US Moral History

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