8. The Logic of Resistance

The podcast discusses the logic of resistance that led to the American Revolution, beginning with a clarification of what a broadside is: a single-sided paper used for public announcements. The lecture then covers the Intolerable Acts of 1774, enacted by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party, and how these acts, intended to subdue the colonies, instead fostered unity and a shared sense of crisis. The lecture explores the intellectual atmosphere of the time, referencing Enlightenment thinkers like Bacon, Newton, and Locke, and how their ideas influenced colonial thoughts on rights and resistance. It also delves into the significance of ancient history, particularly the story of Julius Caesar, in shaping the understanding of power and liberty among early American leaders, and concludes by emphasizing that the colonists viewed their actions as a defense of British rights against arbitrary power, not as a revolution.