5.

The Enlightenment
and the American
Revolution

-Jean de Crevecoeur “What Is an American?” (EAR pp. 116-29)

- Thomas Paine, Common Sense (EAR pp. 692-703)
-Thomas Jefferson “The Declaration of Independence” (EAR pp.
688-91)
New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies before the American
Revolution
St. John de Crèvecoeur and the
View of America as a Melting Pot
• Minor French aristocrat and intellectual who immigrated to Canada and settled
in a rural area in New York (Orange County) during the French and Indian
War(1754–1763) ;
• Traveled extensively; 1765 he became a naturalized citizen of the colony of New
York and gave himself a new name: James Hector St. John; marries a pastor’s
daughter, Mehitable Tippet; he becomes a successful farmer
• Author of Letters from an American Farmer (1782), addressed to an Englishman
called “F.B.”, which includes his famous essay “What is an American?” (Letter III),
but also a less congratulatory picture of America in Letter IX (“Reflections on
Negro Slavery”);
• One of the first to write about Americans as a nation; contributor to the image of
America as a MELTING POT, but also the land of freedom, equal opportunity,
and self-determination;
• As he is writing the last letter, the Revolutionary War (torn between his belief in
English stability and his newly perceived identity as an American) has already
started (book was published later, enlarged and revised).
Non Sequitur
- not for the exam, but for fun! 
Archie and Mehitabel (cartoon about a cockroach who is a poet – writes by
jumping on the keys, can’t operate the shift key, hence no capitals - and
his friend, alley cat Mehitabel) – created by Don Marquis, journalist at The
New York Evening Sun, and illustrated by George Herriman (iconic

illustrator of Krazy Kat)

Crevecoeur, Jean. “Letters from an American Farmer. Letter
III – What is an American?” (1782)

• “We have no princes for whom we toil, starve, and bleed; we are the most
perfect society now existing in the world. Here man is free as he ought to be, nor
is this pleasing equality so transitory as many others are.”
• “They [the Am.] are a mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans,
and Swedes. From this promiscuous breed, that race now called Americans have
arisen.”
• “In this great American asylum, the poor of Europe have by some means met
together, and in consequence of various causes; to what purpose should they
ask one another what countrymen they are? Alas, two thirds of them had no
country. Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and starves, whose life is
a continual scene of sore afliction or pinching penury – can that man call England
or any other kingdom his country?”
The Statue of Liberty (dedicated 1886)
as a personification of America
Crevecoeur, Jean. “Letters from an American
Farmer. Letter III – What is an American?” (1782)

• “What, then, is the American, this new man? He is neither an European nor the descendant
of an European; hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other
country...He becomes an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma
Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours
and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. Americans are the western
pilgrims who are carrying along with them that great mass of arts, sciences, vigour, and
industry which began long since in the East; they will finish the great circle.”
• Armchair anthropology; he identifies 3 categories: “those who live near the sea” (bold,
enterprising); “those who inhabit the middle settlements” (the simple cultivation of the
earth purifies them; litigious, careful, less improved manners); those who live “near the
great woods, near the last inhabited districts” (“men appear to be no better than
carnivorous animals of a superior rank, living on the flesh of wild animals when they can
catch them”)
• Many religious sects (“Nobody disturbs them.”) but also increasing religious
indifference//”The foolish vanity or, rather, the fury of making proselytes is unknown here;
they have no time, the seasons call for all their attention”
• Criticizes the inhabitants of South Carolina, who deceive and steal from the natives (seen
as “noble savages”; he condemns slavery, but he has slaves himself (different levels of
cruelty in the South vs.the North)
Columbia
- the birth of American national consciousness
(origin: first half of 18th c, shortly before the Revolutionary War)
[below, Columbia in a WWI recruitment poster]

• The Stamp Act of 1765: taxation without

representation; Americans from various
colonies understood they had common
interests; public protests; “Sons of
Liberty” organization; Boston Massacre
(1770; 5 dead, 6 injured);
• Boston Tea Party (1773); The Intolerable
Acts (to replace the canceled Stamp Act);
First and Second Continental Congresses
(1774, 1775);
• The American Revolutionary War (1775-
1783); notable battles: Lexington and
Concord, Bunker Hill, Bennington,
Saratoga, Monmouth; Treaty of Paris
(1783);
• The Declaration of Independence
adopted by the Second Continental
Congress on July 4, 1776; drafted by
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin,
John Adams, Robert Livingston, and
Roger Sherman; E pluribus unum.
Boston Massacre (1770)
- 5 victims (engraving below by Paul Revere)
Paul Revere [Boston silversmith and militia leader] portrait below
by John Singleton Copley (1768-1770)
Title: The able doctor, or, America swallowing the bitter draught
Date Created/Published: [London : 1774 May 1]
Medium: 1 print : etching.
Summary: Cartoon shows Lord North, with the "Boston Port Bill" extending from a pocket,
forcing tea (the Intolerable Acts) down the throat of a partially draped Native female figure
representing "America" whose arms are restrained by Lord Mansfield, while Lord Sandwich, a
notorious womanizer, restrains her feet and peeks up her skirt. Britannia, standing behind
"America", turns away and shields her face with her left hand. Source:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/97514782/
Thomas Paine, Common Sense

• a pamphlet; Jan 10, 1776 (huge best seller; 125,000copies sold)

• Style and content
• Britain as the unnatural parent: “But Britain is the parent country, say some. Then the
more shame upon her conduct. Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make
war upon their families”
• Europe as the true parent of America: “Europe, and not England, is the parent country of
America. This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and
religious liberty from every part of Europe. Hither have they fled, not from the tender
embraces of the mother, but from the cruelty of the monster; and it is so far true of
England, that the same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues their
descendants still.”
• Advantages of a republican system: “Europe is too thickly planted with kingdoms to be
long at peace, and whenever a war breaks out between England and any foreign power,
the trade of America goes to ruin, because of her connection with Britain. “
• Common sense: “there is something very absurd, in supposing a continent to be
perpetually governed by an island”
Thomas Paine, Common Sense

• Discuss the tone and the arguments in the following fragment: “Every
thing that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of the slain,
the weeping voice of nature cries, ’Tis time to part. Even the distance at
which the Almighty hath placed England and America, is a strong and
natural proof, that the authority of the one, over the other, was never
the design of Heaven. The time likewise at which the continent was
discovered, adds weight to the argument, and the manner in which it
was peopled increases the force of it. The reformation was preceded by
the discovery of America, as if the Almighty graciously meant to open a
sanctuary to the persecuted in future years, when home should afford
neither friendship nor safety.”
• Unprecedented attack against the king, who is called “the pharaoh of
England” and the “Royal Brute of Great Britain”
Join, or Die – political cartoon created by Benjamin Franklin, 1754, initially used for to call for unity
of the English colonies against the French during the French and Indian War, 1754-1763 (NE=New
England; Delaware and Georgia are missing) The thirteen colonies were Delaware, Georgia,
Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay (later Massachusetts), New Hampshire, Rhode Island and
Providence Plantations (later Rhode Island). New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina.
The Massachusetts Sun masthead
- American snake fights British dragon -
Examples of Revolutionary War Flags: a) pine-tree flag (initially used in
1775 by the navy during the Revolutionary War) and b) rattlesnake flag
(later became Gadsden’s flag=coiled snake against yellow background plus
motto; after American general and statesman Christopher Gadsden, who
created it)
 Founding Fathers’ Political Culture

• Ancient English liberties: people freely chose to constitute

themselves together into one body politic; kings, lords, and
commons acted as representatives of the people and legislators for
the commonwealth
• Lockean philosophy (Second Treatise on Government, 1689): people
have the right to overthrow the government if it becomes abusive of
their rights; people have the right to pursue life, liberty, and property
(=natural rights)
• Rousseau’s social contract theory (The Social Contract, 1762): people
give up some of their freedoms in exchange for the preservation of
their civil rights
• Mistrust of democracy (“mobocracy’); they considered themselves
republicans, not democrats;
• Fear of anarchy and corruption of foreign influence
JOHN TRUMBULL, The Declaration of Independence, 4 July, 1776 (1817-1820). Oil on canvas,
53.7x79.1, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven
This painting was a work in progress for many years (1787-1820). The artist attempted to locate as
many of the people present in the Assembly Room in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia,
where the first Congress sat. He only managed to paint 36 out of 47 directly from life.
The Declaration of
Independence (July 4, 1776)
• Structure: 3 parts (introduction, indictment of king,
conclusion); initially, the indictment was the most important
part, but over time the introduction has gained iconic status
• Actual title: The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen
united States of America
• Adopted during the Second Continental Congress
(Philadelphia)
• Thomas Jefferson wrote the initial draft, to explain why, on
July 2, 1776, Congress had decided to declare independence
from Great Britain (2 weeks to draft; 2 days to revise)
• Signed by 56 people (“founding fathers” – a term also used
more loosely to refer to people who had active roles in the
American Revolution)
Part 1: INTRODUCTION:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one

people to dissolve the political bands 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 of Nature's God entitle
them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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. —
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among 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 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 effect their
Safety and Happiness.
Part 2: Charges of Tyranny against
George III
• The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated
injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of
an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be
submitted to a candid world.”
• 27 accusations against the King of England follow, among which:
• “He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their
offices, and the amount and payment of their 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.
• He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to
our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to
their Acts of pretended Legislation
Part 2: Charges of Tyranny against
George III
• For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us
• For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for
any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants
of 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 cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury
• For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended
offences
Part 2: Charges of Tyranny against
George III
• In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress
in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been
answered only 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.
Part 3: Conclusion

• 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
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
as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War,
conclude Peace, contract 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.
 The Making of a Nation

• Initially, the name “United States of America” literally meant just that: a
confederation of states (fear of centralized government – tyranny)
• Articles of Confederation (1777); Congress could not levy taxes or regulate
commerce (fear of tyranny); The Confederation had neither an executive nor a
judicial branch; there was no administrative head of government (only the president
of Congress, chosen annually) and no federal courts.
• The Constitutional Convention (1787) proposed the present-day Constitution to the
states for ratification= representation
• The Federalist Papers = 85 essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John
Jay (pseudonym=Publius), published mostly in The Independent Journal, defending
the Constitution, 1787-1788;
• The Great Compromise: bicameral legislature - Congress: Senate (2 senators from
each states for 6 years; 1/3 of seats up for election every 2 yrs) + House of
Representatives (2-year appointments//number of representatives function of state
population; slaves would count for 3/5 of a person)
• Principles of the U.S. Constitution: popular sovereignty, limited government,
separation of powers (checks and balances system), federalism, and judicial review
(the Supreme Court reviews court decisions and declares them constitutional or
unconstitutional).
 Hamilton (2015) by Lin Manuel-
Miranda, musical on Alexander
Hamilton (founding father, 1755/57-
1804)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KsTjxKi5JE
The Decemberists – “Ben Franklin
Song” (2017) (written by Lin-Manuel
Miranda as part of
Hamildrops=additional Hamilton-
related content)
 George Washington (1789-1797)
John Adams (1797-1801)
Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
• The Federalist Party was the first American political party,
from the early 1790s to 1816. Formed by Alexander
Hamilton//bankers and business people. John Adams = the
only Federalist president of the US. George Washington = an
independent
• Their political opponents, the Republicans (or Democratic-
Republicans), led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison,
were in favor of individual freedom, state rights, and
opposed the interests of the moneyed few. The PRESENT-
DAY DEMOCRATIC PARTY (vastly different).
• The present-day Republican Party – founded in 1854
The Democrats vs. The
Republicans (GOP)
Slavery in the North

• The Vermont Constitution of 1777 specifically forbade slavery.

• The Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 proclaimed the “inherent
liberty” of all.
• In 1780 Pennsylvania declared that all children born thereafter to
slave mothers would become free at age twentyeight,after
enabling their owners to recover their initial cost.
• In 1784 Rhode Island provided freedom to all children of slaves
born thereafter, at age twenty-one for males, eighteen for
females.
• New York lagged until 1799 in granting freedom to mature slaves
born after enactment of its constitution, but an act of 1817 set
July 4, 1827, as the date for emancipation of all remaining slaves.
Neoclassicism and the American
Revolution

• * Neoclassicism = A French art style and movement that

originated as a reaction to the Baroque in the mid-18th
century, and continued into the middle of the 19th century.
It sought to revive the ideals of ancient Greek and Roman
art. Neoclassic artists used classical forms to express their
ideas about courage, sacrifice, and love of country.

• Consider the political message of this type of

art/architecture, in the post-Revolutionary period in
America.
US CAPITOL – Nighttime View of the East Central Front
Begun in 1793, the Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored. As the focal point of the
government's Legislative Branch [the House of Representatives and the Senate], the Capitol is the
centerpiece of the Capitol Complex, which includes the six principal Congressional office buildings and three
Library of Congress buildings constructed on Capitol Hill in the 19th and 20th centuries.
In addition to its active use by Congress, the Capitol is a museum of American art and history. Each year, it is
visited by an estimated 3-5 million people from around the world.
A fine example of 19th-century neoclassical architecture, the Capitol combines function with aesthetics. Its
designs derived from ancient Greece and Rome evoke the ideals that guided the nation's founders as they
framed their new republic. As the building was expanded from its original design, harmony with the existing
portions was carefully maintained. The Washington Monument (1838) is also visible in the distance.
(http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/index.cfm)
Thomas Jefferson. Virginia State Capitol (1785-1789)
[later wings were added; closely
based on a Roman temple in France, Le Maison Carree in
Nimes, 1st century BCE]
Thomas Jefferson (3rd president of the US, 1801-1809; second president:
John Adams, 1797-1801),
Monticello (Charlottesville, Virginia; 1770-1882)

* Jefferson was the 3rd US President (1801-1809)

Thomas Jefferson, Monticello aerial
view
Creating a New National Identity
Gilbert Stuart. George Washington (the Lansdowne Portrait), 1796
First American President: 1789-1797, 243x152.4cm, The
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
The Flag Resolution (1777): “Resolved, That the flag of the
thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white;
that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing
a new constellation.”
The Great Seal of the United States of America (first used in 1782).
E pluribus unum = Lat. “Out of Many, One”
Annuit Coeptis = Lat. “[He] nods at/approves [our] undertakings.”
Novus Ordo Seclorum = Lat. "New Order of the Ages“

MDCCLXXVI = 1776