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Anti-slavery debate during the American Revolution
KLIMEŠ, Ondřej
By analysis of political pamphlets and essays, hereby presented undergraduate thesis aims to reconstruct the anti-slavery debate that took place in Britain and her North American colonies in the years preceding the American Revolution. After outlining the sources of the British anti-slavery thought of the 18th century follows an analysis of four petitions of black slaves who petitioned for their own freedom in Massachusetts between the years 1773 and 1777. Next three chapters analyse three texts from three important anti-slavery activists of their day. Firstly, a pamphlet from 1773 named An Address to the Inhabitants of the British Settlements, on the Slavery of the Negroes in America by American physician and politician from Philadelphia Benjamin Rush. Secondly, a pamphlet published in 1774 called Thoughts Upon Slavery by the founder of the methodist movement John Wesley. And lastly, an essay from the year 1775 African Slavery in America, which has for a long time been incorrectly attributed to Thomas Paine but was penned by a congregational pastor and theologian from Rhode Island Samuel Hopkins. Each of the three analyses is introduced by a biographical passage based mainly on published personal correspondence, journals and diaries and memoirs of the respective authors as well as various biographies. Biographical passages pursue the development of personal anti-slavery thought of chosen authors. The conclusion of the thesis compares the results of the analyses of the pamphlets.
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Ideological Background of the American Revolution
Cuník, Maroš ; Franěk, Jakub (advisor) ; Kotábová, Věra (referee)
Bachelor thesis with its subject of Ideological background of American Revolution deals with ideological influences, which affected American society during the formation of a new nation. It shows the character of American revolution and early republic, and weight of republican and liberal traditions in this period of time. It specifically studies the impact of John Locke's liberalism on declaration of independence and character of American society. It also deals with republican values, which were transformed into the constitutions of the states, as well as the Federal Constitution itself. Both liberal and republican influences were present during the revolution, and both formed the character of new American republic, which is shown by analysis. The impact of John Locke's thought is depicted not only in literal and factual form of the Declaration, but also in the reality of the American society. It is concluded, that the formation of the United States was until that time a unique event, and the created system was quite new. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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The importance of the American Revolution in John Quincy Adams's work
MACH, Tomáš
The aim of this bachelor thesis is to analyse the importance of the American Revolution in John Quincy Adams's work. The following test focuses on his printed speeches used on the occasion of Independence Day and the anniversary of the ratification of the United States Constitution. The next primary source analysed would be an essay written by Friedrich Gentz (a German conservative), which was translated into English by Adams. Thus, the main goal of this thesis is to analyse, interpret and compare previously mentioned sources. Besides that the following work should also deal with the role of providencialism in the interpretation of historical events as witnessed by participants of the American Revolution. All that ought to be elaborated with a help of literary and other sources.
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