Hypocrisy Of Slavery In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Another work of literature, showing the incredible amount of influence of religion in American society, specifically puritanism, would be Arthur Miller’s book The Crucible. The Crucible is situated in the Massachusetts town of Salem in 1692. Known for its extreme puritanism and witch trials, the town of Salem in the story revolves around Reverend Parris, the minister of the town church. When Parris’ daughter Betty and niece Abigail are found dancing in the forest with Tituba, the slave of Parris, rumors that the girls were practicing witchcraft spreads through the town, although the girls state that they were just dancing. T new, horrifying event shakes up the town and a new character enters the story, Reverend Hale, the investigator of witchcraft.

Working as a laborer to pay for his freedom, Douglass was able to gain recognition at the Massachusetts Antislavery Society and become a significant figure of the New England anti-slavery movement. In his speech, “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery,” Douglass was expected to deliver a patriotic statement at the Fourth of July celebration in Rochester, New York. Instead, Douglass delivered a speech pointing out the hypocrisy of the United States, celebrating freedom and independence, while slavery, the opposite of what is being celebrated, still existed within its borders. Douglass influenced American culture by helping inform the American public about the inhumanities of slavery, trying to bring about change in the way African Americans were viewed. In fact, his rhetorical and speech skills disproved in many the idea of black intellectual inferiority, and his speech went down in the top ten greatest speeches list by TIME

Americans have shown an undying desire and passion for improvement and progress in things they see unfit for their lives. Since the conception of American independence, Americans have been trying to improve their lives, even taking up arms. In Patrick Henry’s famous call-to-arms speech, “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death,” Henry discusses very important ideas of American democracy: freedom and liberty. In 1775, the American Revolution was brewing up. The first Continental Congress had met and sent a petition to the British Crown. Boycotts have happened and were still happening, and the Boston Harbor was still under the restrictions of the Intolerable Acts as a result of the Boston Tea Party. In the Second Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry, a well-respected lawyer with great speaking skills, became one of Virginia’s most vociferous advocates for the independence of America from British taxes. Convinced that war was necessary, Patrick Henry knew that he had to motivate the colonies to become a unified America and not as distinct, sovereign colonies, to create militias that would fight for America’s independence. Warning about the dangers of appeasement and the ridiculous response given by the bad conduct of the British Crown in his speech, Henry criticized idleness and those who still opposed an armed conflict. Although Henry did not have any notes or