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CHAIRS, EXTRA CHAIRS IF YOU NEED THEM.
I THINK WE'LL BE GETTING UNDERWAY IN A FEW MINUTES.
I'M WITH THE REVOLUTIONARY HASTINGS COMMITTEE, UH, A COMMITTEE OF THE HASTINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO WELCOME YOU AND PRESENT A NUMBER OF OUR, UM, AMERICA TWO 50 EVENTS THAT YOU ARE ALL ARE PARTICIPATING IN.
THIS IS ONE THAT IS YOUR PREP CLASS FOR NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT, JUNE 5TH, THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE LIVE.
THAT'S GONNA BE RIGHT HERE OUTSIDE THE DOOR ON THE LIBRARY VILLAGE HALL CAMPUS.
WE'VE NEVER HAD A BIG CELEBRATION HERE OR AN EVENT ON THIS PROPERTY, SO WE'RE KICKING THAT OFF.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THOMAS JEFFERSON LEADING THE WAY, UH, ON THE STEPS OF THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING.
AND, UH, HE'S GONNA BE WRITING EXCERPTS OF THE, THE, THE DECLARATION AND SHARING HIS BEHIND THE SCENES STORIES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TENT SET UP, AND HE'S GONNA BE SHARING THE STRATEGIES OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE BEN FRANKLIN PLUS TONS OF, UM, KID ACTIVITIES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HISTORY MOMENTS.
AND THEN OUR ILLUSTRIOUS RACHEL WEINBERG, DIRECTOR OF THE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYS.
YAY, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE BECAUSE SHE'S WORKING WITH THREE EXTRAORDINARY HASTINGS ACTORS TO DO A DRAMATIC THEATRICAL READING OF THE DECLARATION BY MANY VOICES.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HEAR THIS READ IN A WAY YOU'VE NEVER HEARD IT READ BEFORE, AND IT'S BEEN A FASCINATING JOURNEY TO REVIEW THIS DOCUMENT.
AND I THINK GREG AND FRED WILL SHARE MORE OF THAT WITH YOU.
BUT, UM, WHEN WE READ THE WORDS WITH THE PASSION AND, UH, THE DISTRESS OF WHAT WAS GOING ON BACK IN THE 1770S, UH, IT REALLY TAKES A, A MEANING THAT IS VERY DEEP AND PROFOUND AND, UM, WE SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
AND WHERE ARE OUR GUEST SPEAKERS? FRED CHARLES AND GREG SMITH.
SHE DESERVES AN EXTRAORDINARY, UH, SO MUCH OF WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW CAME FROM HER.
IT'S CLICKETY CLACKITY, CLICK ALL NIGHT LONG ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BED, LET ME TELL YOU.
I'M HERE BECAUSE, UH, 10 YEARS AGO, UH, GOT THE IDEA TO STUDY THE BATTLE OF EDGAR'S LANE.
AND, UH, THERE THERE WERE, UH, CONFLICTING SOURCES.
AND, UH, FAST FORWARD 10 YEARS LATER, UH, VETERANS DAY, WE DEDICATED THE, UH, THE DEDICATED THE DEDICATION STONE, AND, UM, AND HERE WE ARE.
SO WE, WE'VE KIND OF PUT A PERIOD ON THAT PROJECT, UH, BUT REVOLUTIONARY HASTINGS IS STILL GOING.
AND SO MANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, UH, NILES, WHY DON'T YOU STAND UP, ANDREW, WHY DON'T YOU STAND UP, PLEASE.
UM, THESE ARE MY PARTNERS ON THE REVOLUTIONARY HASTINGS PROJECT.
AND, UH, WE GRAPPLED WITH SO MUCH OF THE CONTRADICTION OF THE REVOLUTION IN OUR RESEARCH DURING COVID.
THIS WAS A BIG COVID PROJECT FOR US.
AND, UH, AND SO THE DECLARATION IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS.
SO, UH, FRED, CHARLES, REVOLUTIONARY HASTINGS, AND I'M SUPER PROUD TO PRESENT MR. SMITH, MR. GREG SMITH, BELOVED HISTORY TEACHER, AND, UH, TELL US WHO YOU ARE.
UM, SO, YEAH, SO I'M, I'M GREG SMITH.
I'M A TEACHER AT, UH, HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER THERE FOR 26 YEARS.
I'M DEPARTMENT CHAIRPERSON, UH, FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, SUPER PROUD, UH, TO BE HERE.
I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE INVITATION, UH, FROM FRED, UH, TO DO THIS ALONG WITH THEM AND, AND JUMP INTO THE DECLARATION A LITTLE BIT, UM, WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I AGAIN, WANNA THANK MY STUDENTS FOR THEIR, THEIR LOVELY PROJECTS THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER, UM, AS PART OF THE TWO 50 CELEBRATION.
UM, IT'S, AND BECAUSE OF MY STU, SOME OF MY STUDENTS ARE STAYING FOR THIS, UM, THEY'RE GONNA PROBABLY PARTICIPATE A LOT, HOPEFULLY WHEN I, WHEN I, WHEN I, WHEN I CALL ON THEM, UM,
SO, SO FRED AND I, YOU KNOW, TALKED, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE, ABOUT THIS EVENING AND, AND HOW WE'D LIKE IT TO GO.
AND, AND WE REALLY WANT IT TO BE A CONVERSATION.
UM, WE'RE NOT TWO TALKING HEADS, UH, ABOUT THE DECLARATION.
AND, AND WE THOUGHT WE'D START WITH A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, CONTEXT OF THE DECLARATION THAT WE'LL GIVE YOU AND, AND, UM, AND
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THEN JUMP INTO A COUPLE PASSAGES AND REALLY MAKE THIS, UH, A CONVERSATION.SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA START WITH, UH, SOME, SO THIS IS THE, THIS WILL BE THE MOST, I'M TALKING UNINTERRUPTED, UH, TONIGHT.
UM, AND I'M GONNA TRY TO KEEP THIS TO LIKE FIVE MINUTES.
BUT, UH, WE THOUGHT IT WAS SUPER IMPORTANT JUST TO PUT THE, THE DOCUMENT IN CONTEXT.
SO THIS IS A, I'M TAKING 400 PLUS YEARS OF HISTORY AND, AND BILLIONS OF VOLUMES WRITTEN ON THE DECLARATION.
UH, I'M CONDENSING IT, DISTILLING IT INTO FIVE MINUTES.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA MISS A COUPLE THINGS, BUT JUST SO WE UNDERSTAND, UH, WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE IN THE GIST OF IT.
'CAUSE FOR SOME OF US, THIS MIGHT BE THE FIRST TIME WE'RE READING THE DECLARATION, FOR SOME OF US MIGHT BE THE THOUSANDS TIME, UM, FOR SOME OF US MIGHT BE, WE HAVEN'T READ IT SINCE HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, SO TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT, AND, AND THAT'S WHERE WE WANT, WE WANT IT TO START.
SO, UH, ESSENTIALLY THREE STAGES OF AMERICAN HISTORY.
WE HAVE, UH, THE FOUNDING OF, OF JAMESTOWN BY THE BRITISH IN 1607, UP UNTIL 1763.
THAT'S THE FIRST STAGE OF AMERICAN HISTORY WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT FOR, UM, FOR THOSE 200, UH, UH, NEARLY 150 YEARS.
UM, THERE WAS A POLICY OF SALUTARY NEGLECT BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE COLONIES.
AND WHAT THAT ESSENTIALLY MEANT WAS THE GREAT BRITAIN ALLOWED THE COLONIES TO DO WHATEVER THEY, THEY REALLY WANTED TO DO, AS LONG AS, UM, THE MONEY WAS GETTING BACK TO THE CROWN.
UM, THEY WERE TOTALLY LEFT ALONE.
AND, AND THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO THE STORY OF THE DECLARATION, BECAUSE FOR 150 YEARS, THEY WERE, THEY WERE LEFT ALONE.
AND THAT ALL RADICALLY CHANGES COME 1763.
UM, AND BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT WHY THAT RADICALLY CHANGES, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE COLONISTS WERE VERY LOYAL, VERY PROUD ENGLISH SUBJECTS, AND THEY LOVED THE KING.
ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE KING MUCH MORE SO THAN ENGLISH MEN AND WOMEN BACK IN THE BRITISH ISLES.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO THE STORY OF, OF THE DECLARATION, UH, 1689, WE HAVE THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION IN ENGLAND, AND ESSENTIALLY ENGLAND BECOMES THE FIRST CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY.
SO PARLIAMENT, UM, ESSENTIALLY NOW IS RUNNING THE COUNTRY, THE KING SEEDS POWER TO PARLIAMENT, AND THE KING THEN BECOMES THE CONDUIT TO THE PEOPLE.
SO AFTER 1689, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ENGLAND'S MOST LIBERAL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, THE MOST PROGRESSIVE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, BECAUSE THEY'VE EMPOWERED PARLIAMENT.
AND THAT'S SUPER SIGNIFICANT 'CAUSE FOR THE COLONISTS.
THEY'RE NOT REPRESENTED IN PARLIAMENT, RIGHT? AND THAT'S TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
WE'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT OF THAT PROBABLY NEXT FRIDAY, RIGHT? UM, SO FOR THE ENG, FOR THE, FOR THE COLO, FOR THE COLONISTS, THEIR CONNECTION TO ENGLAND WAS THROUGH THE KING.
HE WAS THEIR, THEIR BENEFACTOR.
UM, SO AS WE'RE GETTING INTO THE 1760S, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER COLONISTS HAVE BEEN LEFT ALONE, AND THEY LOVE THE KING.
POST 1763, THE WORLD GOES UPSIDE DOWN FOR THE COLONISTS.
AFTER A SERIES OF WARS BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND THE BRITISH, THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS, AS MOST OF US KNOW THEM, UH, AFTER THOSE SERIES OF WARS, THE BRITISH THEN LOOKED TO THE COLONISTS TO RECOUP THE WAR DEBT.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEMS START TO HAPPEN.
AND THIS IS WHERE SOME OF THE THINGS NOW WE'RE, WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH OF THE ROAD TO REVOLUTION.
BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, 1763 TO 1776 IS ONLY 13 YEARS, RIGHT? SO, SO WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS? THAT'S SO DRAMATIC THAT THESE COLONISTS WHO LOVE THE KING ARE SAYING THESE DEROGATORY THINGS ABOUT THE KING.
COME 1776, SO QUICK KIND OF LIST, UH, PROCLAMATION OF 1763.
THEY SAY THE COLONISTS CAN'T MOVE WEST OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS, THE SUGAR ACT.
THEY START TO TAX SUGAR THE STAMP ACT.
THEY START TO PUT EVERYDAY TAXES, UH, TAXES ON EVERYDAY ITEMS. UM, THE TOWNSEND ACTS, WHICH WAS, UM, AFTER THEY REPEALED A STAMP ACT AND THEY WANT TO TAX A FEW THINGS, UM, WE SEE BRITISH TROOPS BEING SENT TO THE COLONISTS, UH, TO THE COLONIES TO ENFORCE THESE THINGS.
AND THIS CHANGE HAPPENS VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE COLONISTS STILL OF THE KING.
NOBODY IS EVEN MUTTERING THE WORD INDEPENDENCE.
NO ONE'S THINKING THE WORD INDEPENDENCE, EVEN UP UNTIL 1770.
THEY JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY KEEP SAYING TO GREAT BRITAIN.
KEEP MAKING PLEASE TO PARLIAMENT.
LET'S JUST GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE BEFORE I GET INTO THE, THE NEXT PHASE QUICKLY.
IT'S ALSO NOT JUST ABOUT THE ECONOMIC ASPECT OF THE REVOLUTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE OVERSIMPLIFIED VERSION IS, OH, THE COLUMNISTS WERE TAXED AND THEN THEY REVOLTED.
WELL, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT'S MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
NAMELY, IT'S NOT JUST THE ECONOMIC INFRACTIONS ON THE COLONISTS, BUT IT'S THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE, UM, THE BRITISH SENDING TROOPS TO ENFORCE, LET'S SAY THE, SOME OF THE TOWNSEND ACTS, SOME OF THESE DUTIES THEY PUT ON, LIKE PAINT AND LEAD, UM, THEY SEND TROOPS TO ENFORCE IT.
AND THEY ALSO THEN ARE, ARE, UM, PROSECUTING PEOPLE IN ADMIRALTY COURTS.
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THE HANDS OF THE COLONISTS.SO THE COLONISTS WERE ESSENTIALLY ACTING AS SOVEREIGNS UP UNTIL 1763.
NOW, THE VERY NATURE OF THINGS IS, IS CHANGING FOR THEM.
SO OF COURSE, WE START TO SEE NOW A RISING IN TENSIONS WITH BRITISH TROOPS.
1770, OF COURSE, WE HAD THE BOSTON MASSACRE, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A, UM, UH, A MAJOR MOMENT, UM, IN, IN, UM, KIND OF ON, ON THE ROAD.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THE BOSTON MASSACRE, THINGS START TO SETTLE DOWN VERY, VERY LITTLE.
UM, AND AS THINGS ARE SETTLING DOWN, AND THEY, THEY START TO THINK MAYBE THAT WE'LL GET BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS, UM, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE WITH THE T ACT OF 1773.
AND, AND THAT'S THE ONE OF COURSE, UM, MOST OF US KNOW.
UM, SO THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR STORY IS 1773 TO 1776.
THE T ACT HAS PASSED, CONTRARY TO KIND OF POPULAR BELIEF THAT TEAC, THE TEA ACT WAS NOT A TAX ON T IT ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED A MONOPOLY FOR THE, FOR THE BRITISH EAST INDIA COMPANY TO MANIPULATE THE COLONIES.
SO, UM, I'M NOT GONNA GO ANY MORE IN DEPTH ON THAT.
IS THAT OKAY? UM, HE, HE'S THE ONES, HE, HE JUMPS IN THE RABBIT HOLES, NOT ME.
UM, SO, UM, SO, UH, HE'S ELMER FOOT.
SO TO KIND OF GET TO, TO KINDA GET RIGHT TO THE DECLARATION.
SO, SO 1774, UM, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE A TACTUS PASSED THE COLONY, THE COLONISTS.
THIS IS WHEN THEY REALLY START TO GET FIRED UP.
OF COURSE, WE HAD THE VERY FAMOUS BOSTON TEA PARTY.
THERE WERE TEA PARTIES IN OTHER CITIES TOO, BUT BOSTON'S THE MOST FAMOUS.
AND WHAT REALLY HAPPENS IN 1774 IS WHAT SETS THEM ON THE, THE, THE SHORT ROAD TO THE DECLARATION.
AND THAT WAS THE INTOLERABLE ACTS OF WHAT WE CALL THE COERCIVE ACTS BY THE BRITISH, DESIGNED STRICTLY TO PUNISH THE COLONIES.
THEY SHUT DOWN THE PORT OF BOSTON.
UM, THEY, UM, THEY, THEY, THEY INSTALL ROYAL GOVERNORS.
THEY TOTALLY, UH, BLOW UP COLONIAL SOVEREIGNTY.
UM, AND IT'S AFTER THE, THE INTOLERABLE ACTS AS WE GO INTO THE, THE FALL OF 1774 IS WHEN THE COLONISTS GET TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.
AND THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS WAS SOMETHING, I THINK IT WAS LIKE 10 OF THE 13 COLONIES GET TOGETHER IN PHILADELPHIA.
THEY ONLY MEET FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF, BUT THEY DECIDE, LET'S ORGANIZE BOYCOTTS, PROTESTS, DEMONSTRATIONS, UM, IN ORDER TO AFFECT CHANGE, UM, WITH GREAT BRITAIN, AGAIN, THEY WANNA GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS.
BY APRIL OF 1775, WE HAVE THE FIRST SHOTS AT LEXINGTON AND CONCORD, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE THE, THIS FIRST VIOLENCE, HOWEVER IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, THAT'S APRIL OF 75, RIGHT? WE'RE STILL MORE THAN A YEAR AWAY FROM JULY OF 76, JULY OF 75.
AND, AND, AND FRED AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN DEPTH, UM, ULTRA IMPORTANT, OFTEN OVERLOOKED.
JULY 5TH, 1775, THE CONTINENTAL CON, THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, UM, APPROVES OF THE OLIVE BRA, OLIVE BRANCH PETITION, WHICH WAS A PETITION TO KING, TO KING GEORGE AND PARLIAMENT ASKING FOR RECONCILIATION.
UM, THEY BASICALLY SAY, WE'RE SORRY FOR BEING BAD KIDS.
WE WANNA GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS.
WE ALL WERE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY.
PRE 1763, OLIVE BRANCH PETITION, JULY 5TH, 1775, IT GETS ADOPTED.
IT GETS SENT TO GREAT BRITAIN.
THE KING RECEIVES IT IN LATE AUGUST, AND THE KING GOES BERSERK.
THE KING GOES ABSOLUTELY CRAZY.
HE REFUSES, HE'S SO UPSET BY THE, THE, THE, THE, THE BLOODSHED AT LEXINGTON AND CONCORD.
HE ISSUES A ROYAL PROCLAMATION BACK TO THE COLONISTS, UM, WHICH IS RECEIVED IN THE COLONIES NOW IN NOVEMBER OF 75, IN WHICH THE, THE KING BASICALLY SAYS, YOU ARE IN A STATE OF REBELLION.
YOU HAVE NO SOVEREIGNTY AT ALL.
WE'RE JUST GONNA TURN THE SCREWS TO YOU.
AND IT'S REALLY AT THAT MOMENT WHERE INDEPENDENCE, WHICH I'VE BEEN TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY WITHIN THE LAST YEAR OR SO, IT'S REALLY NOVEMBER, DECEMBER OF 75, WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIKE, CAN WE LIVE LIKE THIS? CAN WE, CAN WE CONTINUE THE WAY THIS IS GOING? WE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE RECONCILIATION.
ARE WE GOING TO LIVE, UM, IN THEIR WORDS AS SLAVES, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THE REST OF OUR COLONIAL EXISTENCE.
WE'RE, HOW AM I DOING ON, AM I OKAY ON TIME? I FEEL LIKE, OKAY, I'M, I'M TALKING.
UM, SO JANUARY 7 76, ANOTHER MAJOR MOMENT, WE HAVE THE PUBLISHING OF THE PAMPHLET COMMON SENSE BY THOMAS PAYNE.
THOMAS PAYNE WAS, HAD ONLY BEEN IN THE COUNTRY ABOUT A YEAR.
HE WAS, UH, UM, UH, MORE, HE WASN'T OF THE REVOLUTIONARY ELITE.
UM, HE WAS MUCH MORE OF A, OF A, WHAT WE CALL A COMMON MAN.
UM, HE WAS, UH, THE PROTEGE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
THOMAS PAYNE WROTE A PAMPHLET COMMON SENSE, WHICH HE UNLEASHES ON THE KING.
HE CALLS THE KING A ROYAL BRUTE.
AND THAT IS THE MOST OBSCENE THING YOU CAN SAY IN JANUARY OF 1776.
AND WHAT, WHAT THOMAS PAYNE DOES IN COMMON SENSE, AND, AND WE SHOULD REALLY DO A WHOLE NIGHT ON COMMON SENSE TOO, UM, IS, UM, UH,
UH, WHAT, WHAT COMMON SENSE DOES IS, IS TWO REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS.
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OKAY? THERE'S A SOONER CERTAIN UNIVERSALITY TO IT.IT APPEALS TO EVERYONE WHERE, SO IT'S NOT JUST THE COLONIAL ELITE MERCHANTS WHO ARE KIND OF ENGINEERING THE REVOLUTION.
WE KIND OF KNOW THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHO'S FERMENTING THE REVOLUTION, IT'S ALL THESE KIND OF ELITES, COMMON SENSE APPEALS TO EVERYONE.
AND THE OTHER BIG THING, BIG THING, IT DOES, IT, IT SEVERS TIES WITH THE KING.
IT BASICALLY SAYS, HEY, EVERYBODY, IT'S OKAY TO SAY, YOU KNOW, F YOU TO THE KING.
IT'S OKAY BECAUSE HE'S NOT STANDING UP FOR US.
HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR PROTECTOR, OUR BENEFACTOR, AND HE'S LEAVING US OUT TO DRY.
INSANE, INSANE TO THINK OF INDEPENDENCE AGAINST, ARGUABLY THE MOST POWERFUL EMPIRE IN THE WORLD IN 1776.
HOWEVER, YOU HAVE A LOT OF GUYS WITH A LOT OF BRAVADO, UH, SUPER SMART GUYS, STEEPED ENLIGHTENMENT THINKING.
UM, AND IT'S AFTER COMMON SENSE.
THE SECOND CONTINENTAL OF CONGRESS BEGINS THINKING ABOUT INDEPENDENCE.
OF COURSE, THEY DRAW UP, UH, THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, UM, IN, IN JULY.
AND OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW IT'S ADOPTED, UH, AND RATIFIED ON ON JULY 4TH.
UM, SO ONTO THE DECLARATION VERY QUICKLY.
JUST A MINUTE ON THIS, AND THEN I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK TO FRED, UM, DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
UH, I JUST WANNA TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF IT, AND THEN JUST GIVE YOU SOME OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AS, AS WE GET INTO THE DISCUSSION.
IT IS, THE STRUCTURE OF IT IS EXTREMELY SIMPLE.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY.
IT INTRODUCTION, BODY CONCLUSION, ONE OF THE BEAUTIES OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
AND THOMAS JEFFERSON, I THINK PROBABLY HAS SO MUCH FUN AS HE WAS WRITING THIS, THE FIRST TWO PARAGRAPH, THE INTRODUCTION, HE, HE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT, HE DOESN'T MENTION GREAT BRITAIN BY NAME TO THE END.
AND HE JUST GIVES THIS WONDERFUL GLOBAL JUSTIFICATION WHY TWO COUNTRIES HAVE TO GO THEIR, THEY'RE SEPARATE WAYS SOMETIMES.
UM, 'CAUSE IT ULTIMATELY IS A BREAKUP LETTER, RIGHT? IT, IT'S, IT'S A BREAKUP LETTER.
SO IN THE BEGINNING, JEFFERSON SAYS, HEY, IT'S, IT'S THE LAW OF NATURE.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS.
AND WHEN WE DO HAVE TO GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS, HE SAYS, IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO TELL YOU WHY WE HAVE TO GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS.
AND THAT'S THE BODY OF, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE BODY OF THE, THE, UM, UM, DECLARATION.
THE BODY OF THE DECLARATION THEN IS ALL THE PROBLEMS THEY HAVE WITH THE KING.
ALL THE, HE, HE, HE'S, UM, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SOME OF THEM AROUND TOWN, UM, YOU KNOW, ATTACKING THE KING FOR ALL, ALL THE THINGS HE'S DONE TO US, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE THE KING DIDN'T PASS ANY OF THE LAWS THAT, THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? HE JUST DIDN'T PROTECT THEM.
SO THE BODY IS ALL, ALL THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE GLOBAL JUSTIFICATION.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE CONCLUSION, THE EVIDENCE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY ULTIMATELY DECIDE TO FORMALLY DECLARE THEIR INDEPENDENCE.
UM, THEY THINK THEY'RE INDEPENDENT.
NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD DOES AT THAT TIME.
THEY'RE LITERALLY THE ONLY ONES, UH, WHO WHO DO.
UM, SO BEFORE WE JUMP INTO THE DOCUMENT, JUST, UH, I, I WROTE DOWN JUST A FEW THINGS TO KIND OF THINK, THINK ABOUT THAT WE OFTEN DON'T THINK ABOUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE DECLARATION.
UM, ONE, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, 250 YEARS LATER, UH, HINDSIGHT IS 2020, UM, THE, THE ODDS WERE SO MUCH AGAINST, UM, THE COLONISTS ACHIEVING THEIR INDEPENDENCE.
UM, THE SUCCESS WAS, YOU KNOW, UH, WAS, WAS FAR FROM ASSURED.
UM, THE MEN WHO WROTE THE DOCUMENT, THEY KNEW, THEY A HUNDRED PERCENT KNEW THEIR LIVES WERE ON THE LINE.
AND IT'S PRETTY REMARKABLE, UM, UM, TO THINK THAT THEY STILL DID IT.
THERE'S O THERE'S ACTUALLY 26 CO, UH, BRITISH COLONIES IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE AT THIS TIME.
OKAY? THE REASON FOR THAT, PRIMARILY BECAUSE THEY WERE CONTIGUOUS, AND PRIMARILY BECAUSE THESE WERE THE 13 WHERE PEOPLE MOVED TO, OKAY? THE OTHER 13, WHICH WERE MOSTLY IN THE CARIBBEAN AND, AND QUEBEC, UM, WERE VERY, VERY DIFFERENT SUPPORT FOR THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, ONLY A THIRD OF THE POPULATION SUPPORTED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
THE OTHER THIRD WERE LOYALISTS.
THE OTHER THIRD SAID, LEAVE ME ALONE.
UM, ONE FINAL OR TWO FINAL THINGS, UM, IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.
WE ARE ONE OF THE ONLY NATIONS FOUNDED ON AN IDEA, WHICH, WHICH IS PRETTY WILD TO THINK ABOUT.
AND THAT IDEA IS ARTICULATED IN THE DECLARATION.
UM, AND ONE OF THE BEAUTIES OF THE DECLARATION IS IT'S, UM, THE NATURE OF IT TO EVOLVE.
AND JEFFERSON CERTAINLY KNEW THAT AS HE WAS WRITING IT, UM, THAT HE WAS WRITING SOMETHING THAT WOULD EVOLVE WITH TIME.
HOWEVER, I THINK HE'D BE ROLLING OVER IN HIS GRAVE IF HE KNEW WE WERE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT TODAY.
'CAUSE HE LIKED A LITTLE REVOLUTION EVERY NOW AND THEN.
SO HE THOUGHT THERE'D BE SOMETHING BIGGER AND BETTER BY NOW.
UM, LITTLE, LITTLE, LITTLE DID HE KNOW.
UM, AND THE FINAL THING IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE IMPLICATION OF THE DECLARATION, WHAT IT DID AT THE TIME AND WHAT IT DID, UM, FOR THE FUTURE.
ACTUALLY, QUICK SIDE NOTE, AT THE TIME, FOR THE FIRST 10 YEARS OR SO, NOBODY EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THE DECLARATION.
AND IT WASN'T TILL AROUND THE YEAR 1800 WHEN THAT PEOPLE REALLY STARTED TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE, UM, AND THINK ABOUT IT MORE.
AND THE WORLD STARTED TO TAKE NOTICE MORE, RIGHT? I MEAN, CERTAINLY BY 1789, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FRENCH, YOU
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KNOW, LATCHED ONTO IT, AND THEY'LL BE THE, KIND OF THE FIRST COUNTRY TO LATCH ONTO THE IDEAS OF THE DECLARATION.BUT, UM, INTERESTING, INTERESTING FACT, CURRENTLY, OF THE 193 NATIONS IN THE UNITED NATIONS, MORE THAN HALF OF THEM HAVE A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE SIMILAR TO OURS THAT NOT ONLY IS A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, BUT IT'S ALSO OUTLINING THE BASIS FOR A NEW COUNTRY.
SO, WITH THAT AND SOME TEASERS ABOUT ENLIGHTENMENT, I KNOW FRED LIKES TO TALK ABOUT THE ENLIGHTENMENT.
WE'LL, UM, WE'LL JUMP INTO IT.
UH, WE REALLY WANT A ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION.
SO, UH, MY THOUGHT IS, UH, LET'S, LET'S DIVE IN.
LET'S START WITH THE DOCUMENT.
AND, UH, THE, THE HEADLINE IS A SENTENCE, UH, IN CONGRESS, JULY 4TH, 1776, DECLARATION BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME PEOPLE ARE SEEING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THIS IS, THIS IS IT THAT IN WRITING ON THESE, THESE BROAD SIDES, THE, THE TWO OVER THERE WERE, UH, BROAD SIDES THAT WERE DISTRIBUTED, UH, AFTER IT WAS WRITTEN.
THE, THE ONE IN YOUR HANDS IS THE FOWL BROADSIDE, UH, PUBLISHED IN EXETER, UH, NEW HAMPSHIRE IN, UH, 16 TO 18 JULY.
UM, AND, UH, NOTICE IT DOESN'T HAVE ALL THE SIGNERS, UH, OR THE DECLARATION.
IT JUST HAS JOHN HANCOCK AND, UH, CHARLES THOMPSON AT THE BOTTOM.
UH, BUT THIS IS HOW PEOPLE MISSING THE DECLARATION, NOT NOT THIS DOCUMENT BEHIND ME THAT WAS CREATED IN 1823.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS A, UH, FACSIMILE OF THE DECLARATION THAT IS IN, UH, IN THE NITROGEN CASE IN WASHINGTON.
THE, UH, NATIONAL TREASURE DOCUMENT.
UH, BUT THIS IS NOT HOW PEOPLE WERE EXPERIENCING THE DECLARATION FOR THE MOST PART.
UH, THEY WERE EXPERIENCING IT.
LIKE, WHAT, WHAT IS IN YOUR HANDS? UM, BUT THE CREATION MOMENT HAPPENS IN THIS DOCUMENT FOR MOST PEOPLE.
IT WAS THE COLONIES PRIOR, AND THE STATES, AFTER JULY 4TH, THAT MOMENT WAS, WAS WHEN THE SWITCH WAS, WAS THROWN.
WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS, IT BECOMES NECESSARY FOR ONE PEOPLE TO DISSOLVE THE POLITICAL BANS, WHICH HAVE CONNECTED THEM WITH ANOTHER.
AND TO ASSUME AMONG THE POWERS OF THE EARTH, THE SEPARATE AND EQUAL STATION TO WHICH THE LAWS OF NATURE AND, AND OF NATURE'S, GOD ENTITLES THEM.
A DECENT RESPECT TO THE OPINIONS OF MANKIND, REQUIRES THAT THEY SHOULD DECLARE THE CAUSES WHICH IMPEL THEM TO THE SEPARATION, THE LAWS OF NATURE.
JEFFERSON TOOK A BIBLE AND CUT OUT ALL OF THE SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS OF A BIBLE.
HERESY WAS A CRIME IN VIRGINIA AT THAT TIME.
THIS WAS A REVOLUTIONARY ACT THAT HE WAS COMMITTING.
UH, AND THIS, THIS, UH, ENLIGHTENMENT VIEW OF A LAW, LAW OF NATURE NEXT TO NATURE'S GOD IS AN EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT.
UH, ABSOLUTELY REVOLUTIONARY, ABSOLUTELY COMPLETELY REVOLUTIONARY AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
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.
DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT? I THINK WE SHOULD OPEN THIS UP.
'CAUSE THIS, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THIS.
IT'S REALLY NOT A BOOK, BUT A, A PAMPHLET ON THAT SENTENCE.
SO I JUST, I KNOW THAT THE WORDS THAT YOU JUST READ ARE PRACTICALLY ARE TAKEN FROM JOHN LOCKE MM-HMM
SO WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, HE DID NOT COME UP WITH ALL THESE IDEAS HIMSELF.
SO THERE MUST HAVE BEEN IDEAS IN THE ATMOSPHERE, LET US SAY.
SO WHAT CAN WE ATTRIBUTE TO HIM? AND MAYBE, MAYBE, AND TO JOHN LOCKE,
[00:25:01]
IF THAT'S TWO DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.SO, UH, CAN, I'M GONNA REPEAT THE QUESTION.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER, BUT
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT YOU, UH, YOU'RE SAYING.
AND, UH, AND WHICH ARE MORE, MORE OF THE OTHER FOUNDERS OR JEFFERSON, AND WHICH ARE LOCKE'S IDEAS.
I'VE GOTTA TURN TO YOU AS WELL ON THAT.
I THINK, I THINK HUME IS ACTUALLY MORE HERE THAN LOCKE, POSSIBLY, BUT, UH, AGAIN, ARE THEY, WORDS ARE TAKEN FROM LOCK.
THEY ARE DIRECTLY FROM
THE CLARIFICATION IS THAT, THAT IT WAS FROM LOCKE'S, UH, CHANGING LOCKE'S VIEW TERM OF PROPERTY TO THE WORD HAPPINESS.
UM, SO JOHN LOCKE, UH, APPROXIMATELY WHAT YEARS DO YOU RECALL? I, I DUNNO, BUT BEFORE HIM, OBVIOUSLY
SO, UM, I, I CAN SPEAK TO A, A LITTLE BIT.
SO REALLY IN THE DECLARATION, THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S ORIGINAL JEFFERSON ORIGINAL.
UM, IT'S HIS ABILITY TO PUT IT IN A VERY PALATABLE PROSE AND DISTILL IT DOWN TO, TO THE COURT, TO, TO APPEAL TO PEOPLE'S EMOTION.
UH, THE SHIFT FROM PROPERTY TO PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS IS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY SCRUTINIZED THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S A COUPLE OBVIOUS REASONS WHY HE CHANGES FROM PROPERTY.
UM, UM, THE FIRST OF WHICH NOT EVERYONE OWNS PROPERTY.
AND, UM, AND THIS, YOU KNOW, WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, WHO IS HE REALLY TALKING ABOUT? UM, CERTAINLY NOT TALKING ABOUT, UM, ANYONE OF COLOR, RIGHT? UM, AND HE'S SAYING THAT, UM, BUT IF, IF YOU WERE TO SAY PROPERTY, THEN, UM, LET ME STEP BACK BY, BY OPENING IT TO PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IN MY, IN MY CLASS, I, I'M SURE I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT, UM, LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS? LIKE, YOU, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO PURSUE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS.
I MEAN, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WROTE THAT ON A PAPER, I'D PUT AN EXTRA, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT IT'S IN THE VAGUENESS THAT I THINK THEY, AT THE SAME TIME IT'S IN, IT'S IN THE VAGUENESS AND THE OPENNESS OF IT THAT ALLOWS FOR, IT'S ESSENTIALLY OPPORTUNITY THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT JEFFERSON'S TRYING TO SAY.
THAT, UM, THAT ALL MEN ARE BREAST BLESSED WITH LIFE, LIBERTY AND, AND THE OPPORTUNITY, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD BE.
BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, BUT, BUT THAT ONE, FROM, FROM CERTAINLY THE, THE MOST POPULAR FROM LOCKE, I'D SAY 1689 TREAT IS ON GOVERNMENT.
UM, I JUST ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT ON FRIDAY NIGHT, WHEN, UM, NEXT FRIDAY ON THE FIFTH, WHEN JONATHAN KIRK IS PERFORMING AS THOMAS JEFFERSON, ONE OF THE VIGNETTES THAT HE'LL DO IS A DISCUSSION OF THE PHILOSOPHIES.
ONE OF THE VIGNETTES THAT HE WILL DO IS A DISCUSSION OF THE PHILOSOPHERS THAT HAD, UM, THAT HE WAS THINKING OF AS HE WAS DRAFTING THE DECLARATION.
SO YOU'LL GET MORE INFORMATION THEN.
AND, AND THAT, THAT LINE, YOU KNOW, UM, IT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS TO, TO THINK ABOUT IS HOW OTHER GROUPS HAVE GRABBED THAT LINE AND USED IT.
RIGHT? SO IT'LL BE THE, THE EARLY WOMEN'S MOVEMENT IN THE 1840S.
UM, BUT, BUT WE WERE KIND OF THE FIRST TO GRAB IT.
AND, AND AT THE 1848 SENECA FALLS CONVENTION, THEY TOTALLY REWRITE THE DECLAR.
THEY HAVE THE DECLARATION OF SENTIMENTS, WHICH IS BASED ON THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, WHICH IS JUST, UH, A FAB.
WE SHOULD DO A NIGHT ON THAT ONE TOO.
UM, AND THEN, UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK FORWARD, I MEAN, WE'LL COME RIGHT UP TO, TO 20TH CENTURY.
HARVEY MILK WILL USE THAT LINE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ASTOUNDING HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL TAKE THAT LINE.
WE KEEP, IT KEEPS EVOLVING, UM, FROM THIS IDEA, UH, LIKE FRED SAID, THAT IT'S A NATURAL, RIGHT? THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL TO, YOU KNOW, ALL WOMEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, AND THEN IT DOESN'T MATTER THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN, RIGHT? ALL THESE THINGS.
UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE, I THINK THE, THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT THAT WE, WE'LL, WE'LL PROCEED, THIS IS, IS TOO IMPORTANT, UM, THAT TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS.
GOVERNMENTS ARE INSTITUTED AMONGST MEN DERIVING THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED, THAT WHENEVER ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT BECOMES DESTRUCTIVE OF THESE ENDS, IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE
[00:30:01]
PEOPLE TO ALTER OR TO ABOLISH IT.AND TO INSTITUTE NEW GOVERNMENT LAYING ITS FOUNDATION ON SUCH PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZING ITS POWERS IN SUCH FORM AS TO THEM, SHALL SEEM MOST LIKELY TO AFFECT THEIR SAFETY AND HAPPINESS.
PRUDENCE INDEED WILL DICTATE THAT GOVERNMENT'S LONG ESTABLISHED SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED FOR LIGHT AND TRANSIENT CAUSES.
AND ACCORDINGLY, ALL EXPERIENCE HATH SHOWN THAT MANKIND ARE MORE DISPOSED TO SUFFER WHILE EVILS ARE SUFFERABLE, THAN TO WRITE THEMSELVES BY ABOLISHING THE FORMS TO WHICH THEY ARE AC ACCUSTOMED.
BUT WHEN A LONG TRAIN OF ABUSES AND USER PATIENCE, PURSUING INVARIABLY THE SAME OBJECT EVENTS AS A DESIGN TO REDUCE THEM UNDER ABSOLUTE DESPOTISM, IT IS THEIR RIGHT.
IT IS THEIR DUTY TO, TO THROW OFF SUCH GOVERNMENT AND TO PROVIDE NEW GUARDS FOR THEIR FUTURE SECURITY.
SUCH HAS BEEN THE PATIENT'S SUFFRAGE OF THESE COLONIES AND SUCH IS NOW THE NECESSITY WHICH CONSTRAINS THEM TO ALTER THEIR FORMER SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT.
THE HISTORY OF THE PRESENT KING OF GREAT BRITAIN IS A HISTORY OF REPEATED INJURIES AND US OF PATIENTS ALL HAVING INDIRECT OBJECT, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ABSOLUTE TYRANNY OF OVER THESE STATES TO PROVE THIS, LET FACTS BE SUBMITTED TO A CANDID WORLD.
AND THAT, SO THIS, UH, THIS IS THE INTRODUCTION, THIS IS THE PREAMBLE THAT YOU'VE JUST HEARD.
IT'S EXTRAORDINARY BECAUSE PRIOR TO THIS, I DON'T THINK THAT ANYWHERE IN, IN PHILOSOPHY, IN, IN LITERATURE, AND YOU CAN CALL ME OUT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THE DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS HAS BEEN SO BLATANTLY OVERTHROWN.
UH, THE, IT'S, IT'S EXTRAORDINARY, THIS, THIS MOMENT.
UH, SO, UH, JUST, JUST SO MAGNIFICENTLY, UH, DESCRIBING ALL THAT, THAT, THAT HAD PASSED HIS, UH, MR. SMITH'S GREAT, GREAT SUMMARY.
UM, AND, AND THIS IN SUCH MAGNIFICENT LANGUAGE, UH, UH, SUMMARIZING IT AS WELL.
SHALL WE GO TO THE GRIEVANCES?
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WHAT FOLLOWS IS A LIST OF THINGS FOR WHICH PEOPLE HAVE RESOLVED AFTER GREAT CONSIDERATION, UH, TO BE WILLING TO DIE FOR.
THAT'S, I MEAN, I JUST CAN'T OVERSTATE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT.
AND THEY SAY AT THE END, NOT TO JUMP TO THE END, BUT THEY SEAL THAT AT THE END WITH THEIR OWN SACRED HONOR AND SAY, WE WILL GO TO THE MAT FOR THIS.
SO THAT'S REALLY, I JUST AS A REMINDER, BEFORE YOU LAUNCH INTO THE GRIEVANCES, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT PIECE THOUGH? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THEY WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION.
I'LL JUST THROW IT OUT THERE BEFORE WE HOP INTO THE GRIEVANCES.
UH, THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED IS VERY PROVOCATIVE.
WHO'S THE PER, WHO'S, THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED DOES NOT EXIST ANYWHERE.
THEY ANNOUNCE LIKE, OH, GOVERNMENT'S OUR INSTITUTE.
I LIKE, I I WAS STRUCK BY THAT, UH, LINE WHERE THEY SAY THAT, THAT TO, UH, ATTAIN THESE RIGHTS, UH, GOVERNMENTS ARE INSTITUTED AMONG MEN.
WELL, WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN INSTITUTED UP UNTIL THEN?
BELIEVE IT, AND IT WILL HAPPEN.
AND ALSO, YEAH, THAT'S DEFINITELY, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU, THAT'S VERY LOCKIAN.
YOU KNOW, THAT MEN, UH, THAT, UM, MEN, IN ORDER TO HAVE HAPPY LIES, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY, HAVE TO, UM, GET AMONG AGREE AMONG THEMSELVES HOW TO LIVE.
AND THIS IS VERY FROM LOCKE, I THINK I WAS RECENTLY SPEAKING WITH SOMEONE FROM SCOTLAND WHO PROUDLY SAID THAT ACTUALLY, THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THAT THERE
[00:35:01]
IS A REBELLION AGAINST THE KING.THE SCOTS ALSO TRIED TO, AND THEIR DECLARATION TO THE KING AT THAT TIME WAS VERY SIMILAR TO THIS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THAT? ANY IDEAS? OKAY.
THEY HAD THEIR OWN CAKE, THOUGH.
IT WASN'T AS WELL, IT WASN'T AS WELL WRITTEN.
AND THEY DIDN'T GET TO, TO LEAVE.
THEY SUPPORTED THEIR OWN CAKE.
SO THIS WAS, THIS WAS IN, IN 46, BUT THEY HAD THEIR OWN SCOTTISH.
SO THIS WAS, WOULD BE IN THE, IN THE ARISING OF 46, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT BARNEY PRINCE CHARLIE'S, YEAH.
SO THE, YOU KNOW, COMING AFTER THE HANOVERIAN PRETENDER, UH, OKAY.
TO COME BACK TO THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED FOR A SECOND, WHOSE CONSENT, LIKE, THAT'S STRIKES ME.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERN, WHO'S CONSENTING TO BEING GOVERNED, LIKE WHO'S, WHO'S, WHO'S GIVING THE GOVERNMENT POWER, LIKE THEMSELVES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 3% OF THE COLONIAL POPULATION CAN VOTE OR WHATEVER.
I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE, WE TEND TO THINK ABOUT IT AS THIS AMAZING THING.
AGAIN, IT'S CERTAINLY FOR THE TIME, IT'S, IT'S RADICAL.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY THE TALK, THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED IS, IS SOMETHING THAT, SOMETHING ELSE THAT WILL EVOLVE.
UM, BUT, BUT IT'S INTERESTING THAT HE TALKS ABOUT CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED AS IF IT'S LIKE, OH, EVERYONE CONSENTS.
WELL, MOST VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN THE COLONIES CAN'T VOTE.
SO JUST SOMETHING ELSE TO THINK ABOUT.
TALK ABOUT MAYBE WELL, WELL, YEAH.
E EVERY, EVERY WELL, WHITE LAND OWNING MEN.
IN SOME STATES, IT WAS ALSO A, UM, A MONETARY REQ REQUIREMENT AS WELL.
AND OR, OR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LAND.
WHEN, WHEN JEFFERSON WROTE ALL MEN, DO YOU THINK HE WAS REFERRING TO THOSE MEN WHO WOULD, WOULD HAVE THOSE VOTING QUALIFICATIONS? OR, AND, AND THAT THE DOCUMENT WOULD KIND OF EVOLVE OR THERE WOULD BE NEW DOCUMENTS THAT WOULD EXPAND IT? OR WHEN HE SAID MEN, WAS IT A BROADER VIEW THAT, YOU KNOW, LINCOLN WOULD MAYBE SAY THAT, UM, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN IT WAS PRACTICAL TO HAVE THE REALITIES EXPAND THE VIEW OF THEM, UM, THEN THAT MIGHT BECOME ENFORCED? I'D SAY YES.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT WAS, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE THAT WE WENT THROUGH IN TRYING TO, TO LOOK AT THESE, UH, DOCUMENTS.
AND WHO WAS REALLY, WHO WAS HE THINKING OF? WAS HE THINKING OF THE FUTURE, UH, SORT OF A, A, AN ABSTRACT SOCIETY, OR WAS HE THINKING OF HIS, HIS FELLOW, UH, SLAVE LEARNING ARISTOCRATS? UM, IT'S, IT IS, IT IS HARD TO TO KNOW.
UH, BUT THE DOCUMENT, THE WAY WE WANT IT, UH, IS A, IS A BEAUTIFUL THING.
AND HE CONTRADICTS HIMSELF SO MANY TIMES.
I MEAN, HE, HE COMES OUT ANTI-SLAVERY, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, PHILOSOPHICALLY.
HE WAS A, HE WAS A LOUSY, UH, SLAVE OWNER.
UH, IF THERE CAN BE A GOOD ONE, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT, UH, BUT HE WAS, HE WAS HORRIFIC.
I MEAN, HIS, HIS, WE DON'T NEED, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GO INTO THE RECORD HERE, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ABYSMAL.
AND TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T PUT OUR 2026 LENS ON IT, HIS WORLDVIEW, HIS SENSIBILITIES ARE SO FOREIGN INTO US.
SO WHEN HE SAYS ALL MEN, HE MIGHT BE REALLY THINKING ALL MEN IN HIS EYES, AND THEN YOU CAN ASK HIM, WELL, IS THAT PERSON CONSIDERED A MAN? AND HE WOULD SAY, NO.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, IT WOULD, IT, IT'S, IT'S HARD FOR US TO KIND OF COMPREHEND THAT.
SO THAT MIGHT BE HIS TRUTH AT THAT TIME IN HIS MIND.
AND, AND JEFFERSON IS JUST SUCH, UM, AN ENIGMA IN SO MANY WAYS THAT, THAT SOMEONE WHO CAN, CAN WRITE ONE OF THE MOST LIBERATING THINGS IN THE WORLD, ALSO ENSLAVED TO OTHER HUMAN BEINGS IS JUST, UH, IT'S, IT'S HARD FOR US TO EVEN COMPREHEND.
DO YOU HAVE SOME GRIEVANCES YOU WANT TO READ? SURE.
LET'S, UM, WE CAN HOP INTO THE GRIEVANCES.
UM, WELL, I'LL OPEN IT UP IF ANYONE WANTS TO.
ANYONE HAS A FAV IN GR GRIEVANCE, MAYBE THEY'VE SEEN AROUND OR, UM, ONE THAT'S TIMELY.
I CERTAINLY DON'T THINK HE, UH, INCLUDED THE NATIVE AMERICANS AS MEN.
AND HE SEEMED TO, UH, HE SEEMED TO INSINUATE THAT ENGLAND WAS REVVING UP THE NATIVES.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT LINE THAT THAT IS.
[00:40:02]
YEAH.AND, AND HE WAS REFERRING TO, UM, YEAH.
AND, BUT WHAT HE WAS REFERRING TO IS, UH, I MENTIONED THE PROCLAMATION OF 1763 EARLIER, WHICH HAD, UM, STOPPED COLONIAL SETTLEMENT SETTLEMENT WEST OF THE APPALACHIANS.
UM, IT WAS LARGELY BECAUSE OF NATIVE AMERICAN CONFLICTS WITH, WITH WHITE SETTLERS.
UM, WAS THE KING EXCITING DOMESTIC INSURRECTIONS? NO, HE WAS NOT, UH, JEFFERSON WAS EXAGGERATING.
UM, BY NOT HELPING US, YOU'RE INCITING IT.
THAT THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT JEFFERSON THAT'S THE POINT HE WAS TRYING TO PROVE.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY NATIVE AMERICANS WERE, WERE, WERE NOT IN, IN THAT MAN CATEGORY.
I MEAN, THEY WERE CONSIDERED THE SAME AS THE ENSLAVED.
UM, AND THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH, THERE'S A WHOLE SECTION OF THIS DOCUMENT, THE, THE LARGEST OMISSION IN JEFFERSON'S ORIGINAL DRAFT.
HE HAS A WHOLE, UH, SE, UH, SECTION SAYING HOW WRONG IT WAS THAT GREAT BRITAIN ENGAGES IN THE SLAVE TRADE.
AND IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S WILD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT JEFFERSON PUT THAT IN THERE AGAIN, THIS, THIS, THIS MAN IS SUCH AN ENIGMA.
UM, AND NOT SURPRISING THAT IT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE FINAL DRAFT.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE GUYS WHO SIGNED THIS DOCUMENT WERE SLAVE OWNERS.
UM, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SAY SOMETHING THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD DAMAGE THEM.
BECAUSE IF THEY WOULD PUT, IF THEY WERE TO PUT THAT IN THERE AND THIS EXPERIMENT WAS SUCCESSFUL, THEY'D HAVE TO RECKON WITH THAT AND ESSENTIALLY END SLAVERY.
BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, THAT'S A, AGAIN, A GRIEVANCE THAT, THAT NEVER MADE IT IN THERE.
THE 3% THAT ARE CONSIDERED TO BE MEN, 'CAUSE THEY'RE LANDHOLDERS.
WERE THEY EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AROUND THE 13 COLONIES, OR WERE THEY MOSTLY IN THE SOUTH? NO, UM, MO MOSTLY IN THE SOUTH, BUT, SO A LOT OF THE WEALTHY THAT LIVED IN THE NORTH WERE IN THE URBAN CENTERS, BUT STILL HAD LAND HOLDINGS.
SO EVEN THOUGH YOU DIDN'T OWN A PLANTATION, YOU WERE A SILVERSMITH IN NEW YORK.
HE STILL HAD LAND INTEREST IN THE HUDSON VALLEY, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT WHEN, WHEN HE WAS SAYING ALL MEN, HE CERTAINLY MEANT ALL WHITE MEN.
HE DIDN'T MEAN THAT, HE DIDN'T MEAN THE MI THE MINORITY.
HE MEANT ALL, ALL WHITE MEN WERE, WERE, UH, YOU KNOW, CREATED EQUAL MM-HMM
UM, BUT AGAIN, GOING BACK TO ERIC'S QUESTION FROM BEFORE, AND HIS SENSIBILITIES, THEY HAD A VERY FIRM BELIEF IN THE NATURAL ORDER O OF THINGS.
UM, AND THAT PEOPLE WERE BORN INTO A CERTAIN STATION, AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO LEAVE THAT STATION.
THEY BELIEVED WITH TIME, YOU CAN, THERE IS LEVELS OF SOCIAL MOBILITY, NOTHING LIKE WE WOULD SEE LATER IN, IN THE US, BUT THERE WAS A BELIEF THAT IF YOU, YOU KNOW, BECAME EDUCATED, IF YOU WERE SHREWD IN BUSINESS, AND YOU CAN RISE TO THIS, AND THIS, AGAIN, THIS WAS ALSO VERY RADICAL FOR THE TIME THINKING ABOUT WHO WERE THE WEALTHY IN ENGLAND.
THEY WERE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE BORN INTO WEALTH.
SO THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN BE AN UPSTART, UM, WAS VERY, VERY RADICAL FOR THE TIME.
SO HE, HE CERTAINLY MEANT ALL MEN AND CREATED EQUAL.
AND THAT, THAT'S WHERE THAT PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS THING COMES, COMES IN, IS THAT WE'RE GONNA CREATE A COUNTRY WHERE EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT EVERYONE IN QUOTATIONS, EVERY WHITE GUY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND THAT THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE, THE NATURE OF IT, THAT IT'S JUST SIMPLY BEING BORN.
UM, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
I THINK FOR VOTING, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THAT HE DOESN'T SPECIFY WHO, THEN HE DOESN'T SPECIFY EVERY WHITE MAN.
HE DOESN'T SPECIFY WHAT HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN THINKING.
AND THAT'S MAYBE THE BEAUTY OF THE DOCUMENT.
BUT HE DOESN'T SPECIFY BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE TO, 'CAUSE ANYONE WHO'S READING THIS DOCUMENT KNOWS WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT, BUT YOU'RE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE HOORAY FOR US IN OUR COUNTRY RIGHT.
UM, BUT, BUT YEAH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT THAT BRINGS UP THE QUESTION.
THE 97% WHO WERE NOT CONSIDERED MEN ABLE TO VOTE, HOW DID THEY FEEL ABOUT THAT? THEY WERE UNEQUAL.
THEY WERE UNEQUAL, BUT THEY HAD THE PROSPECT OF OPPORTUNITY AND THEY WERE SUPPORTING THEM BECAUSE THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND, AND WHAT, AND, AND THAT'S WHY, WHY, AND, AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE BEGINNING IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOME TAXES THAT ARE GONNA AFFECT MORE OF THE WEALTHY, BUT WHEN THEY START TO DO THINGS THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY DRACONIAN, RIGHT.
UM, LIKE CLOSING THE PORT OF BOSTON, WHICH, YOU KNOW, TAKING AWAY THEIR COURTS, THEN IT AFFECTS EVERYONE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHEN THOMAS PAYNE REALLY HAMMERS AT HOME OF, NONE OF US ARE GONNA GET A FAIR SHAKE.
I ALSO SAY SOMETHING IN TURN, YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT VOTING.
WAS IT TRUE THAT WOMEN WHO LIVED IN NEW JERSEY WERE ABLE TO VOTE UP UNTIL A CERTAIN NUMBER
[00:45:01]
OF YEARS, AND THEN AFTER THAT POINT THEY HAD TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER A HUNDRED YEARS UNTIL THERE'S SOME WEIRD FACTOID AND I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT COME ABOUT.THE, AND THAT I, I, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DETAILS, BUT THERE'S SOME WEIRD FACTOID ABOUT THAT, UM, THAT I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF.
IT WAS VERY, VERY, WHATEVER IT WAS, WAS VERY, VERY SMALL.
AND, AND THE FIRST TIME WE REALLY SEE WOMEN VOTING WON'T BE TILL THE END OF THE CENTURY IN THE AMERICAN WEST.
UM, LIKE WYOMING, FOR EXAMPLE, WOMEN CAN VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN 1896, I THINK THE FIRST ELECTION THEY CAN VOTE IN.
UM, THEN OF COURSE, 1920 WITH, WITH, WITH WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE.
UM, BUT, UM, BUT AGAIN, AND JUST, IT'S INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED WOMEN, 'CAUSE WOMEN ARE, UM, ONE OF THE GREATEST BENEFACTORS OF THIS DOCUMENT, UM, REALLY LOOKING AT THEIR DECLARATION OF SENTIMENTS, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE IN 1848.
AND THEY'LL TAKE THAT DECLARATION OF SENTIMENTS, AND THEY WILL USE THAT RIGHT UP UNTIL 1920.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA CHANGE IT AND MORPH IT, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT THEY WILL, IF YOU LOOK AT WOMEN'S RHETORIC, UM, IN, YOU KNOW, THE LATE 19 TEENS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THROWING THIS OUT THERE A LOT.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, AGAIN, A TESTAMENT, UH, AND ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY THAT FIRST SECTION IN THOSE WORDS.
SO I'LL, I'LL CUT IT OVER THERE.
1790, HI, UH, LAST FALL I GOT TO VISIT THE FINAL HOME OF PATRICK HENRY RED HILL IN VIRGINIA.
AND THEY MAKE A BIG CASE FOR HOW MUCH HE INSPIRED JEFFERSON AND JEFFERSON AND WASHINGTON WENT AND HEARD HIM, AND HE WAS SUPPOSEDLY THE GREATEST ORDER IN AMERICA AND VERY FIERY.
I MEAN, HE WAS LIKE SORT OF GOING TO COUNTRY CHURCHES AND PREACHING.
SO THE, THE CONCEPT OF ALL MEN MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BROADER IN JEFFERSON'S MIND BECAUSE OF A GUY LIKE PATRICK HENRY.
I DON'T KNOW, DOES HE COME UP IN YOUR READINGS? THAT'S, YEAH.
THE, THE, THE QUINTESSENTIAL SELF-MADE MAN.
BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, PATRICK HENRY OF THE ELITES, HE'S THE ONE WHO'S MORE IN TOUCH OR ONE OF THE ONES WHO ARE MORE IN TOUCH WITH THE WRONG BENEATH THEM, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE SOCIAL STRATA BENEATH THEM.
I SORT OF HAVE AN OFF THE WALL QUESTION, BECAUSE THEY TAUGHT, USE THE WORD CREATOR.
ALL MEN ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR.
AND WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF TALK THAT WE ARE A CHRISTIAN NATION.
UM, HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT? THIS IS IN A WAY, IN MANY WAYS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CONSIDER THAT RELIGIOUS OR NON-RELIGIOUS.
I KNOW THEY WERE MOSTLY DEISTS.
SO HOW WOULD YOU, I DON'T KNOW, JUST TALK ABOUT THAT IF YOU CAN.
UM, DO YOU, DO YOU WANT TO, UH, DO YOU WANNA OUTLINE DIAZ? I MEAN, I I JUST TALKED ABOUT THE JEFFERSON BIBLE, BUT HOW, HOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE.
LET'S, ABOUT THE PHRASE THAT FRANK CHANGED, THAT'S A WHOLE HE WAS GONNA ANSWER.
I'M, I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS, WAIT, I THOUGHT YOU GONNA GIVE AN ANSWER? NO, NO.
AND, AND THAT WAS, WELL, THAT WAS RIGHT.
I'M SURE MANY OF YOU KNOW THIS STORY, BUT, UH, IN, IN THAT SECOND PARAGRAPH, UH, LINE 12, UH, THE, WE, UH, THE WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, UH, CAME OUT OF SOMETHING THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, AWKWARD, SACRED, AND YES.
BUT THAT WAS, UH, UH, FRANKLIN SHOWED EXTRAORDINARY RESTRAINT, DIDN'T HE? BUT I MEAN, THIS WAS AN AMAZING DOCUMENT, BUT HE WAS, HE WAS THERE IN THE ROOM.
UH, IT WAS, IT WAS, UH, THE COMMITTEE OF FIVE WERE ROGER SHERMAN AND WAS IT LIVINGSTON? AND, UH, AND ADAMS AND FRANKLIN AND JEFFERSON AND ROGER SHERMAN IN, IN LIVINGSTON BARELY SHOWED UP.
AND SO IT WAS REALLY BASICALLY THE THREE ADAMS AND FRANKLIN AND, AND JEFFERSON THAT, UH, THAT PUT IT TOGETHER.
JEFFERSON DOING THE FINAL SUB, UH, SUMMARY.
THE FINAL SUMMATION, WHAT WE MOSTLY SEE HERE.
[00:50:02]
AND, AND JUST TO COME BACK TO THE, I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU HANGING WITH THE, UM, BUTUM, AND JUST BECAUSE WE HAD CERTAIN COLONIES THAT WERE MORE RELIGIOUSLY TOLERANT, UM, DOESN'T MEAN IT WASN'T A CHRISTIAN NATION.
I MEAN, ALL THE GUYS IN THE ROOM WERE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, HAD CHRISTIANITY ON THEIR MINDS, EVEN IF SOME DIDN'T BELIEVE IT OR, OR WEREN'T IT, UH, FULLY.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO KIND OF CONFUSE OR CON, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BLUR THE LINES BETWEEN RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE AND, AND CHRISTIAN NATION IDEA.
I MEAN, IT'S CERTAINLY THE, IT'S, IT'S THE, IT'S IN THE DNA, THE IDEA OF CHRISTIANITY, FOR SURE.
AND MAYBE WE'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW.
UM, SHALL WE GRIEVE TOGETHER? SURE.
ONE'S BETTER THAN THE NEXT IN MY EYES.
SO IF SOMEONE HAS, UH, ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT THEY HAVE SEEN OR ARE CURIOUS ABOUT OR WANT TO TALK MORE ABOUT A OKAY, SURE.
SO I'LL READ, UM, I'LL READ A, UH, THE FIRST THREE OR FOUR, AND THEN MAYBE WE'LL PAUSE FOR SOME DISCUSSION.
UM, HE HAS REFUSED HIS ASCENT TO LAWS, THE MOST WHOLESOME AND NECESSARY FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD.
HE HAS FORBIDDEN HIS GOVERNORS TO PASS LAWS OF IMMEDIATE AND PRESSING IMPORTANCE UNLESS SUSPENDED IN THEIR OPERATION, TILL HIS ASSENT SHOULD BE OBTAINED AND WAS SO SUSPENDED.
HE HAS UTTERLY NEGLECTED TO ATTEND THEM.
HE HAS REFUSED TO PASS OTHER LAWS FOR THE ACCOMMODATION OF LARGE DISTRICTS OF PEOPLE, UNLESS THOSE PEOPLE WOULD RELINQUISH THE RIGHT OF REPRESENTATION IN THE LEGISLATURE, A RIGHT INESTIMABLE TO THEM, AND FORMIDABLE TO TYRANTS ONLY.
HE HAS CALLED TOGETHER LEGISLATIVE BODIES AT PLACES UNUSUAL, UNCOMFORTABLE, AND DISTANT FROM THE DEPOSITORY OF THEIR PUBLIC RECORDS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF FATIGUING THEM INTO COMPLIANCE WITH HIS MEASURES.
AND I'LL JUST PAUSE FOR A SECOND TO, TO WHAT I MENTIONED AT, AT THE OUTSET, EVERY GRIEVANCE IS A RESPONSE TO SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEM.
RIGHT? SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT A LOT OF THE THINGS ARE STRAIGHT FROM THE COURSE OF ACTS THAT HAPPENED, UH, IN THE FALL OF 74.
UM, AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IN TALKING ABOUT COLONIAL SOVEREIGNTY, COLONIAL GOVERNANCE, UM, HE'S RESPONDING TO THOSE, UH, TO THOSE THINGS.
UM, SO I'LL DO A COUPLE MORE THEN WE'LL, MAYBE WE'LL OPEN IT UP.
HE HAS DISSOLVED REPRESENTATIVE HOUSES REPEATEDLY FOR POSING THE MANLY FIRMNESS, HIS INVASIONS ON THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE.
HE HAS REFUSED FOR A LONG TIME AFTER SUCH DISSOLUTION TO CAUSE OTHERS TO BE ELECTED, WHEREBY THE LEGISLATIVE POWERS AND CAPABLE OF ANNIHILATION HAVE RETURNED TO THE PEOPLE AT LARGE FOR THEIR EXERCISE.
THE STATE REMAINING IN THE MEANTIME EXPOSED TO ALL THE DANGERS OF INVASION FROM WITHOUT AND CONVULSIONS WITHIN.
HE HAS ENDEAVORED TO PREVENT THE POPULATION OF THESE STATES FOR THAT PURPOSE, OBSTRUCTING THE LAWS FOR NATURALIZATION OF FOREIGNERS REFUSING TO PASS, UH, PASS OTHERS TO ENCOURAGE THEIR MIGRATIONS, HEATHER, AND RAISING THE CONDITIONS OF, UH, NEW APPROPRIATIONS OF LANDS.
UH, THAT, THAT LAST ONE IS, IS SO IMPORTANT, UM, 'CAUSE IT HITS A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I I MENTIONED THE PROCLAMATION OF 1763 AND THE SETTLEMENT WEST.
UM, AND SO MANY OF THE GUYS, UH, WASHINGTON ESPECIALLY, FOR EXAMPLE, HAD, WERE LAND SPECULATORS IN THE WEST.
AND WHEN WE SAY THE WEST IN 1776, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, WHAT IS NOW WEST VIRGINIA, UH, WESTERN PORTIONS OF, OF NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, SO, UH, AGAIN, STOPPING THEIR, THEIR SETTLEMENT OF WHAT THEY WOULD CALL FREE LAND.
OF COURSE, IT WAS, UH, ANYTHING BUT FREE WITH, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LIVING THERE.
UM, BUT THAT WAS SUCH A, UM, SUCH A BLOW TO THE COLONISTS THAT, THAT, UM, THEY WOULD, UM, THAT, THAT THE CROWN WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO EXPAND.
UM, AND THAT THAT'S REALLY EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT THAT ONE IS, UM, RESPONDING TO.
AND AS WELL AS WITH THE CROWN TAKING OVER, UM, THE GOVERNMENT, MAKING IT HARDER, FOR EXAMPLE, TO GET A LAND DEED EVEN.
EVEN JUST TO GET A LAND DEED APPROVED.
IT WAS NO LONGER IN THE, IN, IN THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT'S CONTROL.
ANY, ANY THOUGHTS CONTINUE SHALL YEAH.
HE HAS OBSTRUCTED THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE BY REFUSING HIS ASSENT TO LAWS FOR ESTABLISHING JUDICIARY POWERS.
HE HAS MADE JUDGES DEPENDENT UPON HIS WILL ALONE FOR THE TENURE OF THEIR OFFICES AND THE AMOUNT AND PAYMENT OF THEIR
[00:55:01]
SALARIES.HE HAS ERECTED A MULTITUDE OF NEW OFFICES AND SENT HITHER SWARMS OF OFFICERS TO HARASS OUR PEOPLE AND EAT OUT THEIR SUBSTANCE.
HE HAS KEPT AMONG US IN TIMES OF PEACE STANDING ARMIES WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF OUR LEGISLATURES.
I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY INTERESTING THAT LIKE A LOT OF THESE GRIEVANCES ARE IN HERE.
AND IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH WE SEE THAT THIS IS, THESE THINGS ARE CLEARLY THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THAT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH FOR THESE PEOPLE TO PUSH THEM IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME TO FEEL THAT THIS IS AN UNJUST ENOUGH GOVERNMENT TO WANT TO REBEL AND CREATE AN ENTIRELY NEW COUNTRY.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN A VERY POLARIZING TIME IN AMERICAN HISTORY AGAIN.
AND IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE SO MANY, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE EXACTLY EQUIVALENT, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY TIMES ARE VERY DIFFERENT AND THE LEVEL OF EVENTS THAT CAN HAPPEN IS DIFFERENT.
BUT IT'S INTERESTING TO ME TO SEE WHAT HAS PUSHED PEOPLE IN THE PAST TO WANT TO CREATE A NEW COUNTRY.
AND I THINK WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF DISCOURSE ABOUT WHAT THE FOUNDERS INTENDED WITH THE DOCUMENT, IT LITERALLY SAYS IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, IT'S INSINUATING THAT THE DOCUMENT IS MEANT TO CHANGE, AND THAT WHEN WE FIND IT DOESN'T SUIT US ANYMORE, WE SHOULD CHANGE IT.
ARE YOU CALLING FOR A REVOLUTION? MIKE
I'M STRUCK BY HOW ANGRY SOME OF THIS IS THE SWARMS. UM, WHERE'S THAT THING ABOUT, UH, THE SWARMS OF OFFICERS TO HARASS OUR PEOPLE? AND THIS, THIS PHRASE HERE, MAYBE YOU COULD TALK ABOUT IT, EAT OUT THEIR SUBSTANCE.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S FABULOUS.
THAT, THAT IS, THAT IS FABULOUS.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE ONES I THINK WE'RE SO OUT OF TOUCH WITH, AND THIS IS A DIRECT, UM, ASSAULT ON THE QUARTERING ACT, WHICH WAS, UM, YOU HAD A QUARTER BRITISH SOLDIERS, QUARTERING ALSO MEANT YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR THEM.
SO EAT OUT THEIR SUBSTANCES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SUBSTANCE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, THE BRITISH SOLDIERS ARE, ARE EATING.
UM, THE, THE IDEA OF A STANDING ARMY WAS THEY WERE SO FEARFUL OF A STANDING ARMY, SO FEARFUL OF A STANDING ARMY.
AND AGAIN, NOT TO FAST FORWARD TOO MUCH, BUT WITH THEIR FIRST CONSTITUTION, THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION, THERE ESSENTIALLY WASN'T A STANDING ARMY.
UM, WHICH IS, UH, CRAZY TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, BUT, UM, THE THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION, THE ONE NOBODY KNOWS, ANYONE KNOW THE THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION HOUSING OF SOLDIERS, RIGHT? HOW COME, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS SO, AND AGAIN, NOT TO FAST FORWARD TOO MUCH INTO THE FUTURE HERE FROM 76, BUT THIS, THIS WAS SUCH, UH, SUCH AN AFFRONT TO THEM THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ESSENTIALLY FOIST THEIR SOLDIERS, RIGHT? THEIR, THEIR, THEIR PAID SOLDIERS ONTO THEM, UM, UNDERMINING THEIR OWN COLONIAL SOVEREIGNTY, RIGHT? THAT WE CAN TAKE, YOU KNOW, THE COLUMNISTS FELT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES.
WE HAVE OUR COLONIAL MILITIAS THAT, UM, SO, SO NOT ONLY IS IT INTRUSIVE ON THEIR LIVES, BUT EVEN THE, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IDEA OF A STANDING ARMY, AND SO THAT YOU HAVE TO CARE FOR SOLDIERS.
SO, UM, SO THAT'S WHEN THEY DO MAKE THE NEW NATION, THEY'RE VERY, VERY COGNIZANT OF THAT.
UM, AND IT, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT AGAIN, THAT WE TEND NOT TO NECESSARILY THINK ABOUT.
UH, TOO OFTEN IT'S FOR JOHN, HE IS AFFECTED TO RENDER THE MILITARY INDEPENDENT IN, IN SUPERIOR TO THE CIVIL POWER HE HAS, COMBINED WITH OTHERS TO SUBJECT US TO A JURISDICTION FOREIGN TO OUR CONSTITUTION AND UNACKNOWLEDGED BY OUR LAWS, GIVING HIS ASCENT TO THEIR ACTS OF PRETENDED LEGISLATION FOR QUARTERING, LARGE BODIES OF ARMED TROOPS AMONG US, FOR PROTECTING THEM BY A MOCK TRIAL FROM PUNISHMENT, FOR ANY MURDERS, WHICH THEY SHOULD, SHOULD COMMIT ON THE INHABITANTS OF
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THESE STATES FOR CUTTING OFF OUR TRADE WITH ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD FOR IMPOSING TAXES ON US WITHOUT OUR CONSENT FOR DEPRIVING US IN MANY WAYS OF THE BENEFITS OF TRIAL BY JURY, FOR TRANSPORTING US BEYOND SEAS, TO BE TRIED FOR PRETENDED OFFENSES, FOR ABOLISHING THE FREE SYSTEM OF ENGLISH LAWS IN A NEIGHBORING PROVINCE, ESTABLISHING THEREIN AN ARBITRARY GOVERNMENT AND ENLARGING ITS BOUNDARIES SO AS TO RENDER IT AT ONCE AN EXAMPLE AND FIT INSTRUMENT FOR INTRODUCING THE SAME ABSOLUTE RULE INTO THESE COLONIES.WHAT IS THAT? I CAN ANSWER IT UNLESS SOMEONE WANTS TO PLEASE
UM, HE'S TALKING ABOUT QUEBEC.
SO, UH, THE QUEBEC ACT, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE INTOLERABLE ACTS, UM, ESSENTIALLY IT WAS SNEAKY BY THE BRITISH IN THE SENSE OF THEY WERE AFRAID THAT QUEBEC WAS ALSO GOING TO JOIN THE 13 COLONIES IN THEIR, AND THIS IS IN 1774 AFTER THE BOSTON TEA PARTY.
AND WE WERE, WE, NONE OF, I WASN'T HERE.
UM, UM, COLONISTS WERE TRYING TO GET QUEBEC.
UH, THE CONTINENTAL OF CONGRESS WAS, WAS REACHING OUT TO QUEBEC.
QUEBEC WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
THEY WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
QUEBEC HAD A SMALL POPULATION, AND IF YOU REMEMBER THAT THE, IN QUEBEC WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF, UM, THERE WERE A LOT, A LOT OF FRENCH MEN AND WOMEN.
UM, SO THE QUEBEC ACT IS AN ACT THAT WHILE THEY'RE PUNISHING THE 13 COLONIES, THEY ALLOW A COUPLE THINGS TO HAPPEN.
ONE, THEY LOOSEN, UM, THE, THE, UM, THEY ALLOW FOR MORE RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IN QUEBEC, THAT THEY CAN PRACTICE CATHOLICISM COMPLETELY FREELY NOW AS A KIND OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TO QUEBEC THAT, UM, FOR THEM NOT, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP THEM FROM JOINING WITH THE OTHER 13, BUT AT THE SAME TIME.
THEY ALSO, UM, ESTABLISH LIKE A, I'M PRETTY SURE IT WAS LIKE A, LIKE A ROYAL GOVERNOR.
THEY, THEY ESTABLISH A MORE DIRECT CONTROL OVER QUEBEC.
SO JEFFERSON IS JUST USING THIS BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, QUEBEC DOESN'T WANT ANY OF THIS.
UM, QUEBEC WANTED TO STAY AT, THEY, THEY, THERE WAS NO INDICATION THEY WANTED TO JOIN US.
THEY HAD NO REASON TO JOIN US.
UM, AND AGAIN, THEY WERE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MUCH SMALLER POPULATION, UM, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ECONOMIC SYSTEM, REALLY, UM, RELYING ON THE FUR TRADE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT JEFFERSON IS, IS TALKING ABOUT HERE.
AND, AND IT'S INTERESTING IN THAT THE ONES THAT FRED JUST READ, UM, I'LL JUST POINT OUT THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR JEFFERSON RANTING AS, AS HE'S WRITING THESE, UM, FOR CUTTING OFF OUR TRADE WITH ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD.
WELL, THE COLONIES COULDN'T TRADE WITH ANYWHERE, ANY, ANY OTHER COUNTRY.
ANYWAY, UNDER THE MERCANTILE, UH, SYSTEM, EVERYTHING HAD TO BE SHIPPED BACK TO BRITAIN.
THEY SMUGGLED A HECK OF A LOT.
BRITISH KNEW THEY SMUGGLED A HECK OF A LOT.
UM, BUT FOR CUTTING OFF OUR TRADE WITH ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD, WELL, SORRY, YOU KNOW, JEFFERSON FULLY KNOWS, THEY, THEY NEVER COULD FREELY TRADE YOU WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.
UM, OF COURSE, TAX IS HONEST WITHOUT CONSENT, RIGHT? ONE, ONE OF, UM, THE HUGE ONES, UM, ALONG WITH BENEFIT OF TRIAL BY JURY, AND THEN HE'S TALKING ABOUT ADMIRALTY COURTS, AND HE'S TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTING US BEYOND SEAS TO, TO BE TRIED FOR PRETENDED OFFENSES.
AGAIN, PRETENDED IS MAYBE A SUBJECTIVE TERM THAT JEFFERSON IS USING THERE.
UM, BUT IT'S, UH, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A RANT HERE IN THESE, IN THESE, YEAH.
IT KIND OF FEEL LIKE IT'S MORE SO THAN A BRAND.
IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE MARKETING, YOU KNOW, JOB.
LIKE HE'S THINKING WHAT ARE, WHAT'S GONNA APPEAL TO THESE PEOPLE? WHAT'S GONNA APPEAL TO LARGE PEOPLE? WHAT APPEAL? RIGHT? SO IT'S ALL THESE TERMS THAT ARE KIND OF GOING AGAINST PEOPLE ALL UP AND SAY, THAT'S RIGHT.
AND WE'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE BEEN ACTING POORLY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE ONES WHO ARE BEING TREATED TO BEING TREATED POORLY, SO THAT'S GONNA GET THEM TO REACT.
UM, PLAYING ON EMOTION, RIGHT? AND IT'S SUCH, AGAIN, BACK TO THE BRILLIANCE OF THE DOCUMENT.
IT'S SUCH A JUXTAPOSITION WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE FIRST TWO PARAGRAPHS THAT ARE JUST SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST SO RICH AND ROBUST IN THIS ENLIGHTENMENT THOUGHT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UH, DOWN TO THE, YOU KNOW, A FEW LINES DOWN, HE'S, HE'S PLAYING, HE'S A DEMAGOGUE PLAYING ON PEOPLE'S EMOTIONS, RIGHT? IN SO MANY WAYS.
UM, AND FOR THAT EXACT REASON.
BUT, UM, AND THAT'S AGAIN, THE BEAUTY OF THE DOCUMENT IS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ELITES ARE GONNA READ THE FIRST PART AND BE LIKE, OH, YES, YES.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHY WE, YOU KNOW, ENLIGHTENMENT THOUGHT AND THE REST WILL SAY, YEAH, YOU KNOW, LET'S GO GET THE PITCHFORKS AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S DO THIS.
YEAH, GREAT, GREAT POINT FOR TAKING AWAY OUR CHARTERS, ABOLISHING OUR MOST VALUABLE LAWS
[01:05:01]
AND ALTERING FUNDAMENTALLY THE FORMS OF OUR GOVERNMENTS FOR SUSPENDING OUR OWN LEGISLATURES AND DECLARING THEMSELVES INVESTED WITH POWER TO LEGISLATE FOR US IN ALL CASES WHATSOEVER.HE HAS ABDICATED GOVERNMENT HERE BY DECLARING US OUT OF HIS PROTECTION AND WAGING WAR AGAINST US.
HE HAS PLUNDERED OUR SEAS, RAVAGED OUR COASTS, BURNT OUR TOWNS, AND DESTROYED THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE.
UH, IS THAT MORE OF THE, UM, EXAGGERATION? POSSIBLY? YEAH, EXACT.
I DON'T SEE AS MUCH EE AH, EXAGGERATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, HE IS REALLY RAVAGING THE COAST, BURNING OUR TOWNS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, UH, B BOSTON, BOSTON WAS PRETTY, UM, YOU KNOW, BOSTON WAS SHUT OFF FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD.
AND IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, I WANT, I WANNA BE NICE TO BOSTON EVEN THOUGH I'M IN A ROOM IN NEW YORKERS.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I MEAN, BOSTON WAS NOT A WORLD TRADE CENTER THE WAY NEW YORK WAS.
UM, BUT FROM A COLONIAL STANDPOINT, IT WAS SO IMPORTANT FOR COMMERCE.
AND, UH, IT WAS ALSO THE HOTBED OF, OF THE REVOLUTION, UM, BECAUSE OF ALL THE AGITATORS THERE.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO BOSTON, AND THAT'S LARGELY WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT, RAVAGING OUR COS, BURNING OUR TOWNS.
UM, WHAT HAPPENED TO BOSTON WAS WHEN THE BOSTON PORT BILL WAS PASSED, WHICH IS ONE OF THE COERCIVE ACTS, THEY LITERALLY SHUT DOWN THE PORT OF BOSTON.
THEY ALSO HAD ALL ROADBLOCKS, UM, UM, TO GET OUT OF BOSTON.
AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, DESTROYING LIVES OF THE PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THERE ARE PLENTY OF STORIES OF PEOPLE TRYING TO GET FOOD.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, MAYBE A LITTLE EXAGGERATION 'CAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE HE'S, YOU KNOW, BURNT, BURNT EVERY TOWN, BUT JUST, UH, CERTAINLY THE INTRUSION, UM, IN BOSTON FOR SURE.
AND I THINK FALMOUTH, UH, FALMOUTH MAIN, YEAH.
ANY COMMENTS? UH, SO THIS IS THE ONE THAT PERTAINS TO HASTINGS ON HUDSON.
HE IS, AT THIS TIME TRANSPORTING LARGE ARMIES OF FOREIGN MERCENARIES TO COMPLETE THE WORKS OF DEATH.
DESOLATION AND TYRANNY ALREADY BEGUN WITH CIRCUMSTANCES OF CRUELTY AND PERTY, SCARCELY PARALLELED IN THE MOST BARBAROUS AGES AND TOTALLY UNWORTHY THE, THE HEAD OF A CIVILIZED NATION.
THAT IS THE BATTLE OF EDGAR'S LANE.
SO, UH, THIS IS THE, UH, AND WE USED THIS QUOTE ON PANEL FOUR, UH, WAS OUR LEAD QUOTE.
UM, AND SO THIS WAS THE, UH, AND, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU READ, UH, 1776.
UH, AND IN THAT, UH, IT, HE, HE TALKS ABOUT HOW, UH, THIS MOMENT WHERE THE HESSIANS ARE ARRIVING IN NEW YORK, UM, AND WHAT EFFECT IT HAD ON THE SIGNERS.
AND IT WAS REALLY THAT MOMENT THAT REALLY PUSHED, THAT ONE ISSUE IS PUSHED TO, UH, UNANIMITY ON THIS, UH, THE TRANSPORTATION OF, OF THE HESSIAN AUXILIARIES AS NILES CAME,
WE, ON OUR PANELS, WE QUOTED JEFFERSON, AND THEN WE ARGUED THE CASE THAT THEY WEREN'T MERCENARIES, RIGHT? MERCENARIES ARE INDIVIDUALS, AND THESE WERE, UH, ARMY'S OWNED BY PRINCETON THAT THEY LEASED TO ENGLAND AND SORT GOT SET HERE.
THEY DIDN'T CHOOSE TO COME HERE, WHICH WAS COMMON PRACTICE, RIGHT? I MEAN, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE ON REVOLUTIONARY HASTINGS HERE, BUT, UM, UH, YEAH,
THAT'S NOT ANYTHING CRAZY, RIGHT? UM, AND THE ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION, I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT AT THE BEGINNING, AT THE BEGINNING WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, WE, WE THINK ABOUT IT FROM A PRO BRITISH STANDPOINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I SAY IN MY CLASS ALL THE TIME IS, YOU KNOW, WELL, WERE, WAS BRITAIN WRONG? LIKE LEGALLY WAS BRITAIN WRONG? AND, YOU KNOW, THEY OWN THE COLONIES WERE, COULDN'T THEY DO THAT? COULDN'T THEY CLOSE THE PORT OF BOSTON? COULDN'T THEY GET RID OF COLONIAL ASSEMBLIES? OF COURSE, ABSOLUTELY.
GOING BACK TO WHAT I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, 150 YEARS OF SALUTARY NEGLECT, WHERE YOU LEAVE THESE PEOPLE ALONE.
NOW, WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE SECOND, THIRD, EVEN FOURTH GENERATION
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AMERICANS, THEY CONSIDER THEMSELVES GOOD ENGLISH SUBJECTS, BUT THEY ALSO CONSIDER THEMSELVES ENGLISH AMERICANS.SO, UM, SO IN THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THIS ONE, JUST, YOU KNOW, BRITAIN SENDING MERCENARIES OVER TO ENFORCE THEIR LAWS, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THAT CRAZY WHEN YOU KIND OF LOOK AT IT THROUGH THAT LENS, BUT JUST TO THROW IT OUT THERE DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF FRIENDS NO
UM, HE HAS CONSTRAINED, I'M SORRY, HE HAS CONSTRAINED.
WHERE ARE WE HERE? NO, NO, NO.
HE HAS CONSTRAINED OUR FELLOW CITIZENS, TAKING CAPTIVE ON THE HIGH SEAS TO BEAR ARMS AGAINST THEIR COUNTRY TO BECOME THE EXECUTIONERS OF THEIR FRIENDS AND BRETHREN, OR TO FALL THEMSELVES BY THEIR HANDS.
HE HAS EXCITED DOMESTIC INSURRECTIONS AMONGST US AND HAS ENDEAVORED TO BRING ON THE INHABITANTS OF OUR FRONTIERS.
THE MERCILESS INDIAN SAVAGES, WHOSE KNOWN RULE OF WARFARE IS AN UNDISTINGUISHED DESTRUCTION OF ALL AGES, SEXES, AND CONDITIONS.
SO THE SAVAGES CLAUSE, AND, UH, IT'S A TOUGHIE, UH, BY OUR STANDARDS TODAY IN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN TRYING TO HEAL, UH, ALL THAT WE HAVE DONE TO NATIVE PEOPLES HERE.
THE, THE, THE LENAPE DISAPPEARED.
UH, THE
BUT WHAT, WHAT DOES HE MEAN? WHAT IS MEANT BY EXCITING DOMESTIC INSURRECTIONS? IS THAT ACCURATE? YEAH.
SO, UM, I, I MEAN, LATER ON IT IS DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR WAY LATER ON IN THE WAR, THE MOHAWK VALLEY IN, IN, IN NEW YORK STATE.
IT CERTAINLY IS WITH THE HANO SONI, BUT, UH, BUT AT THAT POINT, PROBABLY, YEAH, AND KIND OF GOING BACK, UH, TO WHAT WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, UM, YOU READ THAT AND YOU THINK LIKE, IT'S JUST CHAOS, RIGHT? THAT THERE'S, THAT THERE'S THESE SAVAGES EVERYWHERE.
UM, AND AGAIN, PLAY PLAYING ON THE EMOTIONS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR UNIVERSAL APPEAL, UM, THAT'S GONNA STRIKE A CHORD WITH PEOPLE, RIGHT? THAT'S GONNA, THAT'S GONNA STRIKE A CHORD WITH PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE WESTERN, IN THE HINTERLANDS OF THESE COLONIES, UH, FOR SURE.
UM, I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE NEXT, UH, UH, ON JUNE 5TH, THAT'S A WEEK FROM TOMORROW TO TALK TO DREW SHAAR, RAVI, UH, WHO IS A NATIVE AMERICAN WHO WILL BE HERE.
AND HE HAS A, I'VE LISTENED TO HIM GIVE A VERY INTERESTING TAKE ON THIS PARTICULAR GRIEVANCE, AND IT'S NOT AS ANGRY AS YOU WOULD THINK.
HE SORT OF GIVES THE WHOLE HISTORY OF THE FRENCH INDIAN WARS AND WHY PROPAGANDA WORKED SO WELL.
AND IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT THAT, THAT PARTICULAR GRIEVANCE.
IN EVERY STAGE OF THESE OPPRESSIONS, WE HAVE PETITIONED FOR REDRESS, IN THE MOST HUMBLE TERMS, OUR REPEATED PETITIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED ONLY BY THE REPEATED BY REPEATED INJURY.
A PRINCE WHOSE CHARACTER IS THUS MARKED BY EVERY ACT, WHICH MAY DEFINE A TYRANT, IS UNFIT TO BE THE RULER OF A FREE PEOPLE.
WHAT IS IT? IT, I THINK, UM, GEORGE II'S REACTION WAS JUST INCRED INCREDULITY.
I MEAN, NOBODY'S EVER MENTIONED THE WORD FREE PEOPLE AROUND HIM.
I DON'T THINK, UH, IT'S EXTRAORDINARY.
I MEAN, THIS IS THIS, IT'S AMAZING.
UM, I MEAN, THERE, THERE'S ONE THING IN HERE THAT IS, THAT IS, WELL, NOT THAT ANY OF IT'S NOT TRUE, BUT, UM, OUR REPEATED PETITIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED ONLY BY REPEATED INJURY.
THAT THAT IS 100% TRUE IN SO MANY WAYS.
I, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THE OLIVE BRANCH PETITION, BUT SO MANY TIMES LEADING UP TO 1775, UM, YOU KNOW, AND BEN FRANKLIN IS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, THE LOUDEST PEOPLE, RIGHT? 'CAUSE HE HAS, BEN FRANKLIN KNOWS EVERYBODY, RIGHT? UM, AND HE'S TALKING TO ALL HIS FRIENDS, UH, ACROSS THE ATLANTIC ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH, WITH THE COLONIES.
[01:15:01]
UM, SO THAT REPEATED PETITIONS HAVING, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD'VE LOVED IF JEFFERSON HAD WRITTEN MORE ABOUT THAT, UH, IN THE DOCUMENT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, I MEAN, LISTEN, HE DID A GREAT JOB SELLING IT, AND HERE WE ARE 250 YEARS LATER.BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT, THAT IDEA THAT THEY'VE TRIED SO MANY TIMES, UM, AND, AND THEY REALLY DID.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE FINAL BREAKUP, RIGHT? THIS IS THE BREAKUP LETTER, BUT WE'VE TRIED SO MANY TIMES TO, TO GET THINGS BACK TO THE WAY THEY WERE, AND YOU JUST DIDN'T LISTEN AND REPEATED INJURY BACK.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S CERTAINLY THE CASE.
AND THEN THAT JAB, THAT GEORGIA THIRD IS KIND OF NICE TOO, BUT YEAH, THAT'S GREAT.
NOR HAVE WE BEEN WANTING IN ATTENTIONS TO OUR BRI BRITISH BRETHREN, WE HAVE WARNED THEM FROM TIME TO TIME OF ATTEMPTS BY THEIR LEGISLATURE TO EXTEND AN UNWARRANTED JURISDICTION OVER US.
WE HAVE REMINDED THEM OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF OUR IMMIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT HERE.
WE HAVE APPEALED TO THEIR NATIVE JUSTICE, OUR COMMON KINDRED, TO DISAVOW THESE ATIONS, WHICH WOULD INEVITABLY INTERRUPT OUR CONNECTIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE.
THEY TOO HAVE BEEN DEAF TO THE VOICE OF JUSTICE AND OF CON CONSANGUINITY.
AND I NEED, AH, THANK YOU, MY TYPO.
WE MUST THEREFORE ACQUIESCE IN THE NECESSITY WHICH DENOUNCES OUR SEPARATION AND HOLD THEM AS WE HOLD THE REST OF MANKIND, ENEMIES IN WAR, IN PEACE, FRIENDS, WE THEREFORE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN GENERAL, CONGRESS ASSEMBLED APPEALING TO THE SUPREME JUDGE OF THE WORLD FOR THE RECTITUDE OF OUR INTENTIONS DO IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE GOOD PEOPLE OF THESE COLONIES, SOLEMNLY PUBLISH AND DECLARE THAT THESE UNITED COLONIES ARE AND OF RIGHT OUGHT TO BE FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, THAT THEY ARE ABSOLVED FROM ALL ALLEGIANCE TO THE BRITISH CROWN.
AND THAT ALL POLITICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM AND THE STATE OF GREAT BRITAIN IS AND OUGHT TO BE TOTALLY DISSOLVED.
AND THAT, AND THAT, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, THEY HAVE FULL POWER TO LEVY WAR, CONCLUDE PEACE, CONTRACT ALLEGIANCES, ALLIANCES, ESTABLISH COMMERCE, AND TO DO ALL OTHER ACTS AND THINGS, WHICH INDEPENDENT STATES MAY OF RIGHT DO.
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.
SO WHY DID THEY NOT YIELD AT ALL? WAS IT ARROGANCE? WAS IT THE FLOW OF MONEY? THEY WERE DESPERATE.
THE BRITISH, WAS HE MAD? YEAH, THE BRITISH, THE KING AND, AND THE PARLIAMENT AND PARLIAMENT MUST HAVE BEEN INVOLVED TOO, RIGHT? YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THE, THE BRITISH PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE JUST A LITTLE PIECE.
ALL, ALL THE, THE, THE MONEY WAS IN THE CARIBBEAN, THE MONEY WAS IN, WELL, SOUTHEAST ASIA LIKE THAT, THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY WAS.
UM, SO, UM, WE WERE JUST A LITTLE PIECE AND, UM, IT, IT WAS NOT FOR, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF OVERSIMPLIFYING IT, BUT, UM, AND THEY'LL TRY, RIGHT? AND, AND THEY FIGHT.
THEY, THEY FIGHT A WAR, NOT ON ALL CYLINDERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, DOING, JUST SPENDING, YOU KNOW, THE THE RISK REWARD RATIO OF HOW MUCH THEY'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT GOING, I THINK TO THE QUESTION IS LIKE, WHY DIDN'T THEY TRY LEADING UP TO 76 WAS SHEER AG UH, ARROGANCE, AND HOW DARE YOU, LIKE, HOW, HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW DARE YOU, YOU KNOW, UH, PUSH BACK AGAIN, NOT UN NOT UNDERSTANDING COLONIAL AUTONOMY AND COLONIAL IDEOLOGY AFTER 150 YEARS OF BEING LEFT ALONE.
IT, IT'S REALLY, THEY'RE SO OUT OF TOUCH WITH, WITH THAT, AND THEY TOTALLY UNDERESTIMATE, UH, THAT AS WELL.
[01:20:07]
THANK YOU, SIR.I CAN ONLY SAY, UH, WELL, WHAT, YEAH, THE BIGGIE FOR ME, UH, AND, AND WE SPOKE ON, UH, WE TOUCHED ON RELIGION EARLIER.
UH, THIS FOR ME, AND I THINK FOR ALL OF US IS OUR SECULAR RELIGION.
THIS IS THE CORE OF OUR BEING AS CITIZENS AND NOT SUBJECTS.
UH, AND AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE, UH, THIS HITS ME.
AND I'M, I'M SURE ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE HERE, THAT THIS IS OUR, OUR CREED.
UH, THIS IS SO MUCH, UH, OUR BASIS FOR COMMUNITY AND, AND CIVIC LIFE, UH, TOGETHER.
UM, SO THIS IS, THIS IS IT FOR ME.
THIS IS, THIS IS OUR SECULAR, THIS IS OUR SECULAR RELIGION.
THIS, UH, AND I CAN'T, CAN'T REALLY SAY IT ANY CLEARER, BUT THANK YOU ALL.
AND SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT NEXT FRIDAY, THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE LIVE.
YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT MANY, MANY OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
SO JOIN US ON LIBRARY HILL AND THE VILLAGE HALL STEPS TO SEE, UM, OUR REENACTORS WHO ARE COMING OUT TO SHARE THIS HISTORY WITH YOU.