We Declare!
Beginning in 1775, America’s war for independence from Britain marked the beginning of a series of revolutions that occurred throughout the Atlantic world: France, Haiti, Venezuela, Brazil, and numerous others. Many of these revolutions had their roots in new philosophies about government and the individual that were developed as part of an intellectual movement called the Enlightenment.
In this activity you will examine two documents developed during the American and French revolutions. Both documents have the word “declaration” in their title, and while there are similarities across the two documents, there are a number of differences as well. In addition to considering the message of the documents, think about the ideals influencing each one as well as the purpose of each document.
