We as citizens have the right to live life in freedom without undue harm and to pursue our dreams and goals. Jefferson believes the government needs to respect our opinion by not putting it aside and to just listen to the citizens. The citizens have the right to set up a new government so the citizens have a better political life. To achieve the happiness we desire, the need for possession would be required. Jefferson says, “We hold these truths to be self-evidence, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson, 80).
ZINN CHAPTER 4 1. What is the thesis of this chapter? Around 1776, certain important people in the English colonies made a discovery that would prove enormously useful for the next two hundred years. They found that by creating a nation, a symbol, a legal unity called the United States, they could take over land, profits, and political power from favorites of the British Empire. In the process, they could hold back a number of potential rebellions and create a consensus of popular support for the rule of a new, privileged leadership.When we look at the American Revolution this way, it was a work of genius, and the Founding Fathers deserve the awed tribute they have received over the centuries.
The act of knocking down King George III statue represented a great political change between England and America (Doc. A). The political system formed by the American revolution also greatly differed from Europe. That was because the sense of the American government is that because all men are created equal and the government got their power from the people (Doc B). The American Revolution was revolutionary by bringing change in economy.
One factor that contributed to the new ideas of political leadership was backed by the Populist Party’s innovative and ambitious goals. In general, the Populist Party pushed for individual freedoms in which the welfare of the individual comes first. Document B supports this rational by stating, “The welfare of the individual must be the object and end of all effort” (Document B). Populists believed that above all else, government’s top priority is to make sure individual freedoms are protected because the individual “should possess the very greatest degree of liberty” (Document B). In addition, the Populist Party built a platform that clarified their goals.
In the 1700s, Europeans saw numerous opportunities in the New World. They envisioned the colonization as a chance for them to live a free and prosperous life, but, in reality, the American colonists faced many setbacks. The tension between Great Britain and the New England colonies led to American Revolution. In Transcript of Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson acknowledged how the act of force was a rational option in order to obtain liberty from Great Britain; however, in The Rise and Fall of the Newburgh Conspiracy, George Marshall depicted how there is a more reasonable alternative to resolving problems within the new independent country. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson explained how governments should not be overthrown for petty reasons, but he believed the King of Great Britain had taken the situation too far.
While some may argue that other philosophes such as Rousseau or Montesquieu impacted the revolution the most, the enlightened thinker that influenced the French Revolution the most is John Locke. Locke’s influential teachings impacted the revolution not only directly, but indirectly as well. In Declaration of Independence, (U.S. 1776), Mr. Jefferson wrote ”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.” Compare this to John Locke’s “… that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions…” (Locke, The State of Nature) which is also very similar to article two of the Declaration of the Rights of Man, “2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and
Since the beginning of the Enlightenment in 1650, major geographical regions of the world (Europe) have been exposed to the Enlightenment ideals. Two major ideals of the Enlightenment that have heavily influenced the world were liberty and equality. The belief of liberty and equality have questioned the minds of people, resulting in debates over the use of an absolute monarchy/government, in which the rights and privileges of people were persecuted or unequal. Thus, revolutions have occurred during the late 18th century, resulting massive changes. The belief of equality and liberty influenced the French, American, and Haitian Revolutions; however, the social and political effects of the Haitian, French, and American
Thomas Jefferson clearly shows through The Declaration of Independence that liberty and a legitimate government is important, as well as, giving men equal opportunity. Taking these rights away then brought to light to the colonists on how to establish a government where these attributes still stand. The people could not merely step away from Great Britain on small and petty accounts. It had to be depicted that there were several problems occurring under the rule of the King. Jefferson had to prove their rights to liberty, equality, and a true government were being buried in the ground by who they saw as a
Locke’s take on the ‘social contract’, which focused on the equality of rights for all Man, was the cornerstone of the United States’ Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. Through the social contract based law, the US Government was able to provide the people with good education (14th)4, steady economic growth (3rd)4, wide global connections (2nd)4 and reliable military defence (1st)4, to name a few accomplishments. This proves that the social contract is beneficial towards a society with good governance. There remains the fact that the social contract sealed the people’s subscription to the State’s laws, as such the State does own the right to interfere with their private
These values include changing the utilitarian system so there is a more effective education system, more rights for the factory workers at the time of the Industrial revolution and in general more freedom and justice for the pauper or the working class people, within the Laissez faire capitalist system. Through Hard Times, Dickens criticizes the way the government chooses to run the country. As a humanitarian, he argues that no matter what class a person is in, they should always have the benefit of having basic human rights, treated greater than the respect they had from the people from the upper class and that the human mind should be allowed to explore their imagination, as well as filling the mind with facts. The text Hard Times, shows a critical middle class view among the different parts of society. The education system is the first flaw mentioned in society.