Natural Rights
Clip: Special | 1m 34sVideo has Closed Captions
The Preamble addresses the concept of natural rights.
The Preamble addresses the concept of natural rights, the consent of the governed, and the duty to overthrow unjust government.
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Episodes presented in 4K UHD on supported devices. Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and...
Natural Rights
Clip: Special | 1m 34sVideo has Closed Captions
The Preamble addresses the concept of natural rights, the consent of the governed, and the duty to overthrow unjust government.
From
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipNarrator: Thomas Jefferson was proposing something altogether new and radical in the world.
It was the American people's "right," he argued, it was "their duty"-- to "throw off" tyranny and learn to govern themselves.
Voice: 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.
[Thomas Jefferson] Narrator: Since no one had authority over anyone else by birthright, Jefferson was affirming that all legitimate power came from the people themselves-- even if he, the owner of hundreds of human beings, could never make that truth a reality in his own life.
Gordon-Reed: His relationship to slavery is foundational.
From the beginning to the end, this institution bounded his life, even though he knew it was wrong.
How could you know something is wrong and still do it?
Well, that is the human question for all of us.
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Clip: Special | 2m 58s | Richard Henry Lee proposes a formal resolution declaring independence from Britain. (2m 58s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 24s | Jefferson uses charged language in the final grievance listed in the Declaration of Independence. (1m 24s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 57s | Colonial leaders know that France’s support is essential, but they must sever ties with Britain. (1m 57s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 47s | Revolutionary leaders realize they need popular support and begin to address everyday concerns. (1m 47s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 44s | One purpose of the Declaration of Independence is to declare that George III is no longer sovereign. (1m 44s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 17s | King George believes this American insurrection could lead to the end of the British empire. (1m 17s)
The Meaning of the Declaration to Different Groups
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Clip: Special | 1m 28s | Different groups begin to wonder what “all men are created equal” means for them. (1m 28s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 7s | Many Loyalists and some other Americans believe Thomas Paine’s ideas go too far. (1m 7s)
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Clip: Special | 2m 40s | After ratification, the Declaration is publicly read across the former colonies. (2m 40s)
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Clip: Special | 4m 11s | Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense, an explosive pamphlet that attacks monarchy. (4m 11s)
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Episodes presented in 4K UHD on supported devices. Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and...