Period 3 and 7 Declaration of Independence Discussion


Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine
o Thomas Paine emphasizes seizing the moment
o Convinced a lot of people on the fence with visceral imagery such as the wound in the tree
o Utilizing imagery of slavery to demonstrate the inevitability of war
 irony of Henry’s use of slavery as a literary device
o lots of use of words ‘we’ and ‘us’ to demonstrate separate identity from Britain
o use of propaganda is prominent in both
o calling themselves America rather than the colonies
o effective method of persuasion, but both Paine and Henry sugarcoat abilities of America
o colonists’ fear of the uncertainty of the future
o Henry argues that everyone who trusted the British made a mistake while Paine argues that they all made a
mistake
o Debt could be a unifying experience
o Paine appeals to logos and pathos; Henry very animated and figurative
o Much broader audience for Paine rather than Henry because of circumstances of documents
 Speech vs. pamphlets
o Associations with God as a propaganda tool (bandwagon effect)
o Even the title is a piece of propaganda; only offers simplistic options to the people, similar to ‘Join or
Die’
o Use of glittering generalities to evoke nationalism
o Use of cardstacking (only discussing the positives); colonies infallible if unified
o Defining factor of CS is to appeal to the masses with oversimplified ideals
 Laid the groundwork for understanding the message of the Declaration
o Unity of ideas, not just geography
o Use of vernacular of the people
Declaration of Independence
o Open opposition to the King
o Open ignorance of women
 Contextual; other documents do not emphasize women in this time period
o Feel the need to have the moral high ground for the war; justifies separation
o This is a document of the people; not just of Adams or Jefferson
o Right to usurp an unjust government, if you have given proper justifications for doing so and all else has failed
o Thesis argues for right to overthrow if American natural liberties are not upheld
o Constant theme of emphasizing self-government
o Henry and Paine direct their arguments towards the colonies, whereas Declaration is projected outwards as well,
beyond the borders
o Paine and Henry both designed simply to make people react, whereas DoI has a higher purpose than reaction
o Addressing king rather than Parliament
o Groundwork laid for the three branches of government within the grievances
o ½ of grievances discuss self-government and how it was violated
o Comparison with Stamp Act grievances; in past they described what they wanted, now they are discussing what
they deserve
o Independence is a last resort to be heard; this is a choice that they don’t want to make, but are forced in to
o Holy War of Liberty
o Not fighting for RoE, fighting for how much money they could have