American Independence ENGL 227
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The time leading up to American Independence was an interesting time to say the least. Contrary to what most people believe there was a large number of Americans who did not want to be independent and many founding fathers did not want to be independent. They did everything that the British government told them they should do and everything that they legally could do to try and fix the problems they had. Once they had exhausted all the legal means they looked at an idea that was radical but not unheard of in intellectual circles. Founding Fathers like Thomas Jefferson were foremost in advocating this secession from British rule and he, like other pro-liberty Americans, sought to convince the whole of the colonies to unite and declare independence. Fortunately for these early Americans the British were 3000 miles away on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and had other problems in their empire to deal with. This, coupled with American valor and determination, allowed our forefathers to do something that had never been done before. They successfully declared their independence from a world power.
Virginia Declaration of Rights
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The Virginia Declaration of Rights was an important document for many reasons. First it stated the belief of Americans that, "all men are born equally free and independant
[sic], and have certain inherent natural rights,...among which are
the Enjoyment of Life and Liberty, with the Means of acquiring and
possessing Property, and pursueing [sic] and obtaining Happiness
and Safety." Second it heavily influenced Jefferson's Declaration of Independence and Marquis de Lafayette's French Declaration of the Rights of Man.This document became the cornerstone for America's Independence and their philosophy on their newly gained liberty.
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A Tale of Two Nations, or, Disingenuousness in the "City on a Hill"
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In this review on The Tale of Two Nations Wilfred D. Samuels talks about Americans as being an independent race and the story of America. This text discusses the uniqueness of America and how it was influenced heavily by many different nationalities. Samuels explains how the colonies became so unique despite being British colonies with heavy British influence. He tells how America is a story of individuals who, "entered a 'melting pot' and... who created a new 'race of men.'" Samuels also explores how American literature helps to show this blending of cultures and ideas.
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Thomas Paine "Common Sense"
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Thomas Paine's Common Sense is a great example of the mindset that Americans had concerning British rule. This particular edition is an explanation of Government in general with a focus on the English constitution. Paine points out that the colonies all have special needs and that as the colonies grow they will encounter special circumstances that Parliament will not understand because we are separated by 3000 miles of ocean. This leads Paine to conclude a need for a government run by American colonists who understand the circumstances and can make legal and binding decisions that are good for the colonies, rather than an English Lord across the sea. Paine also goes on to show the deficiencies of the English Constitution and that a Constitution of the people is more effective than a Constitution of the government.
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American Literature vol. 27
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Albert Mordell's book American Literature briefly discusses some of the influences that are seen in many of our founding documents. Mordell points out that some of the main concepts of democracy have been around since the time of the Greeks and Romans but other ideas, like separation of church and state, were indigenous to America. Mordell also explains that there are many factors that affected the democratic view of America, as he put it, "Social, political, and economic conditions in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in America, along with the average intelligence of the common man, went into the formulating of our democratic views and our republican government."
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American Literature vol. 60
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In this text William Price discusses Thomas Jefferson the man. Price points out that Jefferson was a great man due to his intellectual leadership and his contributions to American Independence. This essay shows a Jefferson that not many people know, because it describes how Jefferson was actually hesitant to accept the Constitution. This essay allows one to get a deeper understanding of one of the Founding Fathers which, in turn, allows one to understand better the mindset behind a document like the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson loved liberty and wanted America to have all of its liberties and because of this he gave much to the fledgling country.
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This letter is a wonderful example of one colony reaching out to other colonies in an effort to unite them all under one cause. In the letter the Boston Committee of Correspondence outlines the evils that the British are committing against the people of Boston because of the Boston Tea Party. They then reach out to other colonies by trying to explain that the other colonies might think that this is just Boston's punishment, but in truth the British can and will do this to any colony. Letters like this were the beginning of American Independence, in that, they showed how cruel British rule was. This letter also shows that the American colonists would not sit idly and allow the British government to strip them of their liberties.
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The story of American Independence is long and full of second thoughts. The colonists did their best to settle things peaceably and to remain united to Britain, but when things could not be worked out they, with the usual American determination, set out to break away from their mother country. The men and women who helped effect this secession were from all walks off life buy they all shared the common goals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This revolution is also unique in that it brought about a government for the people and by the people. It set off a wave of revolutions in other countries who followed the example of the brace individuals who make up America. American Independence marked a new era in history and set a precedent for how governments should work, as well as how the citizens of a government should act when a government becomes destructive to its means.
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