French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
This document, approved by the National Assembly, codifies the ideals of the French Revolution, strongly influenced by those of the Enlightenment and the American Revolution. …
civil rights
James Madison’s Speech to the First Congress Proposing Twenty Amendments to the United States Constitution
In this James Madison speech to the First Congress, Madison proposes twenty amendments to the United States Constitution. The Constitution’s acceptance by the people of …
William Wilberforce gives His Passionate “Abolition Speech” to the House of Commons to Convince them that Slavery Must be Abolished
William Wilberforce was a member of the British Parliament who converted to Christianity and later became an abolitionist. As a Christian, he sought to reform …
Alexander Hamilton: The sacred rights of mankind…are written, as with a sun beam… by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.”
When Loyalist writings began to appear in New York newspapers in 1775, nineteen-year-old Hamilton responded with an essay defending the colonists’ right of revolution. Still …
British General and Governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Gage, Directs Redcoats to Begin Warrantless Searches for Arms and Ammunition
Governor Thomas Gage, British general over Massachusetts, directed the Redcoats to begin warrant-less searches for arms and ammunition. According to the Boston Gazette, of all …
The Powder Alarm
In the months following the Tea Party, the British Government imposed a series of acts on the colonies including the Massachusetts Governments Act. This legislation …
Two More ‘Intolerable Acts’ Passed: The Massachusetts Government Act & Administration Justice Act
The Massachusetts Government Act was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain on May 20, 1774. The Massachusetts Government Act revoked the colony’s 1691 charter effectively …
Benjamin Franklin Becomes America’s First Whistleblower when he Discretely Passed Along Some Secret British Government Documents, the Hutchinson Letters.
Edward Snowden and the NSA documents. Julian Assange and the WikiLeaks diplomatic cables. Daniel Elsberg and the Pentagon papers. Benjamin Franklin and the Hutchinson letters? …
Cato’s Letters, Number 38
Cato’s Letter #38, written on July 22nd, 1721, emphasizes the importance of the people’s ability to judge their government. The letter argues that the world is …
“The Selling of Joseph: A Memorial” is Published by Judge Samuel Sewall (One of Jefferson’s Sources for an Early Draft of the Constitution)
One of the overlooked sources for Jefferson’s early draft was a now largely forgotten pamphlet written by Judge Samuel Sewall in 1700 titled , “The …