Hi Michael. Not yet ready to give you an overall reaction to your ordering of the factors of progress, but a small historical quibble. The Bill of Rights requires prohibits only the federal government from establishing a religion. Most states abolished their established churches around the time of the Revolution. However, Massachusetts continued to require each of its towns to establish a parish/town church until 1824. See
^Note C: From 1780 to 1824, Massachusetts required every resident to belong to and attend a parish church, and permitted each church to tax its members, but forbade any law requiring that it be of any particular denomination. But in practice, the denomination of the local church was chosen by majority vote of town residents, which de facto established Congregationalism as the state religion. This was objected to, and was abolished in 1833. For details see Constitution of Massachusetts.[citation needed]
The US Constitution was primarily about constraining the power of the federal government, not the state governments. I did not make that clear in this article, but I did in other articles.
Thanks for the mention of an established church in the state of Massachusetts until 1824. I was not aware of that fact. Given that the law did not require attendance in any one religious institution, however, it may not even violate the principle of separation of church and state.
Either way, I don’t think that this state law detracts from my overall argument.
It allowed each township to choose the denomination that would be established, but my understanding is that it did require attendance and financial support from every townsman.
The early United States, in some sense, was a blank slate. Lacking an aristocracy or the extractive institutions of an agrarian regime, the US was able to prosper and thrive more easily by readily absorbing and combining the best ideas imported from abroad.
I agree with your main point, but I don’t agree with the blank Slate. Geography was hugely important in creating the initial conditions. The geography was, however, very important in allowing all of the factors you mention above.
Hi Michael. Not yet ready to give you an overall reaction to your ordering of the factors of progress, but a small historical quibble. The Bill of Rights requires prohibits only the federal government from establishing a religion. Most states abolished their established churches around the time of the Revolution. However, Massachusetts continued to require each of its towns to establish a parish/town church until 1824. See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state_in_the_United_States#endnote_MA
^Note C: From 1780 to 1824, Massachusetts required every resident to belong to and attend a parish church, and permitted each church to tax its members, but forbade any law requiring that it be of any particular denomination. But in practice, the denomination of the local church was chosen by majority vote of town residents, which de facto established Congregationalism as the state religion. This was objected to, and was abolished in 1833. For details see Constitution of Massachusetts.[citation needed]
Yes, you are correct.
The US Constitution was primarily about constraining the power of the federal government, not the state governments. I did not make that clear in this article, but I did in other articles.
Thanks for the mention of an established church in the state of Massachusetts until 1824. I was not aware of that fact. Given that the law did not require attendance in any one religious institution, however, it may not even violate the principle of separation of church and state.
Either way, I don’t think that this state law detracts from my overall argument.
It allowed each township to choose the denomination that would be established, but my understanding is that it did require attendance and financial support from every townsman.
The early United States, in some sense, was a blank slate. Lacking an aristocracy or the extractive institutions of an agrarian regime, the US was able to prosper and thrive more easily by readily absorbing and combining the best ideas imported from abroad.
In some sense, the US still does.
I agree with your main point, but I don’t agree with the blank Slate. Geography was hugely important in creating the initial conditions. The geography was, however, very important in allowing all of the factors you mention above.
https://frompovertytoprogress.substack.com/p/the-geography-of-american-progress
I suppose I meant blank slate in terms of culture. But I guess it wasn't truly blank either....more a melting pot.