Even just isolating these tax and military problems as part the issues colonists were made to deal with there was essentially nothing they could do, the British legal system (referenced in the declaration of independence) was mock-enforced conveniently for the British agents so as they would receive little or no punishment leaving early Americans feeling as though justice has not been served but rather they were jerked off. ... The second continental congress met again in 1776 and wrote and signed the Declaration on Independence on the 4th of July that year marking its place in American histo...

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• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The first step, of course, in America's pursuit of democracy was the Declaration of Independence in 1776. ... The people of France overthrew the king, then set forth the "Declaration of the Rights of Man," which changed Locke's right to life, liberty and property to the right to "liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression." ... These ideas, like the ones in the American Declaration of Independence, lended themselves to a partially democratic system where the powers of the king are limited and the people have some say in their government (Pious; Lefebvre). ...

• Word Count: 3560
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Virtu Like most Western philosophers, Niccolo Machiavelli's ideas were heavily influenced by the early Greek philosophers. Most notable among the Greek philosophers who inspired Machiavelli was Plato. In particular, Machiavelli took interest in Plato's concept of just rulers who ruled by moral virtue. Machiavelli argued against this Platonic philosophy. He believed in "virtu", whatever was best for the State was virtu. ...

• Word Count: 4508
• Approx Pages: 18
• Grade Level: Undergraduate