United States Declaration of Independence

The American Revolution began with actions of optimism from the thirteen colonies seeking independence from the harsh conditions of the British King and Parliament. Americans were in search of liberty and natural rights, but failing to receive these rights led to conflicts between the colonists and the King. The papers "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine and "Letters of a Westchester Farmer" by Reverend Samuel Seabury explain the point of views on the struggles between the thirteen colonies and…

The revolution begins in earnest when these cadres have assembled to themselves a great following of the discontent, from a spectrum of classes and interests, and commit illegal acts and direct challenges to the sovereignty of the old regime. Previously formulated demands are placed before the ruling class, radical changes which would require the “virtual abdication of those governing” (253). To quell the unrest, the government contemplates and applies military force. “One is impressed...…

In Anarchism: What It Really Stands For, Emma Goldman states: “Every fool, from king to policeman, from the flatheaded parson to the visionless dabbler in science, presumes to speak authoritatively of human nature”. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, two of the most influential modern philosophers, presumed to speak authoritatively on human nature. They presumed so much so, that each of the philosophers dedicated the bulk of a novel to discussing their interpretation of human nature. In fact,…

Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence could have been just influenced by John Locke’s Second Treatises of Government, had he given John Locke some credit. Really, all he did was paraphrase what John Locke said and elaborate on it. Along with this, there were instances where a couple quotation marks could have been used because of the very similar wording the Declaration of Independence had to John Locke's Second Treatises of Government. The fact…

During the late 17th and early 18th century France underwent drastic changes. Under the rule of Louis XIV France was under an absolutist rule, Louis had set his power and left no room for decent. Louis had come to power of France at only the age of five. His mother Anne of Austria had ruled in his name until he was of age to take the thrown. Louis childhood would affect the path he would take his country. Louis XIV was one of the most memorable rules France has ever had, he was able to…

Oliver Cromwell was born on April twenty-fifth, 1599 in Huntingdon, United Kingdom, a small town near Cambridge. He was baptised four days after his birth at the church of St John. Oliver’s ancestors were distant relatives of Thomas Cromwell, who was a very powerful man in England and permanently changed the course of English history. Thomas was King Henry VII’s chancellor, and was known as a logical man who did not allow emotions to dictate his actions. Because of their distant relation to…

Following the Feudal ages, a great wave a change hit Europe. Religion was no longer used as proof, whereas human thoughts and experiences were valued. The Enlightenment, during the 17th and 18th centuries, was an intellectual movement that emphasized reason rather than tradition. The philosophies heavily influenced many leaders and were even taken on by absolutists. Frederick the Great and Catherine of Russia, despite their despotism, were truly enlightened rulers who implemented the ideals of…

iconic people and their iconic speeches marked the history of America. “I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr, it was given during the march on Washington for jobs and Freedom on August 28,1963. In his speech he demanded an end to racism in the United States and he called for equality for all people. On “The Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln, his speech was given at Gettysburg during the American Civil War on November 19,1863 as a memorable speech for all soldiers who died during the…

When thinking about the Enlightenment, the discussion of women’s rights may not be something that comes to mind, but there is a major connection between the two. During the Enlightenment, natural rights were considered very often. There were changes being made to benefit people in terms of freedom, political participation and quality of life in general. Today, and throughout time since the Enlightenment, the topic of women’s rights has come up frequently. Although women have the same rights as…

Natural law and Natural rights are derived from the essence of the human soul and allow us to have rights based on that contingency alone. Since we are human beings, are intelligible, have the ability to reason and differentiate good from bad, we are endowed with certain liberties. These rights hold to be universally true, found in all cultures and are omnipresent. There was no start to these rights but they are understood to be permanently true. Natural law does not consider government or…