Dong Yu, The Ambiguous ‘Republicanism’: The Aspirations of the Philadelphian Craftsmen and the Development of the Early American Capitalism

　　During the early republic period of America, with the changes of the political culture and the development of local markets, the lives of Philadelphian artisans faced many difficulties. In the complex and changing predicaments, they expressed their protest and dissatisfaction through the words of republicanism. The Philadelphian artisans indeed shared some of same values and ideologies, which motivated ‘anti privileged’ activities and the liberalization of capitalism. Meanwhile, the marketization exacerbated the divergences of ideas among the artisans. Their different understandings and demands for ‘equality’ intensified social contradictions and caused new class conflicts in the process of the development of capitalism. The ideologies and appeals of Philadelphian artisans reflect the multiple contradictions in the development of capitalism and the complexity of the social transformation in the early republic of America.