Assignment Seven

American Revolution:

At first, the colonists' rights were not being upheld. Large, impossible taxes were being enforced in an attempt to repay war debt. The anti-federalists especially were afraid of the government mirroring British Parliament. Therefore, the new Constitution included a Bill of Rights to ensure the freedoms of all Americans.

One of the major events that led up to the creation of the Bill of Rights was Shay's Rebellion. Shay, a farmer with large debt on his hands, led the rebellion in order to protest the unfair and impossible taxes.

The colonists were justified in breaking the law. They saw a flaw in their government, acted against it, and sparked its change for the better. In cases such as these, breaking the law is justifyable if the government is not upholding one's natural rights and freedoms.


20th Century:

After the Constitution was written, many African slaves began to have a new hope: the hope that they, too, could be "considered equal" as all other men were. Between 1955 and 1968, the African American Civil Rights Movement took place. Blacks were desperate to remove segregation from the United States. If "all men were created equal", why were they not considered "equal men" as well?

Many event took place during this time that eventually led to equal rights for African Americans. Some of these events included non-violnent protest and civil disobediance, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Greensboro Sit-In, and the Selma to Montgomery marches.

The African Americans were justified in breaking the law. Their rights as men and women were not being upheld. Through their effort, laws were passed to successfully end segregation: the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968.