“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” – United States Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” – Preamble, United States Constitution
The world was a very different place at the time those words were written.
Travel time from Europe to North America, under ideal conditions, would take two weeks. Under less then ideal conditions a month or more. From Boston, MA to Charleston, SC by sea a week, by land two weeks to a month.
Steam powered machines, from early rail to factories, were still basically brand new. Interchangeable parts, outside the printing press, were almost non-existent. Most everyday items were made by hand, at home, with materials grown or found nearby.
The ” unalienable Rights” spoken of by Thomas Jefferson and the other Enlightenment Age thinkers were for the Oligarchs, not for the common man, women, the First Nations, or slave. In most of the colonies one had to be a “land owner” to be considered a “citizen” in the colony. The Oligarchs believed they were special, that they were the chosen ones destined to lead because of the class they were born into.
Families, as we know them today, did not exist. Marriages for the vast majority of the colonist were arranged affairs decide by the patriarch of the families involved. A girl was considered an adult after her first period, a boy somewhere around 13. It was not unusual for a very young girl to be married to a man several decades senior to her.
Childbirth was potentially much more deadly for both the mother and the baby. If they survived the actual birth, a minor infection could still kill them. Minor illness from the common cold to a urinary tract infection were a death sentence. Famine, drought, and natural disasters could wipe out entire populations, and no one outside the general area would know they ever happened.
Times have changed. Science, and technology have significantly advanced. Literacy rates in the United States is approximately 99%. Communication is almost instantaneous world wide. We can circle the earth in 40 hours.
Yet in many ways, we are trying to shoe horn all of our advances into 18th century. Even when it makes no sense. Typically because of tradition, fear, bigotry of all sorts, and the inherent benefits for the Oligarchs built into the existing systems.
I am by no means an expert. My thoughts, ideas, and hypothesis, are based on my own experiences, education, independent studies, training, and world view. Just thought exercises, some purely hypothetical, some very impractical, a few maybe realistic.
Far Outside the Box Thoughts 