John Locke's influence can be seen throughout the creation of the United States 

     A good government guarantees and maximizes your rights. A bad government does not guarantee your rights. An evil government is one who intentionally assaults your rights. Locke's social contract says that all citizens consent to be ruled by a government elected by the majority for just as long as that government protects the natural rights. But a tyrannical government is illegitimate and ought to be revolted against. Britain was an evil government, so according to Locke, they should be revolted against. Locke's statement about revolting against an evil government is what guided John Adams and other congress men to persuaded the rest of the congressmen with rhetoric techniques to go into war and risk their lives for freedom from Britain.

Video explaining the creation of the United States: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEVPSfJIQ84&feature=player_detailpage

All about the American Revolution: http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/ 

 Language can be used to manipulate people's beliefs and actions (rhetoric)

   Patrick Henry used intentional rhetoric in his Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death Speech. Countless times he used rhetorical questions, illusions, metaphors, similes, diction, repetition, and of course his sound byte: give me liberty or give me death. He used analogies to slavery to show how bad Britain is treating them. Just by using intentional rhetoric in a speech, it can change people's thoughts enough to want to risk their lives because of how you said your ideas. Rhetoric can be used to transform a country, or to convince fish to leave the tank.

Give me Liberty or Give me Death Speech: http://www.barefootsworld.net/libertyordeath.html  
                                                                                                                                  Partick Henry ^
                                                                 

                                                                                                                        
 Geography's impact on culture, industries, agriculture, and the infrastructure can divide a nation

    Different geography offers different opportunities. In the North, the weather is typically colder than the South, and the soil can be very dense. This climate and geography is not ideal for agriculture. It is however perfect for an industrial boom to take place, making the North centered around it's industries. Meanwhile, the warm climate and rich and soft soil are the ideal geography for agriculture, so perfect that they do not have enough field hands to make use of. This leads to slavery. Both the North and South agree that slavery is wrong, but the South continues to use slaves and claim that it is a "necessary evil", and try to blame North for giving industry workers worse conditions than their slaves, calling them "wage slaves". This feud between the North and South was all due to the difference in geography between them.

Slave Narratives: http://www.moadsf.org/salon/exhibits/slave_narratives/flash.php










Our rights and freedoms today are based on the ideals expressed in the Constitution and its Amendments

   Today, we free to decide what religion we want to follow no matter what. This right started because of the 1st Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,...". This amendment was made established in 1791, and 213 years later it still gives us the freedom to practice the religion we chose to. A recent case questions what actions are protected and what are not under the Constitution. Joseph Frederick, 18 from Alaska, help up a home made 14 foot long sign reading, "Bong Hits for Jesus" in 2002 at a school trip to the Olympic Torch Relay. Frederick's principal than ripped the sign down and suspended him from school. Even though Joseph's sign promoted illegal drug use, his 1st Amendment right protects his freedom of speech, and therefor his actions were acceptable.

Bong Hits for Jesus Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x5hLOd-vUU

Link to Constitution and it's Amendments: http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html