...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...
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...Not many political documents have affected the world like The American Declaration of Independence and The French Declaration of The Rights of Man. Both documents, till this point, have had a huge impact all over the world. Without them, the world wouldn’t be what it is today. The philosophical ideas of Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Locke were greatly inspirational on both documents. They were later used by Thomas Jefferson, in the Declaration of Independence, and the National Assembly, in the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Both documents can be compared in many ways. Baron de Montesquieu, a political thinker who lived during the Age of Enlightenment, had the concept of Separation of Powers. This was implemented in many constitutions throughout the world and was used in both of the mentioned documents. This theory was used to avoid tyranny and to promote liberty and justice as expressed in both documents. It was set forth to prevent one branch of government from gaining too much power over the other two branches. It basically believes in the right of a man to own private property, which is a function of individual liberty. Another political thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau influenced with his theory of a social contract. The social contract was fundamentally an agreement, entered into by individuals, which resulted in the development of the state or of organized society. The prime purpose was the aspiration for protection, which entails the surrender of some or all personal liberties...
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...A Comparison of Constitutions The declaration of independence of the united states of America and the two declarations passed by the national assembly in France, the declaration of the rights of man, and the declaration of the rights of women, have many things in common and serve similar purpose‘s. All of these documents were set in place by the people and for the people. These documents were made to protect and uphold the rights of the people. All state that Men and Women are created equal with certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The aim of the many writers who collaborated on these documents is to protect the rights of liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. That government must protect these natural rights, and that political power is derived from the people. Every citizen has the right to speak freely, write, and print. Both the declaration of man and woman, and the declaration of independence were written under the oppression of two Kings considered to be a tyrants. The declaration of independence fought for the freedom from English oppression and the rights of men and women. As for the declaration of the rights of Man and Woman, fought for the rights of the French people under the oppression of king Louis XVI. Both declarations were written to protect the rights of the people who wrote them, as well as ensure a future not governed by a dictator, but one that is governed...
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...Thomas Jefferson was who authored extraordinary words and it was there words that changed a nation. Jefferson’s ability to write made him prominent author of write the Declaration of Independence, (among other significant works). Jefferson’s writings reflected on the rights of mankind and what rights a government must offer its people. His use of words to fight for Human rights makes him one of the greatest American Hero’s. Thomas Jefferson’s writings on basic human rights caused a radical shift in American Colonist thoughts and these stunning ideas would influence the Americans to break away from Great Britain. “As a boy, Thomas Jefferson’s was shy and often tongue-tied…Preferred the company of books to that of most people.” (Wilmore, 1) These were words to describe the young Jefferson; his childhood would prove to be a key in shaping the man, who through his words would change a nation. Jefferson was born on April 13th 1743, in Shadwell Virginia. During his childhood he would spend 15 hours each day reading and writing, this would prove to make his writing skills at a high level (1). As he grew into an adult he would study law in his home of Virginia at the William and Mary College at Williamsburg (Bottorff, 15). During this time he would become a member of the Whig party and would advocate for the rights and liberties of mankind (Peterson, 1). It was in his childhood and as turned into an adult which he learned how to write and how to express his political views through words...
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...Similarities of the American and French Revolutions Occurring during the latter half of the 18th Century, the American and French Revolution were linked through similar circumstances and ideals. Born out of dire economic conditions and a desire for liberty, they both brought about constitutionalism in their respective nations. Just prior to the Revolutions, the citizens in both France and America were suffering under the weight of tax burdens. Along with the immense influence of the Enlightenment ideals of the time, out of both revolutions formal documents were written addressing the natural rights of citizens. The first similarity that can be seen in the American and French Revolutions was the presence of social unrest due to the imposition of taxes levied by their respective monarchies. America, as a colony under British rule was subject to taxes levied on them, without representation. The British Parliament was passing taxes to be levied against the colonists without them having constituents present in Parliament. This was particularly concerning to the American colonists, as this new pattern of collecting “unprecedented amounts of revenue” went against the precedent of prior “colonial-imperial relations.” (The Seven Years War to the American Revolution) Likewise, the French suffered under the “burden of a grossly inequitable system of taxation.” (French Revolution) As a result of the Seven Years War, both the British and the French monarchy enacted...
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...their nations with an idea that all men are created equal, that they are given the right not from authority, but by birth. From the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen” in France which was their laws to give men freedom, to a wealthy man in Venezuela named Simon Bolivar who helped free his country from Spanish rule only to struggle with making his country a federation after the destruction, you see that freedom is hard to concur. Independence cannot only be observed individually. When trying to build a successful nation there are rights of groups of people that need to be examined as well. Freedom comes as a nation, not as a man. The idea of human rights began with the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen” in France. This declaration mapped out the individual rights of men, very similar to the Declaration of Independence in the United States. Most importantly, this document expressed that all men are born free and equal, and that their rights are not dependent on their social status. This controversial idea was the start of a revolution, not only in France, but reaching out to colonial empires all over the Atlantic. Many questioned the legitimacy of these rights and whether they truly applied fairly to all people. One group to question the “rights of man” was the women of France. Most men in France agreed upon the thought that women could not have political rights because their life plan was to be married and have children, and this plan withheld...
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...helped shape what it is today. The most important group of ideals in this Declaration was the self-evident truths, which stated essential laws about man and its organization. These self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence were derived from the ideals of natural rights, an undefined Creator, and establishing government. Throughout the history of the world, natural rights have been widely believed in, and were a large factor in the creation of our country. One source that shares the ideas of the Declaration is Cicero’s De Legibus, in which Cicero wrights that man, “has been given certain distinguished status…” This directly relates to the self-evident truths, meaning that Man has been given special rights and is therefore above all the other animals. Another example of natural rights in history is the signing of the Magna Carta. The king acknowledged that he had been repressing people’s natural rights, so they created the Magna Carta to protect them. This is yet another example from which the Declaration of Independence claimed ideas. Finally, the famous philosopher John Locke, “called the new-born mind a tabula rasa, a blank slate.” He believed that all men were created equal, and were born with innocent minds that could only be corrupted or changed through experience in the world. These references to natural rights in history are important parts to how the founding fathers shaped the Declaration of Independence. Religion has always played a significant role in society...
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...Panel 1: Joshua Louis, 7/9/15, Ms. Parker, Freedom Pamphlet! Panel 2: The Declaration of Independence will always be recognized as the most important document in pursuit of freedom. This document stands as the reminder of a people’s struggle to Claim and win their independence against tyranny and unlawful acts. Historical experts continue to study the wording, structure and history of this document even today. While every American should be familiar with this most important document, many are not. Those people probably thought their ancestors one day woke up with the same rights they have, but that's not the case. They must acknowledge the hardships and sacrifices their ancestors went through to give them freedom. Panel 3: The first principle of popular sovereignty underlies the entire Declaration of Independence. It begins with the huge "We the People". Unlike most of world history and governments of the time, the Americans proclaimed that the people were sovereign, not King or Parliament. Popular sovereignty comes from natural rights, granted by "the Creator". As a consequence, no legitimate government may exist without the "consent of the governed Panel 4: Based on the Declaration of Independence, It begins with a statement that all men are created equal, that this is 'self evident', that everyone is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (John Locke originated this phrase as 'life liberty and estate', estate being more than just property), and when...
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...------------------------------------------------- AMERICAN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE Civil Rights Movement Deyana Faraj On the 4th of July 1776, 56 delegates to the Continental Congress signed a document that would not only declare independence of America from British colonial power but less than 200 years later, become the backbone of a new established America where the walls of discrimination and segregation would finally begin to deteriorate. The Declaration of Independence is a powerful document that has led to the development of equal rights and social justice within societies on a world context. More specifically, principles in this document were instrumental when argued by African American Civil Rights leaders in achieving equality and abolishing racial segregation and discrimination against African- Americans in the United States, during the African American Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968). Before the American Civil Rights Movement, laws known as Jim Crow laws had forced racial segregation of facilities and the prohibition of intermarriage. These laws were similar to the apartheid legislation and it became the law mainly in the south of America. Where there is inequality and injustice within a government, the people of the nation demand change. Since the Jim Crow laws were enacted, the laws that mandated racial segregation in public areas and the prohibition of intermarriage in the Southern United States were socially and morally unjust and this fuelled the American civil rights movement as the African-American’s...
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...formation of the Declaration of Independence was achieved in light of the settlers fixation on their partition from King George III domineering standard. The homesteaders were burnt out on the absurd expenses and laws that controlled everything. It was as though the pilgrims were being dealt with like an outside vanquished state, yet they were just the extremely same English subjects of their country in another remote area. In 1774, on July fourth, the Continental Congress endorsed the record of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson composed the Declaration of Independence, he composed the report in three unmistakable parts. The initial segment of the Declaration of Independence was a presentation as wells as the convictions of the homesteaders. The next second part of the record, was that of how the homesteaders felt towards their purported awesome lord. The second part depended on the grievances of the pioneers emotions. The last advertisement third part of the Declaration of Independence was what the record is called, "Presentation", which unique importance is; the formal declaration of the start of a state or condition. Current Day Common Sense Pamphlet Ethan Siavichay July 15, 2016 Mrs. Cindy The Declaration of Independence Popular Sovereignty Social Contract When one talks about common and individual rights, one must discuss the man himself, John Locke. John Locke portrayed the common rights as, "Life, Freedom, and Domain". These rights will dependably...
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...Chopin’s time did not have rights and were considered to be the property of their husbands. Kate Chopin is a well-renowned author known for her writing about women’s lives and her support for the suffrage movement. Married women during the late 1800’s in Kate Chopin’s time were oppressed because they did not have rights to their property, did not have the right to vote, and were not considered to be equal to men. Women in the late 1800’s did not have rights to their own property as everything was considered to be their husbands. Women fought a long battle to just gain the rights to land that was already theirs. The “Declaration of Sentiments” created...
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... Development of Human Rights: From Past to Present The word human right is derived from Latin word “Homo” meaning man and homonus mean belonging to man. Human rights are right to which every person is entitled by virtue of being human living in society of other human. According to Thomas Paine, In rights of man is 1721 about French revolution that the representation of people of France feels that ignorance of human right are the main curse of public misfortune. Cicero the statesman the orator of ancient Rome, produced the work that the reflected the principle of Roman public and rights rights of citizen. Human rights are mainly social, economic and political rights. The doctrine of human rights has been highly influential within international law, global and regional institutions. Actions by states and non-governmental organizations form a basis of public policy worldwide. The idea of human right suggests that "if the public discourse of peacetime global society can be said to have a common moral language, it is that of human rights. (Kaur) The strong claims made by the doctrine of human rights continue to provoke considerable skepticism and debates about the content, nature and justifications of human rights to this day. The precise meaning of the term right is controversial and is the subject of continued philosophical debate; while there is consensus that human rights encompasses a wide variety of rights such as the right to a fair trial, protection against...
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...Defining “Modern History”: The Impact of the French Revolution The French Revolution of 1789 was major turning point in European history because it redefined the image of nation in a way never seen before as the people gained political control over their own nation. Therefore the aspects of this revolution have been debated as the beginning concept of “modern history.” This concept is derived from how the French Revolution demonstrated the will of the citizens as a political entity that could dictate governmental change by showing how the people, not the monarchy, could reform a nation. Through the establishment of a new government by the people, new institutions and policies were developed that the world we live as modern; such innovations included a system of power based on wealth and status instead of birth, and a new state bureaucracy. The ideas that drove the revolution came from the innovative thinkers of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, and inspired the people of France to question those who reigned over them. While the events of the French Revolution transformed France, the reign of Napoleon turned the revolution into a European event by sparking revolution in countries that had not already. Napoleon’s conquests helped spread the mind set created in the French Revolution around Europe. The French Revolution marked the beginning of “modern history,” because the revolutionary ideas that it created sparked the creation of citizen-governed nations across Europe...
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...The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was one of America’s most utilizing tools for advocating women’s rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the brave author and advocate of this amazing document set before the government apposing legitimate rights for all women across the U.S. With the help of other women who were “fed up,” Elizabeth Stanton, stood and presented the first ever, unlawful acts against, that were posed upon woman in the 18th century and every year before that. In Seneca Falls, NY in 1848 at the very first women’s rights convention, was where the independence of women’s rights finally took a turn for the better. Not only was “The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions,” presented during the same month that the congress passed “The Declaration of Independence,” but was actually rooted back to the very same objective as “The Declaration of Independence.” Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the most influential women of the 19th century. Leading campaigns for women’s rights, Stanton’s goal was focused on "gaining opportunities for women such as; the right to appeal for a divorce, the right for complete custody of her own children, property rights, and her most fundamental demand at that time was for; women’s right to vote. Stanton was determined to put a stop to segregation between men and woman but also wished to instill independence and self-reliance in women nationwide. Within doing so, Stanton revised many imperative speeches, not only “The Declaration of Sentiments...
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...to do what they set out to do, due to agendas preset before they even thought about running for presidency. We’re faced with the let down of a broken promise. As a citizen you get promised many things, a lot of those promises are legal promises as in the Constitution of the United States and others that were just promised to get a reaction. In The Promise of America a book with excerpts of different promises made to the American people, Thomas Jefferson’s historical “The Declaration of Independence”, was read on July 4th 1776, and was signed by 56 members of congress. In the “Declaration”, Jefferson states our true promises that defy this great nation that we have the rights of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson 36). On July 19th 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton a woman’s rights activist parodied Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence” to make the point that women were not being treated as “equal” members of society or that were given our free rights that were promised in the “Declaration” (Stanton 42-46). As deprived as women...
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