Task 1 for AGT1 The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 for the purpose of establishing America as an independent nation and to explain the reasons why the colonies were declaring their independence. In it, he states that governments were to be put in place by the governed to uphold the unalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. If the government failed or was destructive to this cause, the governed not only had the right to remove the current government and establish a new one, but a moral duty to do so. Because of the treatment of the colonists, Jefferson saw it necessary to the success of the people that this document be written. Some of the most recognizable and debated statements are found in the Declaration.
During the early to mid-1800s, many people living in the United States believed it was expected of the United States to fulfill their Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny is the idea that the United States is unique, in the aspect that they had a democracy, and that God watched over the entire country. John O’Sullivan introduced Manifest Destiny, publishing an essay in a magazine that stated that Manifest Destiny is the idea that it is God’s will that America should expand the boundaries as far as it possibly could. Many events throughout history including the Mormon Migration, the opening of Oregon, the war for Texas’s Independence, the Mexican War, and the Gadsden Purchase of 1853 helped the United States achieve their Manifest Destiny. The Mormon Migration came about when a man named Joseph Smith was “visited” by God, presented with the knowledge of God, and given the ability to read gold plates that were sent by God that provided the information for the Book of Mormons.
The founding fathers of this grand nation were God-fearing men. They established this country on moral principles. In fact, the Declaration of Independence recognizes God as the source of the rights enumerated by the document. The idea of taking the term “separation of church of state” and stripping God from our public governmental venues goes against our very foundation. Separation of church and state is a phrase that is tossed around in the
He opens his speech by acknowledging the role of religious groups in the building of the American society. This is an issue that had no coverage in Johnson’s address. While Reagan concentrates on religious beliefs as the instigators of social growth and development, Johnson preferred that use of education and riches as the means to achieve the same goal. This contrast is evident in the way these two presidents gave their opening speeches. The other big contrast between these two speeches is Reagan’s reiteration the freedom and liberty are things that can only be enjoyed with the full blessings of God (Rodgers, 2011, p164).
John Hobson deemed demand for foreign markets for manufacturers and investments was responsible for the adoption of Imperialism as a political policy (doc 2). Religious groups demanded governments furnish political and military support for
We’ve seen monarchies enliven the divine right that god had supposedly given man. We’ve seen dictatorships that have impeded with our rights. We’ve seen democracies strive to become as transparent and as participatory as possible. We now find democracy as the most ideal government because of the ideals it upholds. Our age has also brought about two axial principles – tribalism and globalism.
“[The church] should be purified of their unregenerate members…heretical clergymen…bishops and archbishops, but they were nevertheless churches and must be embraced as churches” (Morgan 31). These non-separating Puritans made it their goal to create a superlative Christian community in the New World. In doing so they hoped to serve as an example to encourage reform within the Church of England. Morgan, author of The Puritan Dilemma, describes the non-separating Puritans overall view of the Church of England to be more positive than negative. “[The church] had bought the means of salvation to many of their members and might still do so” (Morgan 31).
This would lead to conflicts in Oregon and Texas because under the hold of Canada and Mexico these two territories were ruled by a monarchy and aristocracy. Americans truly believed that they were chosen by God to spread Democracy and Protestantism and believed that any other form of rule and worship were part of the old world. It was the goal of Americans to replace the old world with the New World and to do so they needed to teach them a new way to rule and
The phrase "Manifest Destiny" is connected with the territorial expansion of the US in the 19th century. Manifest Destiny was the American belief that the United States was destined to expand westward. The expansion was thought to be not only good, but also apparent ("manifest") and definite ("destiny"). Many believed the mission to be divinely inspired. Originally a political catch phrase of the nineteenth century, Manifest Destiny became a historical term, often used as a synonym for the territorial expansion of the United States across North America.
Secondly, while we enjoy the amusement that American popular culture brings us, we should also pay special attention to those things which motivate it to develop. Try to