The Atlantic Revolution is primarily known for its outcries on human rights and it pulls from some of the thinking from the Enlightenment. Many authors of this time period have the thinking of, “we are all humans, and therefore we should all be treated as such. ” Frederick Douglass, Mary Woolgathering, Marie Gouge (Olympia De Gouges), Jean-Jacques Declines, and James Madison, are Just some of many who felt so strongly about human rights that they had to write about it and make their thoughts known to not only the public but the government as well. Frederick Douglass was known for his sarcastic and equality lathed speeches.
In “What to a slave is the Fourth of July? ” he talks about how the Fourth of July is of mourning to his people but celebration to the majority. An example of his sarcastic tone, he says “that” declaration of independence rather than “the” declaration of independence. This sends a message to his audience that he does not specify himself into the independence of the country. He separates himself and draws upon the indifference the government uses during this day and age. While Frederick Douglass was mainly focused on the indifference between race, Mary Woolgathering had the indifference between sexes.
She felt so strongly about the way women were treated compared to men that she declared the rights to men should be extended to the rights of women as well. By pulling out specific names she goes on to stats “… All the writers who have written on the subject of female education and manners, from Rousseau to Dry. Gregory, have contributed to render women more artificial, weak characters, that they would otherwise have been… More useless members of society. ” Woolgathering wanted to emphasis that women are more than Just a figure of attraction.
The thought of having an “alluring mistresses than affectionate wives and rational mothers. She draws upon the fact that women need to aspire to be more than the ordinary housewife. Woolgathering states that men are Just coming out of infancy of barbarianism and therefore are the origins of monarchical rule. The commander in chief explains that the French or any other country should not dangle liberty in front of their faces. He explains its either independence or die. The document explained that Just because you are a descendent of France but a member of Haiti, you would be spared and “you now form a single family. Says to the natives, go look out to find your family, but all you will find are those who killed them. Explains that the people of Haiti shall not go back to the chains they had once been tied down to. Independence or die. The Atlantic revolution was more than Just a movement for white males and ensuring their freedoms it was to ensure the rights of all citizens. The French government made this distinction between man and citizen in their “declaration of the rights of man and citizen” differentiating between not only the rights of man but every other citizen was eligible for these freedoms as well. The law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to take part, in person or by their History Essay By bulldog protects or penalizes. All citizens being equal in its eyes are equally admissible to all public dignities, offices, and employments, according to their ability, and with no other distinction than that of their virtues and talents. ” This quote directly supports this idea of freedom to citizens making it know that not only do men have these basic freedoms but everyone does as long as they do not encroach on the freedoms of others.
This French government even takes this a step further stating that not only are these freedoms imposed on the government sector but attempts to show that it is extended to the business sector as well. Going on to say that the only thing that should hold you back is your own virtues and abilities. The French even go on to state “No one should be disturbed for his opinions, even in religion, provided that their manifestation does not trouble public order as established by law. Further solidifying that not Just men but any one person’s opinion is sacred, in religions and otherwise only limited in ways that harms the public or limits there freedom. Again stating in a general “no one” not man or even citizen in this case thus expanding past the original revolutionaries. The Americans do this as well using “people” or “person” commonly through there bill of rights using a lot of the same themes in rights as well, freedom of ideas, religion and speech.
The Americans however express their freedoms more specifically then the French mostly due to their varying situation. But the idea of basic human rights that we have seen used in the Atlantic revolution is still there especially in the first article “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, ND to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Essentially showing that government is a separate institute then religion, ensuring freedom of speech, and press something the French didn’t directly address with their declaration. The French do a better Job of including citizens in there declaration, they even go on to alliterate what makes a constitution in their final point “Any society in which the guarantee of rights is not assured or the separation of powers not settled has no constitution. ” In an almost violent ton they set up that these freedoms must be protected to have a institution, for there society to function.
Obviously in an attempt to not repeat past wrongs they make this statement which is how they not only considered the rights a person needs but went as far as to establish this fact. With all of the things going on during this time period, the thinking of the Atlantic Revolutions and their language of human rights, the revolutions of many are the most important. It helps having the documents of all of these very outspoken individuals and their very specific deeds and to help understand what was going on during this very eventful time for not only men and women but those considered minorities.
