The Right of Revolution
So arise, ye daughters and sons of Liberty! You should begin work immediately on your essay, whose topic is: THE RIGHT OF REVOLUTION. How have reformers and rebels from the 16th – 18th centuries explained and justified their right to revolt against an acknowledged authority, whether spiritual or political? Search the readings we have covered in the class, find the evidence and explain our thoughts and conclusions
1) 4-5 pages, 1400-1700 words, any standard 12-point font, double spaced, standard margins, include a title.
2) You should include evidence from the readings in the first half of the course, at least one important passage from each which you find below. Present them in chronological order, summarize and comment from the passages, and use quotations from the versions below. The include a general conclusion on the viewpoint from all three passages. This is not necessarily a research paper so you do not need to include secondary sources, but if you do, cite them properly in APA or MLA format.
3) NO PLAGIARISM! Review the rules found in the unofficial syllabus. And no ChatGPT or other alien intelligence.
No late papers except for cases of genuine, provable emergency! Late papers are 0’s.
Luther, On the Freedom of a Christian
Thomas Paine, Common Sense:
Common-Sense-by-Thomas-Paine1.pdf
Maximilien Robespierre, Principles of Political Morality (Terror and Virtue):
The Right of Revolution
Student’s Name
Institution
Course Name and Number
Lecturer’s Name
Due Date
The Right of Revolution
The revolution was a pivotal event in the world’s history. It was a period of great intellectual and political tumult, with colonies fighting against foreign powers. Almost all colonies were emboldened to resist new colonial policies that raised concerns about political and natural rights, inequalities, and individual freedoms. Revolutionists John Adams and Mercy Warren Otis believed that colonial policies stimulated colonies' minds to demand independence and rights (Moots & Hamilton, 2018). This revolution of the mind had external consequences as rebels aggressively opposed colonists’ new assertions of power. Political independence, the right to representation, increased taxation, slavery, nationalism, separation of church and state, individual freedoms, use of the military in civil unrest, and commercial restrictions were some of the salient issues that motivated revolutions (Clark, 1986). Despite being marred with war and violence, reformers and rebels of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries believed that they had the right to revolt against an acknowledged authority.
One of the primary justifications is the need for democracy. Revolts and rebels were not impressed by the oppressive rule of foreign nations that denied them independence and freedom. They argued that the colonists abused their powers and violated the rights of the nationals. During the American Revolution, American rebels saw acts like the Intolerable Acts and Stamp Act as oppressive measures that violated the freedom of the colonies (Paine, n.d). They saw the revolution as a response to these abuses and an insertion of the nationals’ natural rights. They also saw revolution as a chance to gain independence and free themselves from the colonist’s oppressive regime.
Maximilien Robespierre is one of the most popular French revolutionaries of the eighteenth century and is known for their strong