An Overview of the Phillis Wheatley Revolution in American and Its Major Players

How does one write about revolution? Must he describe the powers that rule, or should he paint in the reader s mind a picture of the rising anger the persons seeking justice withhold? In the midst of the 1770 s, three writers expressed such vivrd opinions. A speech presented by Patrick Henry on March 23 of 1775, the poem To His Excellency General Washington, by Phillis Wheatley. and the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson all share the theme of the rising glory of America.

These three examples of revolutionary propaganda have all led me to the same idea. That being revolutionary opinion helped spark the people of that time to fight for their freedom. If we wish to be free-4f we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privrleges for which we have been so long contending–ifwe mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained-we must fightl I repeat it, sir, we must fight.

This lengthy exert from a speech by Patrick Henry addressed to General Washington I feel shows great esteem for the basis of this essay. Patrick Henry expresses strong opinions on their, the people of the new world s, current predicament Not only was his speech both cunning and persuasive. but it was addressed to General Washington, the one man who could lead them to victory. If his speech was strong enough to convince General Washington, you can be assured that it hit the hearts of every person who inhabited the soon to be pronounced thirteen states.

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Patrick Henry was quite sincere when he spoke of revolting against Britain. He would rather fight and die, than to live the rest of his life as a slave, Hence the closing line of his speech, the same line that Will end this paragraph, clinched the argument that he so profoundly set forth. I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.

While some people find poetry to be eccentric and meaningless, others can relate to the emotional pleas and our able to interpret the message that is presented. Phillis Wheatley, a female ex-slave, used a technique called personification to illustrate points in her poems. Phillis Wheatley writes, While freedom s cause her anxious breast alarms. she flashes dreadful in refulgenl arms, See mother earth her offspring s fate bemoan, and nations gaze at scenes before unknown! See the bright beams of heaven 5 revolving light, involved in sorrows and the veil of night! The goddess comes, she moves divinely fair, olive and laurel binds her golden hair. Lines three through eight of her poem To His Excellency General Washington describe America. It talks of the people of America becoming anxious to fight for their freedom. It talks of how the people of America have never experienced this type of commotion before.

The goddess most likely represents America, getting ready to fight. The rest of her poem describes how America enters the war as the underdogs, but since God is on their side, they are the ones who will live freely in the land of freedom 5 heaven-defended racel Perhaps the most important document that America ever produced is the Declaration of Independence. This statement of freedom revealed to the people of America that they were no longer pondering the thought of revolution, but acting on a long awaited idea. Thomas Jefferson reflects age of reason thinking to produce this brilliant writing accomplishment. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds 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 5 God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinrons of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, If this beginning part of the Declaration of Independence doesn t spark the people to fight for their freedom, then I don t know what will, I can only imagine the shock that the British parliament must have had at the receiVIng of this document. As a closing thought to Thomas Jefferson, just as it was a closing thought to his writing achievement, these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states.

That they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown Surely one must believe, proVIded these examples of revolutionary genius, that the inhibitors of the colonies were encouraged to fight for their freedom because of such works. I do believe though that these works were not made for the sole intention of rallying the people of the new world, but also to discourage the British parliament that they so much Wished to leave. Whether it be the speech exhibited by Patrick Henry to General Washington, the poem To His Excellency General Washington by Phillis Wheatley. or the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, all have struck meaning into the hearts of people. both now and then. It is indeed undeniable that all of these revolutionary works have sparked the people of that time to light for their freedom.