...Comparing and Contrasting the Declaration of Independence vs. Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen World of History after 1500 July 5, 2015 Comparing and Contrasting the Declaration of Independence vs. Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen Throughout the course of the week we were asked to compare and contrast the two given documents titled, The Declaration of Independence & Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. Before we begin to discuss the difference and similarities, we must first understand what each Declaration stands for. The Declaration of Independence is defined as, “The formal statement written by Thomas Jefferson declaring the freedom of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain.” (LoveToKnow, 2015). The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen is defined as, “One of the basic charters of human liberties, containing the principles that inspired the French Revolution. Its 17 articles, adopted between August 20 and August 26, 1789, by France’s National Assembly, served as the preamble to the Constitution of 1791.” (Britannica Inc., 2015). Now that we have a better understanding of both Declarations, we can begin to compare and contrast. After reading both Declarations I found various differences and similarities. These Declarations were both pushing the rights of freedom & equality within almost the same decade of the 1700’s. This is supported strongly through the Declaration of Independence; stating that the people...
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...from the Text of The Declaration of Independence Abstract The Declaration of Independence is a statement of the American Revolutionary War and also an important defense of bourgeois rights. Studying carefully American cultural values from The Declaration of Independence, we can better understand the core of our Chinese cultural values and get to know the main differences and similarities between these two value systems. In this way, we will find all the advantages and disadvantages regarding both cultural values, and thus learn those good ones while overcome the shortcomings. This thesis falls into five chapters. In the first chapter, the necessity and significance of the study are introduced. In Chapter Two, some definitions of key terms included in or related to this thesis are presented, including Value, Cultural Value and The Declaration of Independence. Chapter Three mainly concerns the analysis of the text of The Declaration of Independence. By analyzing the text, the main cultural values related are demonstrated as liberty, equality and democracy. Then each cultural value is explained respectively and thoroughly with proper examples. Chapter Four mainly discusses the contradictions and conflicts inherent in those American cultural values, showing that American cultural values is a double-edged sword. The last chapter is the conclusion part which summarizes the whole thesis. Key Words: American, The Declaration of Independence, cultural values Contents ...
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...Tyranny The most common definition of tyranny is a government in which a single ruler is vested with absolute power, but the original definition of tyranny is rule by persons who lack legitimacy (Jon Roland) whether they are pernicious or kind-hearted. We all remember Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. These were excellent examples of pernicious tyranny, but what about benevolent tyranny? C.S. Lewis states, “Of all the tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” Tyranny has been an issue for millenniums. The Greeks were one of the first to see the real potential for tyranny. They preferred to call it...
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...In the novel,”Founding Brothers” author Joseph Ellis illustrates the Revolutionary era by providing insights of the Founding Fathers. Ellis also distinguishes the behind scenes look during the revolutionary period as he comes across the explanation of how America successfully achieved their independence from Great Britain, declaration of Independence, and established the United States Constitution. Ellis takes the reader back into American history to view how these founding fathers (Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison) contributed to the American Revolution.Alexander Hamilton “was [the] secretary of treasury”(48). He was described as an ambitious man, he had developed a financial plan to pay off the state debts. Part of his plan was to collaborate a National Bank. He wanted Congress to charter this bank that would provide stability to America's economy by establishing loans to merchants, handling government funds, and issuing...
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...From the civilizations of ancient Greece, 1754 BC. (Wikipedia, 2016) to American slavery in the 17th century. American slavery overtime grew to be one of the major forces that divided the United States, especially in the American Civil war in the 1860s. Prior to the United State’s independence in 1776 , slavery was not really thought about if it was right or wrong. It was done in order to keep up with the economic necessities that the rise in tobacco cultivation had made. Once the Declaration of Independence in 1776 stated that “all men are created equal, [and] that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”, the conversation started about who is equal. All men? Or just white men, excluding women and people of color? Although the Declaration of Independence was to cut the ties with the royal crown of Britain and to have liberty, it imposed a new rule and enslavement over another group of...
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..."Tyranny Is Tyranny?” According to the Dictionary, tyranny is nothing more than a nation under cruel and harsh dictatorship. Therefore, it is easy for most readers to place the title “Tyranny is Tyranny” because the text analyzes the movement for "leveling" (economic equality) in the colonies and the causes of the American Revolution. The chapter also argues that the Founding Fathers push for war to distract the people from their own economic problems and stop popular movements. The three main points of why such a title has been chosen will be discussed: how people were treated before the Declaration of Independence, how people felt being under British control, and how life was when the Declaration of Independence was established. The title of this chapter is “Tyranny is Tyranny” because tyranny was the exact word to describe how people were treated before the Declaration of Independence was established. Colonists under the control of Great Britain were treated unfairly and miserably. Lower classes of people had to pay taxes even though they couldn’t “make a dumpling to feed their hunger.” Higher classes were not threatened as much because they actually had money to take care of their problems. Though the more wealthy colonists had an advantage, there were still conflicts through the empire. By Great Britain being unfair and taxing colonists without their consent or representation, it led to grievances. The colonists thought they had the right to determine their financial...
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...March 5,2013 Mr. Miller By Veronica Martinez In regards to the numerous successful Revolutions that have occurred, they all share in common a broad general pattern, causes and characteristics. The American Revolution to a certain extent aligned with this broad pattern and had some identical causes and characteristics. In regards to the preliminary and advanced symptoms of revolutions, the American Revolution exhibited characteristics of discontent and the creation of mobs that was in response to taxes imposed upon them by the British government. The steps that followed although displaying characteristics and causes that identify with revolutions, digresses from the general pattern. The Declaration of Independence, Battle of Saratoga and Siege of Yorktown though somewhat associating themselves with their respective step within the broad pattern, for best part does not fit in with the overall pathology. The American Revolution displayed that certain stages matched with the broad general pattern and throughout its duration exhibited characteristics and causes normally attributed to revolutions. Other parts of the Revolution however tended to deviate from the generally accepted pattern. As a prelude before the Revolution itself, there were already preliminary symptoms of unrest within America that followed the first step in the general pattern of revolutions. Prior to the first shots at Lexington and Concord...
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...Enlightenment period. However, one of these philosophers in particular shaped a founder’s ideas more directly than the rest. Ultimately, John Locke directly and greatly influenced Thomas Jefferson’s political philosophy and agreed with the majority of his beliefs, which can be seen especially in the Declaration of Independence and the fundamental ideas each man emphasizes in his works. While there are a few small differences in their works, they are still so similar that Jefferson has even been accused of plagiarizing parts of Locke’s compositions....
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...of Freedom Throughout history, the word “freedom” has taken on many definitions. After all, freedom is a relative concept in general. There is no one set definition, as the word itself changes over time and is based off the society in which the word is being applied. As Eric Foner points out, “The Story of American freedom is not simply a saga of a fixed set of rights to which one group after another has gained access, but a tale of debates, disagreements and struggles, with lots of bumps and wrong turns along the way.” Throughout our history, America has been through several wars and problems, each causing a change in its definition of freedom; helping form the free country that it is today. Freedom has always been a topic in the American way of life. This does not mean however, that freedom has meant the same thing to all Americans at all points in time. In fact, over time, the focus of freedom has changed dramatically over time. During the American Revolution, soon-to-be Americans fought in the name of liberty and independence. Britain had always had a view of freedom as the submission to authority. When Americans arrived on the land, they realized this was no longer appropriate. Thomas Jefferson maid this clear as liberty was included as one of the “unalienable rights” in the Declaration of Independence. (http://www.dannyscl.net/academic/). The problem, however, is that the Declaration of Independence asserted that “all men are created equal.” While this sounds like true...
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...Benjamin Franklin was an American printer, diplomat, scientist and philosopher who made many contributions to the American Revolution and the newly formed Federal Government that followed. Even though some people were not always happy with some of his ideas. Today, he is recognized as one of America’s greatest inventors. Benjamin Franklin was a true American because of his dedication to starting, sustaining, and stabilizing America as a country. One of Franklin’s most contributive works to America besides his diplomacy was the Declaration of Independence. Not only did Franklin help write this document, but he was also the oldest person to sign it. Franklin published an annual book called Poor Richard’s Almanac. In this book Franklin included both important and useless information. Franklin predicted temperatures, told tales, included some of his favorite quotes, and had many fun facts published in this book. This is one of Franklin’s most famous quotes; “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” This saying shows Franklin’s intelligence on time management. Here Franklin claims to be a precise, healthy, and wise person. Benjamin Franklin’s leadership did not only influence the people of his time, but this great quality still influences the people of today. Many people today think of Franklin as a proud pillar of our national heritage. Most of Franklin’s education was self-taught through his hard work and dedication to learning. This education...
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...US History to 1865 Paper By: Nicole Riedy HIS/115 January 6, 2014 Instructor: Amy Obszarski Constitution of the United States During the 1700’s men such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson came up with a group of laws that they thought would benefit the people of the Americas. There were a few complaints with the Decoration of Independence that the Constitution was able to address and at the same time the Constitution was able to identify and address weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. There are many reasons as to why the Constitution evolved but it served well for the United States. The Great Compromise was a formal agreement for both large and small states to have two representatives in the upper house for each state. The Connecticut Compromise or as it is most likely known as The Great Compromise, was written in 1787 during the Constitutional Convention by Oliver Ellsworth and Roger Sherman. The Constitutional Convention set up it to where each state would be able to have their own congressional representation and legislative structure. The Great Compromise also required that each state be represented by two representatives within the upper house and that representation in the lower house be equal between all states. This congressional congress session went on for seven long weeks and was almost ruined or destroyed by the issue of representation. The states still argues that they were providing more of a contribution to the financial and defensive...
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... This idiom is a warning that man should not assume that something would impend and plan accordingly, for it might get foiled due to some unfortunate circumstance. The idiom portrays the nature of assumptions, that it cannot be ascertained. The proposition given revolves around the aspect of how there is an existence of limitations or assumptions when attempting to widen the scope of knowledge. Assumptions can be defined as a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof. In light of the definition, it is observed that assumptions cannot be tested to procure empirical knowledge hence they are assumed to remain true or perhaps not true in some cases. But, what is this knowledge? It is the association with facts, truths, or principles as from study or investigation. If knowledge is in conjunction with empirical truths, then do assumptions barricade the deepening of our knowledge since they are omnipresent and cannot be tested? This definition lends information that an attempt to know the world requires reasoning and a logical understanding without which it is hard to establish truths and facts. However, since any form of reasoning is based on a set of assumptions then in view of the above discussion, truths can never be produced. Hence, truth could in fact be produced with assumptions. This will be discussed in two areas of knowledge, Mathematics and Ethics respectively. Therefore the knowledge issue that can be derived is “To what extent can assumptions...
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...the near mid-eighteenth century. Taxes on legal documents were placed directly on the colonists without representation in the Stamp Act, which resulted almost immediately in an outcry of protest and rebellion. The Stamp Act Congress was created to express the colonists grievances and Sons and Daughters of Liberty rose up in protests, continually pushing harder for independence from Great Britain. Protests grew rampant in many places throughout the colonies and one protest even led to the killing of five protesters after shots were fired into the crowd. These events led to the Boston Tea Party and the resulting Coercive Acts as punishment, further leading to the colonial alliance and the American colonies creating a separate and new identity in independence. While many colonial-American traditions and cultures stayed intact,...
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...The Revolution and the Civil Religion The definition of American civil religion has one of my original article, 'I would now like to find out some of the ambiguities. In that article I pointed to a document that clearly and unmistakably classic definition of the special nature of American religion, I have quoted from the document. However, taken from Rousseau's Social Contract, the term "civil religion" I also brought a more general concept of the common eighteenth century in the United States, but not specifically American. So I think it may be useful to distinguish two different types of civil religion, whether in the United States and the differences may be operative in the analyst's mind than the people's consciousness. (Kuehne, 2001) It is believed in general religion that, "written in the hearts of all mankind, yea, even in pagans," and consists in belief in God, in the afterlife, and in divine punishments. Benjamin all his differences from the Franklin Williams, that essentially the same thing, just as his civil religion in my autobiography quoted in the original article. This general basic functions of civil religion, can be indifferent to the rest of the church is reflected in the special civil religion and other documents as the Declaration of Independence, and bound with the U.S. national history, but most American religious groups have been able to confirmed the general and special folk beliefs, and characteristics of their own theories. In this fusion of Protestant...
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...I am addressing the issue of the revolutionary voices during the Atlantic Revolutions to show how they contributed to the political and social transformations in Europe and in the Americas and what their limitations were. The 18th and 19th centuries marked the beginning of dramatic social and political change. There were 3 main ideals have made the largest impact today. The first principle is the ideal of equality. It stemmed from Enlightenment thinking, but quickly grew to become believed by more than just the educated elite. One famous example of this is in the Declaration of Independence where it says “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Another example is from The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. The first point it makes is that, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights; social distinctions may be based only upon general usefulness.” The first part of the sentence says that men are considered equal in their rights as people but not necessarily equal in...
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