Democracy on a Leash (Wethersfield DBQ)
The founder of the Connecticut colony, John Winthrop Jr., believed that some people must stay rich and some must remain poor. Connecticuts erected their system of government on the proposition that the mass of mankind, the non-elect, was evil, corrupt and hardly fit for political participation. The data presented appears to corroborate the above. The religious forces overwhelmingly influenced Wethersfield making it more democratic during 1750 to 1780, offsetting the advances in other areas of society.
Between 1750 and 1780, the gap between the rich and the poor widened. The period understudy, 1750 to 1780, engulfs the seven years war. The war did bring riches to successful traders and brought depression and bankruptcy in the 1760s. Wethersfield was no exception. White males holding 100 acres or more was 5% in 1756 and increased to 15% by 1773. The same period saw the landless increase from 17% to 33%. 70% of all the taxable property was held by the top 30% of white males in 1756 and by 1776 the same 30% were the holders of 92% of all the taxable property. Only 1.1% of taxable property was held by the lowest 30% of white males in 1756, which reduced to 0.2% by 1773. With added wealth, the top 30% of whites saw their average tax assessment go up from £255 to £263 when the average tax assessment of the lower 30% went down from £4 to £1. As evidenced by a chart of the wealthiest white males in Wethersfield, the wealth of the Chester family and the Buck family increased considerably whilst on that of the Belden family decreased by 10%. Few families rose to per eminence through trade, bringing the wares of the world to remote country villages. Houses of elegance sprang up between 1750 and 1775 as illustrated in Document E. Land was not only a livelihood — it became a commodity to be bought and sold for profit. The tax assessment of £178 on the house of Joseph Webb seems large compound to the others. But it might be built on a bigger lot, necessitating a higher tax.
Between 1750 and 1780, the gap between the rich and the poor widened. The period understudy, 1750 to 1780, engulfs the seven years war. The war did bring riches to successful traders and brought depression and bankruptcy in the 1760s. Wethersfield was no exception. White males holding 100 acres or more was 5% in 1756 and increased to 15% by 1773. The same period saw the landless increase from 17% to 33%. 70% of all the taxable property was held by the top 30% of white males in 1756 and by 1776 the same 30% were the holders of 92% of all the taxable property. Only 1.1% of taxable property was held by the lowest 30% of white males in 1756, which reduced to 0.2% by 1773. With added wealth, the top 30% of whites saw their average tax assessment go up from £255 to £263 when the average tax assessment of the lower 30% went down from £4 to £1. As evidenced by a chart of the wealthiest white males in Wethersfield, the wealth of the Chester family and the Buck family increased considerably whilst on that of the Belden family decreased by 10%. Few families rose to per eminence through trade, bringing the wares of the world to remote country villages. Houses of elegance sprang up between 1750 and 1775 as illustrated in Document E. Land was not only a livelihood — it became a commodity to be bought and sold for profit. The tax assessment of £178 on the house of Joseph Webb seems large compound to the others. But it might be built on a bigger lot, necessitating a higher tax.