Peaceable Kingdoms: New England Towns in the Eighteenth Century

by Michael Zuckerman

“This remarkable book seeks to lay out the human reality of community life in the original New England towns. Based on thorough research, shaped by an imagination that is both historical and anthropological, and lightly and lucidly written, Peaceable Kingdoms adds something new to American social history, and in its analysis of ‘consensual communalism’ throws new light on the general problem of community pressures to conformity.” ―Bernard Bailyn, Harvard University In this provocative analysis of the New England town before the Revolution, and of its enduring impact on the American character, Michael Zuckerman makes a major contribution toward a reinterpretation of the nature of American society and the origins of the non-liberal tradition in America. Arguing that the true concern of these towns was not the individual rights or liberties of the citizen, but rather the homogeneity and tranquility of the community, Mr. Zuckerman opens a new perspective on the phenomenon of American “town-meeting democracy.”

329 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1978

Reviews

[Karen]

Just in time for the political election season when every political candidate will soon descend upon New England and her infamous Town Hall Meetings to grandstand about these wonderful assemblies of time-tested American democracy...I have read Zuckerman and I am reminded that truth is always more complicated than political speeches make it out to be! As it turns out, New England's most beloved political institution was far from a democratic process. Instead of being places to debate and hash out disagreements, Town Hall meetings were territories of consensus where sons voted as their fathers expected them to, and servants and tenants cast their ballots as their masters dictated. "Was 18th century New England a Democracy?" Zuckerman asks. The answer is "No!", and the town meetings reflected the patriarchal structure. The process of voting merely confirmed what had already been debated in the taverns and other social arenas among the more elite members of the community. These meetings were designed to keep Public Peace in communities that were increasingly spread out. Boston could not enforce peace or exert authority out in the hinterlands - it had to be continually renewed and maintained by the communities themselves and the Town Hall meeting system worked by evading the essence of top-down authority by becoming a communal effort. Of course, there was still top-down authority, but it was coming from known and respected persons and not far away bureaucrats. The decision to include all freemen over the age of 21 in the voting process (and in some exceptional cases, younger men who held property and had a stake in the community) was done not in order to achieve a principle of equality, but rather to make sure that everyone bought into the system in order to promote harmony. Thus the Town Hall Meeting was "an instrument for enforcement [and], not at least an intentional school for democracy." New England, Zuckerman concluded, became a democracy despite of itself.

This process succeeded in New England because in part of the homogeneous nature of its population. Compared to the other colonies especially, its people were similar in race, ethnicity, and religion. As a result, there was far less interpersonal conflict and NE had the lowest crime rates in the colonies.

Other historians have since argued that Zuckerman's study ignores the fact that NE towns had little to fight about politically - all of the major political fights took place in Boston or were being hashed out in the Courts, not in the backwater areas. However, Zuckerman's basic tenets hold true.

***Save yourself the trouble of reading Zuckerman's book and instead read his article which summarizes all of his key arguments: "The Social Context of Democracy in Massachusetts" The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 4 (Oct., 1968), pp. 523-544. (Hey, that's what my adviser told me to do! You're welcome!)

[Deb]

Almost as good as Dedham: the first 100 years.

[Deb]

MA. towns...none from CT. Should be retitled Peacable Kingdoms, MA. towns.......I was disappointed