found themselves with a nation of self-reliant, moral, literate, hardworking
citizens who embraced their families, their liberty and their free market
economy.
Those who settled into
leadership in the colonies agreed that the imposition of moral precepts should
be enforced. Sex was reserved to married
couples and sexual misconduct was punished. The suppression of basic human
instincts required secrecy by transgressors to avoid punishment.
Forcibly removing
American Indians from their land was not considered immoral in the period from
1500 to 1800. It was considered to be in the best interest in the colonies and
their Royal Rulers. Owning slaves was not
considered immoral, but some slave owners freed their slaves upon their death.
Business was conducted
personally and cheating was punished subtly as cheaters got bad reputations and
were shunned and forced to move to get a new start. Courts were active in the
colonies enforcing their laws and restoring stolen goods to rightful owners.
This tight moral
control was reinforced again during the Victorian Era from 1837 to 1901.
Churches continued to teach moral behavior, but the advent of the birth control
devices available in the US and the invention of birth control pills ended the
era of “no sex before marriage” in the 1960s and the use of abortion in the
1970s continued the trend.
The US Congress
violated the Constitution in 1872, when it authorized the seizure of land from States
to establish a National Park. They were required by the Constitution to propose
an Amendment to their “enumerated powers” and have it ratified by the State,
but they did not. This was the beginning
of lawless government in the US. When
government goes lawless, citizens are less inclined to obey laws.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody
GA Tea Party Leader
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