A common theme among many primary source documents from the 1600s to the early 1800s and current documents that reflect this era is the concept of how and why different parties and classes form.  This theme can be found in James Madison’s Controlling Factions in the Republic.   This tenth installment of the Federalist Papers is an article about the effects of different motives on the formation and function of a government.  Arthur M. Schlesinger’s article called Colonial Class Status also conveys this theme.  It addresses the reasons different classes were formed and why those classes stayed in existence.  The Plymouth Compact, written in 1620 by William Bradford, was drafted to ensure a system of classes in the New World.  It exhibited a juxtaposition of both the breaking away from a predestined class system and the formation of a new system.  Among the myriad of different reasons that parties and classes form, the existence of factions is the most influential.               

 In James Madison’s Controlling Factions in the Republic, the ideals of personal motives in both the minority and majority parties present is elucidated.  He asserts that common but conflicting ideas regarding religion, government, and various other human passions drive the formation of factions.  A minority is viewed as a good entity by the government due to the ease at which it can be controlled.  However, it is the ignoring and suppressing of this minority faction that can lead to rebellion, like in the case of Bacon’s Rebellion.  A majority faction can help and protect the common people on occasion, but there is also risk of unease within that democratic government.  Madison warns that a republic is the only way to successfully control factions by having a designated number of members elected to the government to represent the wants and factions of the common people.  He accounts a republic’s superiority over a democracy to its ability to control a greater population by elected representatives.  This system of members elected by the general population provided some assurance that the common good would be upheld and that no individual faction would be dominant over another faction.  Similar to Madison’s concepts of why and how factions are formed are Schlesinger’s ideas regarding the development of different classes and parties within a society.

 The aspect of why factions are formed and why they remain in existence is primarily addressed within Schlesinger’s Colonial Class Status.  Schlesinger believed that when the colonists moved to America they accepted a stratified society and received the roles they had held in their native countries.  This acceptance, formed from habit, led to the formation of a very graded society along with the upholding of slavery.  The ideals that formed social classes were not the only thing transferred to the new American colonies.  The aspects that shaped a society politically were also upheld.  The direct link between large land ownership and political power was reinforced.  Similarly, Madison stated that unequal distribution of property was the most popular cause of a faction’s formation and therefore the largest aspect of majority versus minority disputes.  The unhesitant submission of the colonists to those who owned large quantities of land aided the growth in distance because the ideology of the lower and upper classes.  The rich truly believed that they were ensuring the common good to the entire population because they were educated and believed they possessed wisdom.  Although a middle class slowly formed in colonial America, this class also believed not only in “the concept of a layered society, but believed in its rightness.”  This slowed the growth of a republican system because although the lower and middle classes composed the majority of the population, there was no questioning or willingness to reinforce the factions they represented.  Schlesinger reasoned that the blind submission of the colonists led to a very stratified system of social and political classes; however, Bradford believed that it was these same very different classes that could work together in a utopian fashion to form a pure democracy.       

            In 1620, William Bradford drafted the Plymouth Compact in hopes of forming a new and better government for him and those aboard the Mayflower.  The document’s primary goal was to dismiss the previous charter granted to them and to declare the immigrants’ ability and intention to govern themselves.  It was careful to include valid reasons as to why the old charter would not hold in their location for settlement and therefore justified any hints of rebellion or treason.  The document simply and bluntly stated that in order to form a successful governing body that would preserve and protect everyone’s rights, a democracy would need to be formed.  A democracy in which every settler would vote and have jurisdiction, not just the select few of a republic or the pre-destined elite of colonies that would form soon after.  It was an optimistic ideal in which all of the settlers could be called together occasionally to vote on important matters and choose just and equal actions.  This concept of an entire population working together actively for the good of the community despite personal motives conflicts with the idea of an overruling faction and raises the question as to whether or not a democracy can support the common good.  This question is reinforced by Madison because of his belief that democracies have the capability of suppressing the common people’s needs.  With a large number of people confined to no structured political system or classes other than pure democracy, there is possibility for instances in which a majority is not even reached and simply a few separate minorities form.  With several separate factions, a pure democracy would prove fruitless.  Madison also believed that the common people did not have enough knowledge to govern themselves and therefore would disagree with Bradford’s ideology.  Bradford’s vision was utopian and contrasted both with the stratified society Schlesinger has envisioned as well as the realistic if not cynical views of democracy that Madison held. 

            The documents of early American colonization and development all elucidate the theme of how and why different parties and classes form within a society.  Madison stressed the importance of governing the people with an elected body of officials in a republican system so that no faction would override another faction.  Schlesinger reflected on the factions of the governing elite in colonial America and the impact of the colonists’ blind submission to the stratified society on these factions.  Bradford’s decision to form a different form of government than the one designated for him and the settlers was a brave step towards a true democracy but conflicted with the existence of factions.  From these three documents it can be learned that there has always been an overriding aspect, such as property in the colonial era, which deems a select few superior to the general population. It is also shown that measures must be taken to ensure the content and function of the most polar opposite of classes so that no individual faction controls the general population.  The theories and examples within these three documents are timeless and must be applied to current society to ensure the happiness of the population and the maintenance of the common good.        

So here’s the video that I made for the word acrimony.  This was intended for Youtube posting but I can’t seem to figure out how to get it from a website to my Youtube account.

      “Great thoughts speak only to a thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all humankind.” This quotation differentiates between the singular experience of thinking and the plural experiences of acting. The process and euphoria experienced during thinking is only felt by one person where as displaying these thoughts through actions can be seen by all. When one is openly generous through actions, the effects are not only felt by those directly involved, but also seen and experienced by bystanders. Information is passed along from person to person about the great action causing all of humankind to be informed of the happenstance. However, it must also be examined that all great actions begin as great thoughts. The most idolized people throughout history have been those who chose to take the initiative to turn their thoughts into actions thus affecting all those around them. Great actions, with their ability to be seen and heard of by all humankind, affect everyone in ways that mere great thoughts cannot.

     To understand the extent of influence created by great actions, one must examine their origin.  Great thoughts are the metaphorical seed of all great actions.  In order for a person to carry out a great action there must initially be inspiration from their own great thoughts or from another’s great thoughts.  Throughout history there have been wonderful philosophers with grand and extravagant ideas which can be praised for their concepts but only reach a limited audience.  It is only until these ideals have reached a certain person with the means to carry out the aforementioned notions that they become useful and widely influential ordeals through action.  Henry David Thoreau’s philosophy of civil disobedience is a prime example of this.  Even after one hundred years Thoreau’s great thoughts influenced Martin Luther King Jr. to take action and speak out.  Thoreau had merely only acted as a muse to King’s dreams and actions and is not also associated with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.  This is evidence that although great thoughts can lead to great actions, without the actual acting there is nothing to be seen or heard of by all humanity.  King’s public reach, with his riveting speeches and organized marches, was without a doubt more influential than Thoreau’s documents.  Apart from the differentiation between a mere great thought and a great action is the differentiation between sizes of great actions.

      Great actions are far-reaching despite their volatile nature and characteristics. The amount of people they reach is dependent upon their scale due to their ability to be miniscule or elaborate.  Great actions can range anywhere from simply holding a door for someone to starting a reform movement.  However vast the differences in an actions size are, the results are all similar.  Whether the action has affected people globally or simply just a passing stranger, there is always the outcome of gratitude and appreciation.  People begin talking to others about their interactions with benevolent people and begin a ripple effect.  In this way, great actions can speak to all of humankind no matter how small one begins.  Take into consideration the existence of chivalry during the Middle Ages.  Most acts of chivalry were very small, simple gestures of kindness; however, due to their basis, these gestures can be considered among great actions.  These acts occurred frequently and spontaneously, happening throughout the kingdoms and countrysides of the time.  However negligible these acts might seem, they were treasured in the past and yearned for in the present proving that no matter how small a kind act is, it can still be considered a far-reaching great action.  Besides all of the different shapes and sizes that great actions come in is the ability for any one person who commit a great action.

     Another aspect to be taken into consideration is all great actions can be carried out by any member of the population.  This fact only heightens the assurance that great actions do indeed speak to all humankind.  The ability for any given person to commit any size of great action increases their widespread nature.  Great actions can originate ranging anywhere from a small child to the most influential and wealthy person.  In example, a middle-class man can bring flowers home for his wife or the president of a nation could make a plan to end a war.  The effects of great actions are the same no matter who carries them out.  Also, it can be considered that since any person can carry out a great action, any person can also interpret and appreciate a great action.  This aspect is vital in keeping these actions practical and comprehendible.  If great actions were not an everyday occurrence society would not only be a more melancholy place, but there would be no existing precedents to inspire the many different levels of population to create their own great actions.  The fact that no great action discriminates between racial or social boundaries is important in their ability to speak to all humankind.  A precedent for any and all classes to continue acting with greatness has been set and will continue to inspire the entire population to carry out great actions.   

       Great actions speak to all humankind for a myriad of reasons.  There has always been an abundance of great thinkers in the world and therefore there will always be an abundance of inspiration for great actions in the future.  The only effort needed to make a great thought into a great action is simply initiative.  It is important for great actions to continue speaking to all of humankind because it is truly what connects the world.  No matter how much despair or how many wars are being fought, there are always an equal if not greater number of peace conferences, reformations, or numerous other ideals occurring.  From this can be derived that great actions, in their ability to affect all of humankind, are the metaphorical peace keepers of humanity by evoking appreciation and gratitude from all.  

An innovation that would aid all of humanity would be the invention of a device that could interpret a voice and convert it into text instantaneously.The ability of a device to exchange oral sounds for a word document would greatly increase a person’s efficiency. One would be capable of performing multiple tasks more freely with this hands-off, mouth-open device. The device’s necessity for clear speech would require anyone using the device to practice good speaking habits.This would improve a person’s clarity with words as well as ability to carry out a complete thought. Many thoughts are lost in the process of writing them down but this device would change that. Speaking thoughts as soon as one receives them is a much faster medium than gathering materials and actually writing them down. Among all things, the invention of a device that instantly converts speech to text would improve the lives of all humankind by increasing efficiency.

Among all technological improvements invented throughout history, the printing press has been the most beneficial to society.   The printing press led to providing information for the masses.  A more efficient way of mass-producing manuscripts provided by the printing press aided this spread of knowledge.  Movable type helped scientists of the time to provide more accurate information.  The identical reports made by the printing press offered widespread reports on scientific ideals.  The printing press enabled the emergence of culture because of the ease it provided for authors.  The stress of handwriting all texts was alleviated by the printing press and aided the want of a vast spread of an author’s work.  The printing press not only provided an easier means of producing information for the masses not only at the time following its invention but also in current society.

 Prior to the invention of the printing press around 1440, printed information and literacy had been reserved for the elite. Requiring the handwriting of books and texts made books scarce and more expensive.  Books, being less expensive because of faster production, could be afforded by the masses.  Since the first usage of the printing press, more and more books have been invented.  This has influenced current society to not only improve upon the basic innovation of the printing press but to invent alternative publishing methods.  Although there were no books stores during the fifteenth century, book stores during the twenty-first century hold a wide variety of books printed in a fashion inspired by the printing press invented by Johannes Gutenberg.  In this sense, literacy is being spread in the same manner it was centuries ago.  Apart from simply providing the masses with information, the printing press also allowed for the spread of scientific ideals.

 Scientific information dating before the 1440s when the printing press was invented needed to be recorded by hand or other time consuming methods.  This led to inaccuracies in collected data and theories from copy to copy of recorded experiments or hypotheses.  The hassle of handwriting each copy also hindered the expansion of such ideals until this irksome process was eliminated by the printing press.  Identical copies of the same information could be produced quickly and accurately.  Apart from the more concrete theories in science, philosophy also could be printed in large quantities.  This allowed books such as the Bible to be mass produced, spreading religion and philosophy.  The remaining texts from the fifteenth century are cherished reminders of the beginning of a scientific revolution and can be looked upon as windows into the past.  Differentiating from simply producing many accurate copies of scientific texts, movable type spurred an emergence of culture. 

Because of the tedious process of creating books, most texts prior to movable type’s invention were religious manuscripts handwritten by a member of the clergy.  This eliminated the existence of literature written by artistic minds of the fifteenth century and earlier.  Beginning with Gutenberg’s Bible and spreading to other texts, a culture was emerging, spurred by movable type’s contribution to producing more books.  A Bible allowed families to practice religion in the comforts of their own homes.  Other books written by authors of the time could be mass produced and identical copies of their masterpieces could be transported to other locations. Spreading their ideas and prose aided in creating a culture the same way authors of current society contribute to the culture.  The Venetian Gazette is one of the earliest newspapers printed with Gutenberg’s printing press.  The existence of newspapers showed not only the ability to spread information to the masses but also to be able to spread scientific finds and the work of authors; all of these ideals added to the milieu, creating an environment rich with available culture.

Gutenberg supplied us with a lasting gift which would produce bountiful benefits that are still celebrated today. It can be said that the new availability of information was the beginnings of democracy.  A more informed population could be more aware of their oppression and begin to express their grievances eloquently.  Science was revolutionized with the ability to mass produce data and philosophy.  Having books by different authors available led to the creation of a culture which can still be looked upon. The ease in which the printing press’ movable type could be utilized to spread local and regional news farther than simply word of mouth.  The invention of the printing press reaped benefits during its initial years of use, but it also set a precedent.  It guaranteed the masses their right to obtain books, giving them an opportunity to obtain culture and knowledge through the works of different authors, scientists, philosophers, and journalists alike. 

   The United Nations is a vital body for upholding and preserving human rights.  In prehistory, no such entity existed, leaving nations subject to subordination and exploitation.  Perhaps if one had, the entire conquest and extinction of certain cultures would have never occurred and society today would be filled with even more diverse and varied worldwide cultures.  A United Nations in prehistory would have secured and promised many valuable ideals for the success of ancient societies.  Literacy, environmental variables, and domesticables would have been assured to all of the societies of prehistory.

    Literacy has always played a vital role in prominent societies.  It supplies the means for communication, both to other nations and among its own people; it also is a means for recorded history and information.  A United Nations would promise the right for a prehistoric society to acquire and maintain a literate population so that all societies could exist on a level playing field.  The importance of literacy is elucidated in the study of Pizzaro’s conquest of Atahuallpa and his people.  The literacy of Pizzaro allowed him not only to document the entire event, leaving Eurocentric history’s mark on the world, but also to acquire prior knowledge of the land and Atahuallpa’s people.  Had Atahuallpa acquired knowledge of the conquistadors, he might not have suffered such an awful fate due to the fact that he could have attained knowledge of previous conquered societies.  His only means of communication with other empires was to send messengers who carried information orally.  This proved to be a major disadvantage.  Had he possessed the ability to write detailed descriptions of his situation, he would have perhaps been able to acquire reinforcements or to at least have warning of the arrival of Pizzaro’s men.  A society needed to possess literacy in order to protect itself as well as to communicate and expand successfully.  Although literacy was vital, environmental variables were also needed for a society to survive.

    A society can only be as prosperous as the diversity of its environment and so therefore the prehistoric United Nations would promise this to every society.  A diversified environment filled with all the essential environmental variables is vital for the creation and maintenance of societies.  The natural experiment of the Polynesian islands in a prime example of the difference of a nation  lacking or flourishing with their environmental variables.  The six variables in this situation are area, island climate, geological type, marine resources, terrain fragmentation, and isolation.   One society who possessed all of these in bountiful amounts was the Maori; a society who lacked these was the Moriori. The Maori had the means to expand because they had a larger land mass than the Moriori.  Maori people also enjoyed a farther more favorable climate than the frigid temperatures that the Moriori faced.  Faced with a variety of better tool and weapon making geological types, the Maroi could dominate the tools and weapons of the Moriori.  The Maori had favorable landscapes with not too many or too little geographic obstacles.  The Moriori were more isolated than the Maori, and therefore were not accustomed to foreign tribes, giving them a disadvantage in interacting with the Maori.  The Maroi had more favorable variables than the Moriori.  If the Moriori had acquired these variables then they would not have been conquered so quickly.  A United Nations would guarantee every nation a right to these variables for the sake of survival; they would also promise domesticables as part of the society’s environment.    

    Possessing domesticables can determine the longevity and lifestyles of that society.  A United Nations in prehistory would promise this to all nations in order to assure that they could sustain their people.  Domesticables are what allows a society to go from a nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle to that of a structured village.  On Easter Island, chickens were domesticated.  In this sense the people of Easter Island could focus their attention on solely building chicken houses.  They became experts of this trade and therefore the opportunities for surplus and economy were created.  A surplus in food leads to the creation of different social classes.  If every member of the society is not actively out gathering food simply to eat on a daily basis, then there is time alloted for the differentiation of these classes.  People would still exist to create and maintain a food source and surplus, but artisans, tradesmen, and politicians could also emerge.  Not only is this essential for the society to flourish within itself, but it also allows it to expand into successful relations with other nations.  A surplus, granted by the existence of domesticables, would be guaranteed to every society by a prehistoric United Nations.

    A Declaration of Human Rights in prehistory would  guarantee all nations the right to possess literacy, environmental variables, and domesticables.  The possession of literacy would provide all societies with the ability to communicate, expand their knowledge, and record their history.  Environmental variables should be alloted to each society in order for there to be a chance for the maintenance of that society’s survival and welfare.  No society should be kept from attaining domesticables for the means of creating a surplus with which they could rely on for survival and expansion of social classes.  Essentially, a prehistoric United Nations would assure the same necessary and inalienable rights to possessions and abstract ideals to every existing society so that no one society would be crushed by another due to the mere lack of location.     
  

Inspiration and information from Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond