The Patriot
Philosophers had a positive outlook on mankind when determining the principles
and structures of good government. They believed that True Liberty, which was the balance between absolute freedom (anarchy)
and absolute order (tyranny), was possible through the Virtue of the People. They believed that certain positive qualities
and characteristic had been implanted in the human soul and would lead the
people to be able to exercise self-restraint
to achieve True Liberty.
They espoused
principles of both schools of thought: the Democratic principles of participation in government and protection of the people, and the
Republican principle of representation
where decision making authority is given to representatives of the people to
make laws on their behalf.
They also
believed in Natural Law – the will
of God and His “higher law.” These concepts justified resistance and rebellion
and their belief in the basic right to
govern themselves.
The Colonists
had a love, pride, and affection for Britain. After the war, a “pernicious
project” adopted by Parliament to directly tax the
colonists started the discontent. They felt their rights were being taken away. They weren’t consulted on taxes; their petitions for redress went ignored. After revolting the Stamp Act, Parliament made things worse
with the Declaratory Act and the Coercive Acts in response to the Boston
Tea Party. The Colonists still had the spirit of reconciliation in the Declaration and Resolves of the First
Continental Congress, but Britain
wasn’t listening. They actually sent
out troops to destroy militia munitions and arrest the patriot leaders,
leading to the battles at Lexington and Concord. This brought them to the Declaration for the Causes and Necessity of
Taking up Arms, which by the way has some most excellent language, if not a
bit of drama. The Colonists felt they
had to choose between unconditional submission to “the tyranny
of irritated ministers” or resistance by force. They resolved to “die free men rather than to live as slaves.”
Prior to Common Sense,
independence wasn’t really discussed openly – it was still considered treason. Common Sense pointed out why rule by king and monarchy was basically a ridiculous
idea. Because it was accessible to
everyone, the common working folk and not just the upper class, it became a
widely accepted topic of conversation. It said what everyone was feeling; “that the same
tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues their descendants
still,” and got the people
talking about it.
The Declaration of
Independence was basically an
indictment of the King and Parliament listing all of their offenses and
violations of the “inalienable rights” of the Colonists. It then showed that
based on those things, the Colonists were
rightfully declaring their independence from Britain.