Government & Liberty
What is the common topic talked about in both readings?
They both highlight the tension between government authority and individual liberty. Liberty is inseparable from the limits of government power. When authority becomes arbitrary, whether through secret imprisonment or taxation without consent, freedom is threatened
What does he say about morality and civic duty ?
He defends that liberty is both a moral responsibility and a public duty. If people remain passive when their rights are threatened, they risk becoming slaves to arbitrary power.
Why was Fowle imprisoned?
For selling a paper called “Monster of Monsters” that the government claimed was libel (an attack on them).
Both Fowle and Dickinson warned that losing even a small right can endanger all rights. What does this idea suggest about the relationship between liberty and government?
That liberty requires constant vigilance governments naturally seek more power, so citizens must guard their freedoms carefully.
What did Dickinson mean when he said the colonists were being “taxed without their consent”?
He meant that only colonial assemblies, not Parliament, had the right to approve taxes. Otherwise, they were losing self-government.
What is the political climate in 1754, what did it lead to
a conflict between Britain and France for control of North America, his war would lead Britain to increase taxes and tighten control over the colonies afterward—actions that fueled resentment and ultimately revolution.
What shared warning do both authors give about the danger of giving up even minor liberties to government power?
Both authors warn that giving up even small freedoms lets the government gain more control and can eventually destroy liberty. Once citizens accept minor violations like Fowle’s loss of free expression or Dickinson’s small, unauthorized taxes, they set a precedent for greater abuses. Their message is that freedom fades slowly when people stop protecting it.
Why does Dickinson describe those taxed without consent as “slaves,” and what does this reveal about his view of freedom?
Dickinson calls those taxed without consent “slaves” to show that freedom is not just about wealth but also about having a voice in your own government. A slave has no control or choice, and Dickinson believed that if citizens are governed or taxed without their consent, they lose that same self-rule. This reveals that his view of freedom is based on active participation. True liberty requires people to help make the laws that govern them, not simply obey them.
How does Fowle’s belief that government power comes from the people reflect Enlightenment ideas about the social contract, and what does it show about how he viewed authority?
Fowle’s belief reflects John Locke’s Enlightenment idea of the social contract, which states that rulers gain authority only through the consent of the governed. Like Locke, Fowle argued that no one is born to rule and that governments exist to protect people’s natural rights, not to control them. He believed that government should serve the people rather than dominate them, and that rulers must act for the common good instead of seeking their own power.