Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 250 Years of the Declaration of Independence

Andrew Sola and Amerikazentrum-Hamburg
  • 5.0 (7)
  • History

Learn more about the Declaration of Independence for the 250-year anniversary with this interdisciplinary podcast, featuring experts from the USA and around the world. The series is produced and hosted by Dr. Andrew Sola and the Amerikazentrum, Hamburg.

  1. 5d ago

    German Immigrants and the Declaration of Independence

    "Wir halten diese Wahrheiten für ausgemacht, daß alle Menschen gleich erschaffen worden, daß sie von ihrem Schöpfer mit gewissen unveräusserlichen Rechten begabt worden, worunter sind Leben, Freiheit und das Streben nach Glückseligkeit." -from one of the first German translations of the Declaration of Independence, Philadelphia, July 1776 In this episode, we explore the role of Germanic immigrants in the American Revolution. Topics include: -the first reports and publications of the Declaration in German by Philadelphia printers, such as Heinrich Miller -German literacy and German-language print-culture in the Colonies -push factors influencing emigration our of Germanic territories, including economic, agricultural, political, and religious problems -the different ways in which the interests of German immigrants and those of British-American colonists overlapped -the different positions German immigrants took regarding the War for Independence -the role of German pacifism and German religious sects in the conflict [Hopeful Journeys: German Immigration, Settlement, and Political Culture in Colonial America, 1717-1775](https://www.amazon.com/Hopeful-Journeys-Immigration-Settlement-Political/dp/0812215486)

    German Immigrants and the Declaration of Independence

  2. Sep 3

    Tea, Tyranny, and the Declaration of Independence

    "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." In this episode, we explore the Boston Tea Party, the global tea industry, British-American perceptions of tyrannical governments in Asia, and the Declaration of Independence. Topics include the following: -the connotations of the word "tyranny" in the Colonies -the presumption in the Britain and the Colonies that "freedom" only meant being Protestant and living in a constitutional monarchy -the East India Company, the tea trade, the cotton trade, and the Mughal Empire -Colonial American consumer culture and the origins of ethical consumption movements -the 7 Years' War, the Battle of Plassey (1757), and the conquest of Bengal by the East India Company -the East India Company's role in the famine in Bengal in the late 1760s, which led to the deaths of millions of people there -the Tea Act of 1773, which was an effort by the British government to generate revenue after the decline in income from the East India Company due to the famine -the Boston Tea Party and the British reaction in the form of the Intolerable Acts -reasons for Americans' long-standing distrust of giant, unaccountable corporations like the East India Company [Selling Empire: India in the Making of Britain and America, 1600-1830](https://uncpress.org/9781469636177/selling-empire/) The cover image depicts The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor, an 1846 lithograph by Nathaniel Currier.

    Tea, Tyranny, and the Declaration of Independence

  3. Aug 27

    Cyprus and the Declaration of Independence

    "I would be prepared to accept the status of independence for Cyprus on the condition that this status shall not be changed, either by union with Greece, by partition, or by any other way, unless the United Nations approves such a change." Archbishop Makarios, September 1958 In this episode, we explore connections between the American struggle for independence from Britain in 1776 and the Cypriot struggle for independence from Britain nearly 200 years later. Here is a list of key terms, organizations, and people: ENOSIS: the union of Cyprus with Greece TAKSIM: the partition of Cyprus between Turkish and Greek populations NATIONAL RADICAL UNION OF CYPRUS: precursor to EOKA EOKA: the name of the Greek nationalist organization TMT: the name of the Turkish nationalist organization AKEL: the trade union party of Cyprus, with links to communism Archbishop Makarios: Leader of the enosis movement and first president of Cyprus Jason Loukianou: proponent of a liberal republic of Cyprus Antonios Triantafyllides: lawyer and nationalist politician assassinated in 1934 for agreeing to participate in British Colonial Advisory Council General Georgios Grivas: Greek nationalist and military leader of EOKA Topics include: -a brief history of modern Cyprus from 1776, during Ottoman rule (1570-1878), through British rule (1878-1960) -the changing governance models in Cyprus and the evolving legal status of Cypriots while under British rule -the re-introduction by the British of democratic practices, constitutional rule, and a liberal legal system into Cyprus -the impact of the Great Depression on Cyprus -the impact of WWII, the Greek Civil War, and the Cold War on Cyprus Prof. Varnava's books can be found here: [Assassination in Colonial Cyprus in 1934 and the Origins of EOKA](https://anthempress.com/books/assassination-in-colonial-cyprus-in-1934-and-the-origins-of-eoka-pb) [British Cyprus and the Long Great War, 1914-1925: Empire, Loyalties and Democratic Deficit ](https://www.routledge.com/British-Cyprus-and-the-Long-Great-War-1914-1925-Empire-Loyalties-and/Varnava/p/book/9781138698321?fbclid=IwAR3EVpbAACDza6h6eIHrw1H5ghmBXeMRmEKGjtwGIaIgpG1wGVxBH-5Y36E) [Serving the Empire in the Great War: The Cypriot Mule Corps, Imperial Loyalty and Silenced Memory](https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526103673/) [ British Imperialism in Cyprus, 1878-1915: The Inconsequential Possession](https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9780719086403/) The cover image depicts the British military hoisting the Union Jack in Nicosia, Cyprus, on 12 July 1878.

    Cyprus and the Declaration of Independence

  4. Aug 13

    Scotland and the Declaration of Independence

    ""At this very time, they are permitting their chief magistrate to send over not only soldiers of our common blood, but SCOTCH and foreign Mercenaries to invade and deluge us in blood." -From Jefferson's first draft of the Declaration of Independence In this episode, we survey the history and importance of Scotland and Scottish people in Revolutionary America. Topics include: -anti-Scottish sentiment in the Colonies, particularly among Southern planters, like Jefferson, who were indebted to Scottish tobacco traders -the origins of the "Pursuit of Happiness" in the Scottish Enlightenment -explanations of Scots and the Scotch-Irish -push and pull factors driving Scots and the Scotch-Irish to the Colonies -the Jacobite Uprising in 1745 in Scotland and its consequences for Scotland and the 13 Colonies -the revolutionary continuity among the various British upheavals of the 1600s and 1700s along with the American Revolution -the Scottish tobacco trade -the reception of the Declaration in Scotland -wider implications of the Declaration on Scottish politics -The connection or lack of connection between the Scottish Declaration of Arbroath in 1320 and the US Declaration Prof. Francis Cogliano's books can be found here: [Revolutionary America, 1763.1815: A Political History](https://www.routledge.com/Revolutionary-America-1763-1815-A-Political-History/Cogliano/p/book/9781032150321) [The American Revolution at 250](https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/10183/) The cover image features one of the Scottish Founders, John Witherspoon. Witherspoon was born in East Lothian, Scotland, in 1723. In 1768, he emigrated to New Jersey to become the President of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton). A staunch republican and Presbyterian, he believed that resisting tyranny was the duty of Christians. He signed the Declaration of Independence on behalf of the citizens of New Jersey in 1776.

    Scotland and the Declaration of Independence

  5. Jul 30

    Did the American Revolution Really Influence Spanish American Revolutions?

    “The Mexican Nation, which for three hundred years has not had its own will, nor the free use of its voice, rises today from the oppression in which it has lived… [The Mexican Nation] solemnly declares, through its Supreme Junta of the Empire, that it is a Sovereign Nation and independent from old Spain, with which, in the future, it will not maintain another union but that of a close friendship, in the terms prescribed by international treaties…” -Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire (1821) In today's episode, we explore the actual and perceived influence of the American Revolution on Spanish American revolutions. Topics include: -the debate over the influence of the American Revolution on subsequent Latin American independence movements -the history of New Spain (aka Mexico) -an exploration of the Age of Revolutions in Latin America, beginning with Venezuela in July 1811 -critiques of the claim that the US Declaration of Independence acted as a model for Latin American declarations of independence -the very different cultural, political, economic, and religious contexts that influenced American and Latin American -differences in British and Spanish forms of imperial governance, which led to different outcomes for the self-rule of the new United States and the new Latin American nations -the fact the representative institutions, local assemblies, and democratic cultures did not exist in the Spanish Empire--and were therefore difficult to create after the Latin American independence movements -a unique aspect of the Mexican insurgency as opposed to the American revolt, namely that the Mexican leaders were conservative Catholic priests, Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Maria Morelos -the impact of the new liberal Spanish Constitution, the Constitution of Cadiz of 1812, on Spanish America -the story of Agustin de Iturbide, or Agustin 1, the first emperor of Mexico -a reconsideration the claim that the American Revolution was influential in Spanish America The cover image depicts the Congress of Chilpancingo, which issued Mexico's first semi-official Declaration of Independence in 1813.

    Did the American Revolution Really Influence Spanish American Revolutions?

  6. Jul 16

    Jefferson and the Intellectual Origins of the Declaration of Independence

    "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." In this episode, we discuss the historical and philosophical origins of the Declaration of Independence. Topics include: -an explanation of the importance of John Locke, natural rights, and natural law -references to the state of nature and the social contract in the Declaration -the right of revolution and the duty of revolution against an unjust government -how the right of revolution applies to enslaved people -Jefferson's intellectual conundrum: how can slavery be allowed to exist when all men are created equal, when all men are created free, and when all men have the right to rebel against a tyrannical government--at least according to natural law theory -reframing the "pursuit of happiness" as the right of the people to abolish a government or to leave a nation in order to form a new one--that is to say, the natural right of expatriation -understanding the Declaration as a pragmatic and practical political document as opposed to an abstract and idealistic philosophical document -grievances #5 and #6 in the Declaration -an explanation of the exclusions of in the Declaration -Jefferson's justifications why Native Americans and enslaved people should not be a part of the new American social contract Prof. Sarson's book can be found here: [The Course of Human Events: The Declaration of Independence and the Historical Origins of the United States](https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/10151/) The cover image depicts Jefferson in 1786. The painting is by Mather Brown.

    Jefferson and the Intellectual Origins of the Declaration of Independence

  7. Jul 2

    What Does the "Pursuit of Happiness" Mean?

    "Happiness" is mentioned twice in the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence, but what does it mean? In this episode, Prof. Darrin McMahon, best-selling author of _Happiness: A History_, outlines the history of happiness and its various meanings. Topics include: -the history of the word in English and other languages -happiness in the classical Greek and Roman philosophical traditions -happiness in the Judeo-Christian and Buddhist traditions -Enlightenment concepts of human happiness from thinkers like John Locke, Jeremy Bentham, William Blackstone, and Isaac Newton -the opposition between happiness and suffering in the Declaration -happiness in the Epicurean and Stoic traditions -Jefferson's understanding of happiness and the views of other Founders -enslaved, indigenous, and enslaved perspectives on happiness Prof. McMahon's books can be found here: [Happiness: A History](https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-History-Darrin-M-McMahon/dp/0802142893) [Equality: The History of an Elusive Idea](https://www.amazon.de/Equality-History-Darrin-M-McMahon/dp/0465093930) [Divine Fury: A History of Genius](https://www.amazon.de/Divine-Fury-Darrin-M-McMahon/dp/0465003257)

    What Does the "Pursuit of Happiness" Mean?

  8. Jun 18

    How Did Rum Influence the Declaration of Independence?

    In this episode, we discuss the rum industry in connection with grievances #16 and #17 in the Declaration of Independence: "For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world" "For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent" Topics include the following: -an explanation of rum production, from sugarcane to the finished product -the origins of sugarcane and rum production in Barbados in the early 1600s -the development of distilleries in the Colonies, particularly Massachusetts, in the late 1600s -rum consumption in the Colonies by people in cities, slave traders, fishermen, and native Americans -the use of rum as a form of payment in the triangular slave trade -the imperial mercantilist competition between British rum and French brandy -the moral and religious history of rum and alcohol consumption -the Colonial activist movements that aimed to create political change, for example, by refusing to consume products made by enslaved people or by boycotting tea -the Molasses Act of 1733 and the Sugar Act of 1763 -the rise of rum smuggling and the association between rum and piracy -the deleted passage in the Declaration condemning slavery and its connection to the rum industry -the state of the rum industry, slavery, and the abolition movement after the formation of the United States -the development of the maple syrup industry as a moral alternative to the sugar and rum industry, which was driven by the immoral institution of slavery Prof. Smith's book can be found here: [The Invention of Rum: Creating the Quintessential Atlantic Commodity](https://www.pennpress.org/9781512828184/the-invention-of-rum/) His article in Commonplace can be found here: [Where's the Pirate?](https://commonplace.online/article/wheres-the-pirate/) The cover image features a sugarcane plantation with a mill and enslaved people in Antigua.

    How Did Rum Influence the Declaration of Independence?
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Learn more about the Declaration of Independence for the 250-year anniversary with this interdisciplinary podcast, featuring experts from the USA and around the world. The series is produced and hosted by Dr. Andrew Sola and the Amerikazentrum, Hamburg.

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