French Revolution and Human Rights

I would to begin by saying it was difficult to narrow down how to presents my own opinion in a short paragraph. And it is an opinion that keeps changing with time. 

It is difficult to make a stand when referring to “human rights” simply because there is never just two sides. When debating “right, human rights or natural rights” the first thing to be accomplished is defining what exactly “human rights” are, says who, and under what circumstances are they defined. This would obviously lead to different opinions that have been noted in Hunt’s documentations. However, Malquet makes an excellent, although obvious point, “The nations is waiting for us: it wants order, peace and protective laws...”(Hunt:75) His statement alone is one that any nation would agree to. 

In the case of the French Revolution, the definitions of “human rights” is presented in several articles under the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen”. The very opening line is one familiar, as Dr. Wright has already pointed out, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.” (Hunt:78) I do not think that there would be anyone would completely disagree with this statement, but questions could easily arise. What does “free” mean and is there any limitations? The problems of human rights does not necessarily fall on definition but perhaps the lack of. Rights,as we know, are constantly being debated and are evolving in the same categories that Hunt as already presented even slavery, although this does not necessarily include Africans. 

In the case of slavery during the French Revolution, there is room to debate the freedom of slaves because the opening statement of Declaration refers to “men” not men of specific color or status. Slowly, pushing the edges of the Declaration, “The abolition of Negro Slavery or Means for Ameliorating Their Lot” presents a solution to the slavery problem by making a compromise to the colonies and for abolitionist. The first proposition, “Blacks transported from Africa to our colonies could only be sold on the condition that the inhabitants who bought them would restore their freedom at the end of ten years...” (Hunt:103) How does this proposition relate to any right of the “human rights” definition? This article is an excellent example of how its context is naive to our modern world. We have seen the results from “freeing” black Africans in American history. How would anyone know that they were free? It was more than likely that they could not possess any knowledge of reading or writing, therefore unable to make their case for any kind of freedom. What jobs could they possess afterwards? 

This is an example of how defining the “human rights” truly has no clear definition at all. It is an evolutionary process of trial, circumstances and religion. 

The Narrative

Caretta uses examples of literature during or before and after the time of Vassa to support his conclusion, such as The Analytical Review of 1789, The Monthly Review of 1789, The Oracle and the Star (1792) and The Narrative (several of the editions) as main key points in his arguments.(1) All of them being a piece of literature. Using his knowledge of British literature, Caretta calculated that Vassa was indeed born in South Carolina and not in Africa as he claimed in The Narrative. (2) Vincent Cerrata takes a different aproach from Paul Lovejoy because in the examples of his readings, he takes the literal words into account. For an example, the St. Margaret Church recorded that "Gustavas Vassa a Black born in South Carolina".(3) With various other supporting arguments, all literature, Carretta reaches the final conclusion stating that, "what evidence external to The Interesting Narrative do we have that the identity of Olaudah Equiano existed before the name appeared in the first and subsequent editions of Vassa's book?"(4) Obviously his birth place would be be the a main issue concerning Vassa's true identity.


Paul Lovejoy, a history professor uses a different approach with different resources. Lovejoy concludes opposite that of Caretta, "circumstantial evidence indicates that he was born where he said he was, and that, in fact, The Interesting Narrative is reasonably accurate in its details, although, of course, subject to the same criticisms of selectivity and self-inter- ested distortion that characterize the genre of autobiography." (5) However, Lovejoy responds to Caretta's debate conlcuding that Vassa was indeed born in Africa,"basing his (Caretta)analysis on documentary evidence that Vassa was born in South Carolina." (6) Paul Lovejoy uses more historic documents and evidence than that of Caretta's "Olaudah Equiano or Gustavas Vassa?". One example would include the history of the name "Gustavas Vassa" which was a Sweeden King. (7) When questioning the time period that Gustavas Vassas was born, he does not conclude that the written evidence should be taken so literally instead he concludes, "In my opinion, Vassa guessed when he was born, based on his own calculations of when he thought he arrived in England and the fixed date of his baptism in 1759." (8)


These are just small examples of what Lovejoy and Caretta used in their arguments debating the name and identity of Gustavas Vassa. However, Caretta's experience as a professor in the English department has lead to his conclusion based on documents, while Lovejoy's thoughts are from based off what could possibly be human era. He looks at the documents from a different perspective. 




1. Vincent, Caretta. "Olaudah Equiano or Gustavas Vassa?" in "New Light on an eight-teenth Century question of identity" : Slavery and Abolition: A Journal of Slave and Post-Slave Studies, 20:3, pp 96-97
2.Ibid, 102
3.Ibid, 102
4.Ibid, 103
5. Lovejoy, E. Paul. "Autobiography and Memory: Gustavas, alias Oluadah Equiano, the African" in "Slavery and Abolition. Vol. 27, No. 3, Decemeber 2006 pp. 318
6.Ibid, 319
7.Ibid, 321
8.Ibid, 322

Columbus

From your text on Christopher Columbus and with additional research, discuss Columbus’ progress toward becoming a great navigator.  Include comments about how he balanced science and religion. Essays should be 200 -400 words.

"He came to believe that he was predistined to fulfill a number of prophecies in preperation for the coming of the Antichrist and the end of the world.” -Christopher Columbus 1.

Christopher Columbus became known as one of the greatest navigators to sail the ocean and given credit for finding the Americas. Though he was not a professional academic, he had received knowledge in astrology, geometry, and arithmetics.2 His ability to balance science with religion eventually made him successful.

There have been two reasons as to why Christopher Columbus would make the long voyage to the West. One would be the desire to find China and to gain its riches.3The second reason would be that Christopher Columbus believed that he was predestined to fulfill a number of prophecies before the coming of the Antichrist.4

Using his knowledge and instruments of the sea, Columbus was able to track his location on his chart and make longitudes and latitudes.5 He was able to record his data on his voyages, “south-southwest” to keep track of his whereabouts and to make new maps.6  However, he did not credit himself, but always found that it was an act of God. On December 25, the ship’s boy,(although not allowed) steered through the night and not 

knowing, led the boat onto a sand bar.7 This incident was given credit to God, that he allowed the ship to aground there so he should leave the people there, resulting in the discovery of the new island and new peoples.8

        Christopher Columbus was able to maintain success as an admiral of the seas because he used facts, and knowledge of text book information of that time to gain the information needed to set sail, but used religion as a tactic of motivation. 

First Map made by Columbus after his trips to the West Indies. 9

1. Watts, Pauline Moffitt. 1985. "Prophecy and Discovery: On the Spiritual Origins of Christopher Columbus's 'Enterprise of the Indies'." American Historical Review 90, no. 1: 73. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 8, 2012)pg

2. Watts, Pauline Moffitt. 1985. "Prophecy and Discovery: On the Spiritual Origins of Christopher Columbus's 'Enterprise of the Indies'." American Historical Review 90, no. 1: 73. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 8, 2012)pg 74

3. Columbus in Portugal. (1476-1485), in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, eds. Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005)9

4. Watts, Pauline Moffitt. 1985. "Prophecy and Discovery: On the Spiritual Origins of Christopher Columbus's 'Enterprise of the Indies'." American Historical Review 90, no. 1: 73. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 8, 2012)74

5. Christopher Columbus (August 3,1492-March 15,1493), in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, eds. Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005)65

6. Christopher Columbus (Sunday, October 28),  in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, eds. Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005)71

7. Christopher Columbus (Tuesday, December 25), in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, eds. Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005)75

8. Christopher Columbus (Wednesday, December 26), in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, eds. Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005)79

9. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/famouspeople/christopher_columbus/teachers_resources.shtml