250 years of US independence: professor explains history and influence
The United States celebrates this Saturday (4) 250 years of independence from the British government, a date that invites reflection on the lasting impact of this movement on world political history. In an interview with Agora CNN, professor João Carlos Souto, author of the book "Supreme Court of the United States: Main Decisions", analyzed the historical context of American emancipation and its influence on other nations.
According to Souto, the end of the 18th century was marked by intense cultural and political ferment in the 13 British colonies in America. "Historians often say that the United States was going through a cultural effervescence and discussion about the direction of the State, about freedom, rarely repeated in world history", he stated.
From taxes to historical document
The independence movement originated from the dissatisfaction of the colonies with the increase in taxes imposed by the English parliament. Tensions between the 13 colonies and the government centralized in London had been accumulating since before 1776, intensifying especially from May and June of that year.
"This feeling of revolt, this feeling of injustice, had been discussed and perceived for a long time", explained Souto. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence document, drawn up by Thomas Jefferson and signed in Philadelphia, became public.
The influence of this movement went beyond American borders. Souto highlighted that the unconfident Minas Gerais, for example, "drank from the fountain of the declaration of independence and of this moment that the United States was going through", highlighting the global reach of the ideas expressed there.
Constitution and solid institutions
The Declaration of Independence directly influenced the American Federal Constitution, also drafted in Philadelphia and completed in September 1787, eleven years later. For Souto, it was in this document that concepts such as the separation of powers - Montesquieu's theory that had never been put into practice -, the federative form of the State and presidentialism took concrete form for the first time in history. "All of this was born with the Constitution and continues to develop and take root", he said.
The expert compared the American trajectory with that of France, highlighting that, despite the undeniable importance of the French Revolution, the European country experienced autocratic governments after the movement, something that did not occur in the United States. "What happened in the United States is an experiment that succeeded and expanded, solidified and came to fruition, which we have witnessed to this day," said Souto.
Echoes of 1776 in current politics
Souto also addressed contemporary challenges to American institutions. When mentioning Donald Trump, the expert recognized "somewhat autocratic" behavior, but highlighted that the Supreme Court has resisted certain initiatives. As a recent example, he cited the attempt to extinguish the constitutional right to citizenship for those born on American soil. "They are still echoes of 1776, of the Declaration of Independence, they are echoes of the Constitution of 1787 and which has developed over the years and has been developing and strengthening over all these years", he concluded.
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Source: CNN