In the reading about the Writing Style of the Declaration, the author emphasizes the importance of Jefferson's claim that the British and the Americans were two separate peoples, weakening Britain's claim to sovereignty and legitimizing the Revolution as more than just insurrection. And frankly, I would have to agree with this assertion as I have often wondered what really set the American Revolution apart from any number of similar revolts, including even the Confederacy's revolt sparking the Civil War. Going back to the original point, it is clear today that the British and the Americans are different, but does this difference really run deeply enough to separate two different peoples? Is it no coincidence that for more than a century Anglo-American international relationships have been very amiable? My gut reaction is no, and I think it is something more complicated than that. I think Americans really are fundamentally different from the British, but with some very significant underlying connections.
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