The United States' Declaration of Independence closes with the sentence: "And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." Following that line were placed the signatures of 56 men, each taking the pledge of mutual effort, reward or punishment, commitment of their wealth, backed up by full measure of their self worth and righteousness. Should the attempt at independence have failed, the punishment these men faced was death. To say that their oath was a somber one is quite the understatement. In the age of The Enlightenment, the fledgling state being formed in the new world looked to the acts of men to obtain what they considered to be one of the most sacred of goals available to human ambition: equality among all people. One force that came under ill favor of the Enlightenment were the clergy and organized religions which had proscriptions which curtailed the liberty of men. Even the begging holy orders did not escape the ire of the enlightenment. In the 1760's various mendicant orders, but most notably the Jesuits, suffered harassment, arrest, and expulsion from a number of European countries and their colonies. In the early years of the thirteenth century the order of friars which would come to be known as the Franciscans, named for their founder Francis of Assisi, followed a path of personal and corporate poverty. It was believed that through a vow of poverty they would be closer to an understanding of Jesus and to the greater reward in the afterlife promised by their faith. Poverty freed them from the corrupting influence of material possession. To feed, shelter and clothe themselves, the Fr... ... middle of paper ... ...giving until the afterlife, the donors to our mendicant class expect to see more immediate and tangible benefits. Since they continue to donate, one can only deduce that they do benefit. The fact that lavish lifestyles result from their donations is of little concern to the donors. Unfortunately for the country the quid pro quo is satisfactory to both parties. The Declaration of Independence might have ended, if authored today by the likes of Representatives Boehner, Rangel, Blunt, and Hoyer; Senators Reid, Chambliss, Schumer, Ensign, and former Senator Edwards: "And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, and the certain profit derived from political supplication of the populace's praise of said Providence, we mutually pledge to ourselves other people's lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors."
The Enlightenment was a great upheaval in the culture of the colonies- an intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries which emphasized logic and reason over tradition. Enlightenment thinkers believed that men and women could move civilization to ever greater heights through the power of their own reason. The Enlightenment encouraged men and women to look to themselves, instead of God, for guidance as to how to live their lives and shape society. It also evoked a new appreciation and
The Declaration of Independence (1776) was written to proclaim the colonists’ independence from Great Britain and announce the rights of its citizens and the role of government, among other declarations. The most famous phrase “…all men are created equal”, authored by Thomas Jefferson, was a statement affirming that tyranny under the rule of King George III and the English Parliament would be met with opposition by the colonists who would protect their liberties in the new republic.
(2015). Best Friends: The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution | Teaching American History. Teachingamericanhistory.org. Retrieved 27 August 2015, from http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/best-friends-the-declaration-of-independence-and-the-constitution/
The signers of the Declaration are to be thanked on behalf of the American people, the courageous sacrifices they showed in defending the people’s rights and standing their ground despite the consequences they faced, is certainly oddly astonishing. How outstanding is it that letters came to be mightier than swords and weapons? How glorious is it that such sacrifices were given for some words? Words that set free a whole society and abolished another? The Declaration is objectively a set of words, which were strong enough to end persecution under the mighty rule of monarchy, once and for
The declaration of Independence is an amazing document. It’s authors portrayed their anger, their disappointment, and their dream in a new government through this document. A government meant to protect the people's rights. They manifested this dream. they used logos and pathos along with other forms of rhetoric to show the people the urgency of their situation.
Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence is one of the most famous influential documents ever produced. The declaration led to the freedom of the Thirteen Colonies which in turn sparked the independence of much of the Western Hemisphere. “When in the course of human events” and the following text are now some of the most recognizable words in all of historical documents.
The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, is a document that the majority of American’s know about. It is taught to children as early as elementary school. I remember learning about its basics all the way back in second grade when my teacher had the class put on a play about American history. As young as I was I knew the document is important but the thought did not occur to me that it is the basis for American Ethos. This document is so important that it is referenced in presidential speeches, like President William Clinton’s speech “Our New Covenant.”
Francis of Assisi is one of the most influential personalities in the entire world. In the book ‘Francis of Assisi: Performing the Gospel Life,’ Cunningham recounts the life of this humble monk who lived in the medieval times, and shaped the Christian life, which spread in Western culture throughout the rest of history. I believe Cunningham accurately accounts for the life of Francis of Assisi, and in doing so; he provides a trajectory of the Christian faith from its early and historical proponents through its fusion with western culture, and its subsequent spread throughout the world.
On June 11th 1776 the Continental Congress tabbed five men who were given the task to write one of the most important documents in America’s history; The Declaration of Independence. During a time of immense diversity people living in the colonies of what was soon to be The United States of America were yearning for something that could place them under one large umbrella. This committee of five men consisted of John Adams from Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert R. Livingston of New York, Roger Sherman of Connecticut and of course Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. These five men made an impeccable team that together drafted the Declaration of Independence, the document that represents the ground of what American political
To further convince the British Parliament of the seriousness of their intents, Congress added, “and for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of our divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our honor” (p.115) to ensure that Parliament knew that each member of Congress mutually agreed upon what was written in the document and that they would support each other in these matters and what would follow. Ideas from the Declaration of Independence are still prominent in America today. Many of the statements found in the document, like “all men are created equal” (p.112), are most often used in human rights arguments among minority groups. The Declaration of Independence is what sparked the movements that brought our country to be what it is today, and continues to remind Americans of the foundation that this country was founded on, which is why it is an important part of our nation’s
The Enlightenment is a unique time in European history characterized by revolutions in science, philosophy, society, and politics. These revolutions put Europe in a transition from the medieval world-view to the modern western world. The traditional hierarchical political and social orders from the French monarchy and Catholic Church were destroyed and replaced by a political and social order from the Enlightenment ideals of freedom and equality(Bristow, 1). Many historians, such as Henry Steele Commager, Peter Gay, have studied the Enlightenment over the years and created their own views and opinions.
Intro: The Declaration of Independence shapes our ideal vision in America by letting every individual have unalienable rights, not having to live under a tyrant, and having equality. These rights are to be protected by one government that is willing to secure these rights for the people. Due to not being responsible towards the people’s happiness, this government will be overthrown and replaced with a new one in which the people will be satisfied with.
In conclusion, without struggle and without sacrifice this country would not have gained the independence and prove that united we stand and divide we fall. Thomas Paine quite elegantly put it “however strange it may appear to some, or however unwilling they may be to think so, matters not, but many strong and striking reasons may be given to shew, that nothing can settle our affairs so expeditiously as an open and determined declaration of independence” (Paine 111).
“Americans are harder working and more productive than ever, yet the rewards of that productivity flow into the pockets of fewer and fewer people (Ketteler, 2006).” This relates to the previous articles in that the wealth are becoming wealthier, while the poor are becoming poorer, and this is something that goes against everything the common good stands for and the teachings of the church for so many years. As we can see over and over again, people become greedy and selfish and only do what is in their best interest, and this goes against the teachings and the actions of Jesus Christ. Father Ketteler writes that Jesus chose the poverty life, to be close to those who are in need most. “Jesus lived out a preferential option in standing on the side of those most in need, physically and spiritually (Ketteler, 2006).” Father Ketteler finishes with saying that when we love one another, nobody is a burden and everything that is produced is shared equally among all men and women, “civilizations of love abandons a mentality in which the poor as individuals and as peoples are considered a burden, as irksome intruders trying to consume what others have produced (Ketteler,
The Enlightenment period, also known as The Age of Reason, was a period of social, religious, and political revolution throughout the 18th century which changed the thoughts of man during this “awakening” time. It was a liberation of ignorant thoughts, ideas, and actions that had broken away from the ignorant perception of how society was to be kept and obeyed thus giving little room for new ideas about the world. Puritan society found these new ideas of thought to be extremely radical in comparison to what they believed which was a belief of strong rational religion and morality. Enlightened society believed that the use of reason would be a catalyst of social change and had a demand of political representation thus resulting in a time in history where individualism was widely accepted amongst the new world. Puritan society believed strongly in myth, magic, and religious superstitions that was immensely used by the Puritans before democracy, capitalism, and the scientific revolution gave rise from the Enlightenment period.