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Feb 20, 2024
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Journal/Primary Source Analysis 2
Declaration of Independence
What is the most profound statement in this document?
o
The most profound statement in this document is that “all men are created equal.” It is a statement that I agree with, but I think at the time even the founding fathers themselves did not believe truly believe that. They did not see native people, slaves, or even landless men as equal.
What do you think are the 3 most important events mentioned in this document that sharpened
the division between Britain and the colonists? o
I think the three most important things mentioned in the Declaration that sharpened the division between Britain and the colonists were the levying of taxes without the colonists’ consent, the refusal of the British government to permit colonists to move west past the Appalachian Mountains, and the systematic attempt by the British government to dismantle the local colonial governments and wage outright war against the colonies. There are multiple references in the Declaration to attempts to tax the colonists. The book goes into greater detail about measures such as the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts, and says that colonists saw it as the British government attempting
to take money directly from the colonies with no equivalent exchange. The colonists also believe that as reward for fighting Britain’s enemies during the Seven Years’ War that they deserved access to the territories for which they had fought, while the British government sought to limit war with Native Americans. Finally, the British government during this period was constantly attempting to expand power of the royal governors and other proxy governments they instituted in the colonies while simultaneously attempting to dismantle and depower the colonial governments. This angered the colonists, as they had a different vision for the British empire and their role in it. This clash led even to popular riots, with mobs burning down the residences of royal authority members and attacking them.
Abigail and John Adams Converse on Women's Rights, 1776
What is Abigail Adams asking of her husband and why? o
She is asking him to “remember the ladies” and treat them better than his ancestors had. She says that all men would be tyrannical if they could and begs him to give more power to women.
Why would this be an issue in this time period? o
During this period, women had far fewer rights than they do today. They were unable to
vote, and often were just seen as subordinate to their husbands. During the American Revolution, colonial women worked very hard, and in some cases even fought. They believed that they deserved a better station than they had previously had, and unfortunately wouldn't get until much later.
Explain how Abigail Adams speaks--what are her topics, and is this how you expect women of this era to converse with her husband?
o
She is very cordial with John Adams. She seems aggravated that he isn't writing more and is very candid in her wants and needs. She starts by hoping that he will declare independence, and that in that declaration will remember the women. She tells him that
men are tyrannical by nature, and that if they return colonial women to the station of subservience they'd long been at, it would only be a matter of time before they revolted. She then describes some sicknesses ravaging their community and writes that everyone send well wishes. This writing was surprising to me, because even though women in this time period were seen as subservient, she is very candid and straightforward in her want for more power for women. Compare the two documents
The two documents are similar in that they are both pleas written by people who seek greater political freedom and declarations of things that they find to be important. They differ in that the Declaration is a formal document written for government interaction, while the letter is more personal in nature. They also differ in the sense that in the Adams’ letter, Abigail pleas for more political independence for women, while the declaration is focused solely on men. The biggest irony of the entire Declaration of Independence is that the most profound statement in the entire article, that “all men are created equal,” is something that in that time was not even something that was widely believed by the politicians at the time. They saw white, land-owning, elite members of society as above others, and while the budding United States expanded enfranchisement, it was not until much later that the country even attempted to make all men equal.
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