History

Contributions to a More Democratic Society

American colonies were trying to establish a more democratic society during the 1700s. Democracy is government by the people, where the supreme power is bestowed to the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected advocates. There are many events and factors in history that contributed to accomplishing the forming of this democratic society. Three events in particular contributed the most to the establishment of democracy. The Great Awakening, immigration, and the Zenger case are those three factors, each of them contributing to their own extent. These three factors were major additions to being one step closer to American societies becoming officially democratic. The Great Awakening, immigration, and the Zenger case all helped in different ways, but were all equally important in creating a more democratic society in American colonies. The Great Awakening formed democracy in American colonies by instigating religious tolerance, immigration helped by making newcomers feel welcome, and the Zenger case established democracy by giving people Freedom of Press.

The Great Awakening is a term used to describe a significant outburst of religious feeling that swept through the colonies in the 1740s. It continued to influence colonial culture all the way until the Revolutionary era. Religion was by far the main motivating force for people who came to America during the seventeenth century. This was especially true in New England. New England was where Pilgrims and Puritans came in search of the freedom to worship as they pleased. The strict Puritans set up a theocratic society where religion affected every aspect of one’s everyday life. However, soon non-Puritans moved into New England and the first generation gave way to the second and third generation of Puritans. As a result, much of the early eagerness wore off. The society quickly became more secular, and there was concern that the church was becoming...