Revolutionary Words

1
Revolutionary Words

• Read on.
• The pen is mightier than the sword

2
George Mason on the Natural Rights of Men
That all men are by nature equally free and
independent, and have certain inherent rights
namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with
the means of acquiring and possessing property,
and pursuing and obtaining happiness and
safety. --Virginia bill of Rights, June 12,
1776 a.k.a the parent of the American bill of
rights
3
John Adams what kind of government did the Sons
of Liberty want to preserve those natural rights?
A government of laws, and not of men. -1774,
Boston Gazette
4
If men were angels, no government would be
necessary. If angels were to govern men no
controls on government would be
necessary.--James Madison(chief author of the
Constitution)
Whats wrong with a government of men?
x
5
Tyranny
6
How do you define TYRANNY?
7
Some definitions of tyranny by philosopher John
Locke
Tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right.
Wherever the power, that is put in hands for
government of the people, and the preservation of
their properties, is applied to other ends, and
made use of to impoverish, harass, or subdue them
to the arbitrary and irregular commands of those
that have it there it presently becomes tyranny.
8
Tyrants and their usurpers
Julius Caesar
King Charles I
Brutus murdered Caesar
Cromwell executed Charles
9
A tyrant ?
?
His usurper?
King George III Britains king before and
during the revolution
10
Patrick Henry (1736-1799)

• Caesar had his Brutus Charles the First his
  Cromwell and George the Third
• may profit by their example. If this be
  treason, make the most of it.
• --Speech on the Stamp Act,
• House of Burgesses, May 1765

"Treason!" interrupted the speaker of the
House of Burgesses
11
More inflammatory rhetoric

• the present ministry King George, being
  instigated by the devil and led by their wicked
  and corrupt hearers have a design to take away
  our liberties and properties, and to enslave us
  forever.
• --1774, some farmers in
• Farmington Connecticut

12
Edmund BurkeBritish Philosopher urges
conciliation with colonies
Reflect how you are to govern a people who think
they ought to be free, and think they are not.
Your scheme yields no revenue it yields nothing
but discontent, disorder, disobedience and such
is the state of America, that after wading up to
your eyes in blood, you could only end just where
you begun that is to tax where no revenue is to
be found, to -- my voice fails me my inclination
indeed carries me no farther -- all is confusion
beyond it. --Speech to Parliament on American
Taxation, April 1774
no revenue
discontent
disobedience from the colonies
13
Edmund BurkeStill urging conciliation with
colonies
The use of force alone is but temporary. It may
subdue for a moment but it does not remove the
necessity of subduing again and a nation is not
governed, which is perpetually to be
conquered. --Speech to Parliament on American
Taxation, April 1774
14
Taxation without Representation
The Sugar Act taxes are inconsistent with
their our rights and privileges as British
subjects. These acts deprive Americans of the
right of assessing their own taxes. -- James
Otis Any attempt to collect stamp revenues in
America is illegal, unconstitutional, and
unjust, and has a manifest tendency to destroy
British as well as American liberty -- Patrick
Henry
15
Parliamentary Sovereignty
Over time, Britains parliament gradually took
power from the monarch or king. The British
called this a Constitutional Monarchy, meaning
that they had laws that limited the kings power
and gave some of this law making power to
Parliament. They goal of this was to prevent a
tyrannical king from abusing his power.
Parliament is Britains legislature
16
British views on Parliamentary sovereignty
It is essential to the constitution of Britain
to preserve the supremacy of Parliament
inviolate and tell your friends in America that
it is as much of their interest to support the
Britishconstitution and preserve the supremacy
of Parliament as it is ours. -- Lord
Hillsborough, British Secretary of State
17
King Georges response to the colonists
boycotting British commerce
I am not sorry that the line of conduct seems
now chalked out the New England Governments are
in a state of Rebellion, blows must decide
whether they are to be subject to this country or
independent. --King George III
18
Progandist Rhetoric in response to British actions

• Behold thy murdered husband gasping on the
  ground take heed, ye orphan babes, lest whilst
  your streaming eyes are fixed upon the ghastly
  corpse, your feet slide on the stones bespattered
  with your fathers brains.
• --Joseph Warren addressing the nonexistent widows
  and children of the five bachelors killed in the
  Boston massacre (March, 1770)

19
Patrick Henry

• I am not a Virginian, but an American.
• Speech in the First Continental Congress, October
  14, 1774

20
Parliamentary sovereignty

• No middle ground exists between the supreme
  authority of Parliament and the total dependence
  of the colonies it is impossible there should
  be two independent legislatures in one and the
  same state.
• -- Thomas Hutchinson,
• royal governor of Massachusetts

Colonial legislatures
England's legislature
21
Patrick Henry- Speech in Virginia Convention
March 1775

• Why stand we here idle? Is life so dear or
  peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of
  chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God. I
  know not what course others may take, but as for
  me, give me liberty or give me death!

Parliaments buildings in England
22
State of nature, natural rights, purpose of
government Social Contract Theory John
Locke
The state of nature is what it would be like
before we make government that all being equal
and independent, no one ought to harm another in
his life, health, liberty or possessions
property. Why leave the state of nature by
forming government? in the state of nature
everyone has the executive power to punish
offenders, therefore self-love will make men
partial to themselves and their friends and
passion and revenge will carry them too far in
punishing others hence.. Confusion and disorder
will follow. Therefore God has appointed
government to restrain the partiality and
violence of men.
23
Social contract theory JOHN LOCKE...Why
monarchy violates the natural rights men have in
nature
Absolute monarchy is inconsistent with civil
society. No man in civil society including the
king can be exempted from the laws What fence
is there, in such a state, against the violence
and oppression of this absolute ruler? People
have the right to revolution, to change the
government when it fails to protect their life,
liberty and property governments are to be
dissolved when they act contrary to their
trust by this breach of trust they forfeit the
power the people had put into their hands for
quite contrary ends, and it devolves goes back
to the people, who have a right to provide for
their own safety and security because protecting
those rights is the whole purpose of government.
24
Writing the Declaration of Independence -
declaring the right to break from Britain because
it no longer preserves American natural rights
25
Natural Rights the purpose of governments
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 That to secure these
rights, governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of
the governed.
26
Thomas Paine- During the Revolution
These are the times that try mens souls. The
summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in
this crisis, shrink from the service of their
country but he that stands it now, deserves the
love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like
hell, is not easily conquered yet we have this
consolation with us, that the harder the
conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we
obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly tis
dearness only that gives everything its value.
Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its
goods and it would be strange indeed, if so
celestial and article as Freedom should not be
highly rated. -- The American Crisis, December
23, 1776
27
John Stark on the Hessians
My men, yonder are the Hessians. They were
bought for seven pounds and ten pence a man. Are
you worth more? Prove it. Tonight, the American
flag floats from yonder hill or Molly Starks
sleeps a widow! -Before the Battle of Bennington
August 16, 1777
28
John Adams

• By my physical constitution I am but an ordinary
  man. Yet some great events, some cutting
  expressions, some mean hypocrisies, have at times
  thrown this assemblage of sloth, sleep, and
  littleness into rage like a lion.
• --from his diary April 1779

ordinary man
into rage like a
29
John Adamss last words

• Thomas--

Jefferson--
still surv--
John Adams died on July 4, 1826
John Adams
30
Thomas Jeffersons dying words
Thomas Jefferson, like his colleague, John Adams,
died on the fiftieth anniversary of the
Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1826

• This is the Fourth?