International Scripture: The Impact of the Declaration of Independence
Jim Kelly
University High School

Focus
This lesson will focus on the US Declaration of Independence as a "core" document in an investigation of expressions of nationalism from the 18 th through the 20th century. Nationalism as a driving political force, is often articulated via 19 th and 20th century examples. The Declaration was the "predictable" expression of enlightened political philosophy as initially expressed by philosophes like Hobbs and Locke.

Vital Themes and Narratives

• Comparative history of major developments
• Civilization, cultural diffusion and innovation
• Patterns of social and political interaction
• Values, beliefs, political ideas, and institutions.

Habits of the Mind: # 41 51 61 81 91 1 0 12

Objective
Students will be able to understand and connect the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence as universally acceptable tenets regarding national independence movements.

Procedures

1. Set induction/intro: Ask students to define personal independence. Give
   examples. In what way is independence rewarding? In what way is independence frightening? (Reference: Eric Fromm, Escape from Freedom, intro quote by Jefferson)
2. Define the costs of personal independence: Emotional, economic, etc.
3. State the objective and expectations via an overhead, board, etc.

Lecture/discussion

1. Discuss the role of the Renaissance and Enlightenment as a linchpin of
   modem political philosophy and thought.
2. The "essence" of independence is competing simultaneous tracts that have thesame focus. (Maier 1997, chapter 2)
3. Explore and discuss independence revolutions such as:
   1. US Civil War
   2. The end of colonialism as illustrated by examples like India, Africa, etc.
   3. Communist-backed "wars of independence" (Reference: Declaration of Independence, North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

Activities

1. Deliver a lecture and engage in discussion relative to content themes.
2. Split the class into four (4) groups.
   1. Each group should declare their independence from something or someone. Examples: An independence movement for Native Americans, Black Americans, teenagers, etc.
   2. Elect a group member to draft a Declaration based upon group discussion.
   3. Have the group edit, add, detract, from the draft. Each person should take noted during this process. Hand in a final draft with attached group notes.
   4. Each group should present their declaration to the class..
   5. Each group should plan a public relations campaign to immortalize their declaration.
      1. National day of celebration
      2. Understanding as graduation requirement
      3. Mandated teaching of core philosophy
      4. Monuments & memorials, etc.

Ideas for Assessment of Student Learning

1. Ask students to identify the ideas expressed in the Declaration.
2. Ask students to identify one idea expressed in the Declaration that was evident in the other independence movements discussed in the lesson
3. Evaluate the group declaration project. Criteria should include:
   1. Ideas and language consistent with the Declaration.
   2. Evidence of a "draft editing process"
   3. Evidence of a plan to "immortalize" the document and its inherent ideas.

Sources

Fromm, Eric. Escape from Freedom. New York: Avon Books, 1965.

Ho Chi Minh. "Declaration of Independence, Democratic Republic of Vietnam." Ho Chi Minh: Selected Works. Hanoi, 1960 62, V. 3 pp. 17-21.

Maier, Pauline. American Scripture Making of the Declaration of
Independence. New York: Vintage Books, 1997.

"Nothing then is unchangeable but the inherent and unalienable rights of man"
- Thomas Jefferson

(From: Eric Fromm, Escape from Freedom, (1941, intro

Declaration of Independence,

Democratic Republic of Vietnam*

(SEPTEMBER 2,1945) "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" This immortal statement was made in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America in 1776. In a broader sense, this means: All the peoples on the earth are equal from birth, all the peoples have a right to live, to be happy and free. The Declaration of the French Revolution made in 1791 on the Rights of Man and the Citizen also states: "All men are born free and with equal rights, and must always remain free and have equal rights." Those are undeniable truths. Nevertheless, for more than eighty years, the French imperialists, abusing the standard of Liberty', Equality, and Fraternity, have violated our Fatherland and oppressed our fellow citizens. They have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice. In the field of politics, they have deprived our people of every democratic liberty. They have enforced inhuman laws; they have set up three distinct political regimes in the North, the Center and the South of Vietnam in order to wreck our national unity and prevent our people from being united. They have built more prisons than schools. They have mercilessly slain our patriots they have drowned our uprisings in rivers of blood. They have fettered public opinion; they have practised obscurantism against our people. To weaken our race they have forced us to use opium and alcohol.

In the fields of economics, they have fleeced us to the backbone, impoverished our people, and devastated our land. They have robbed us of our rice fields, our mines, our forests, and our raw materials. They have monopolized the issuing of banknotes and the export trade. They have invented numerous unjustifiable taxes and reduced our people, especially our peasantry, to a state of extreme poverty. They have hampered the prospering of our national bourgeoisie; they have mercilessly exploited our workers. In the autumn of 1940, when the Japanese Fascists violated Indochina's territory to establish new bases in their fight against the Allies, the French imperialists went down on their bended knees and handed over our country to them. Thus, from that date, our people were subjected to the double yoke of the French and the Japanese. Their sufferings and miseries increased. The result was that from the end of last year to the beginning of this year, from Quang Tri province to the North of Vietnam, more than two million of our fellow citizens died from starvation. On March 9, the French troops were disarmed by the Japanese The French colonialists either fled or surrendered, showing that not only were they incapable of "protecting" us, but that, in the span of five years, they had twice sold our country to the Japanese. On several occasions before March 9, the Vietminh League urged the French to ally themselves with it against the Japanese. Instead of agreeing to this proposal, the French colonialists so intensified their terrorist activities against the Vietminh members that before fleeing they massacred a great number of our political prisoners detained at Yen Bay and Cao Bang. Not withstanding all this, our fellow citizens have always manifested toward the French a tolerant and humane attitude. Even after the Japanese putsch of March 1945, the Vietminh League helped many Frenchmen to cross the frontier, rescued some of them from Japanese jails, and protected French lives and property.

From the autumn of 1940, our country had in fact ceased to be a French colony and had become a Japanese possession. After the Japanese had surrendered to the Allies, our whole people rose to regain our national sovereignty and to found the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The truth is that we have wrested our independence from the Japanese and not from the French The French have fled, the Japanese have capitulated, Emperor Bao Dai has abdicated. Our people have broken the chains which for nearly a century have fettered them and have won independence for the Fatherland. Our people at the same time have overthrown the monarchic regime that has reigned supreme for dozens of centuries. In its place has been established the present Democratic Republic. For these reasons, we, members of the Provisional Government, representing the whole Vietnamese people, declare that from now on we break off all relations of a colonial character with France; we repeal all the international obligation that France has so far subscribed to on behalf of Vietnam and we abolish all the special rights the French have unlawfully acquired in our Fatherland. The whole Vietnamese people, animated by a common purpose, are determined to fight to the bitter end against any attempt by the French colonialists to reconquer their country. We are convinced that the Allied nations which at Tehran and San Francisco have acknowledged the principles of self determination and equality of nations, will not refuse to acknowledge the independence of Vietnam. A people who have courageously opposed French domination for more than eighty years, a people who have fought side by side with the Allies against the Fascists during these last years, such a people must be free and independent. For these reasons, we, members of the Provisional Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, solemnly declare to the world that Vietnam has the right to be a free and independent countryNand in fact it is so already. The entire Vietnamese people are determined to mobilise all their physical and mental strength, to sacrifice their lives and property in order to safeguard their independence and liberty.

* Note, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam has been renamed The Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Prepared by Vern Weitzel <vernLq),coombs.anu.edu.au>
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