When Countries Share Hearts
Over the past weeks I have been releasing the sections of a portfolio which built the foundations of this essay. I got to spend January preparing, February writing, and March editing. The following is the polished final copy! Enjoy!
Introduction
Nelson Mandela, a leader in human rights and South Africa’s first black president said, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others” (Stephanie). Nearly 250 years ago, the American colonists began a war for their freedom that would last nearly a decade. Since securing independence, America has grown to be a nation that stands for and protects peace, democracy, human rights, and the freedom of others. Just over 200 years after the Americans declared independence, Ukraine, a long-oppressed Eastern European nation, made the bold move to declare independence. Since the days of the Kyivan Rus from the 9th to the mid-13th century, Ukrainians have fought to preserve their cultural identity and sovereignty. Despite many attempts, Ukrainians were only able to officially declare independence and confirm their status as an internationally recognized sovereign nation in 1991. Americans and Ukrainians both declared independence to gain rights and self-governance, but their stories differ in prior experience with governance and cultural heritage.
Summary of the Independence Movements
Both Ukraine and America found it important to become independent because they saw that their rulers would not grant them control and they wanted to govern themselves. Generally, when the citizens of a nation wish for a certain right or law, they ask the government for it, and the government says yes or no. If the government says no, there may be protests that can lead to escalation and, eventually, a possible revolution if the issue is quite large. When people see that they are not getting what they want, they react. The British Parliament and King ruled America with generally no American representatives. When Britain started introducing more laws and taxes, Americans did not approve of them and pushed back, but the King would not listen. There were protests, and at times, tempers worsened, like during the Boston Massacre, where British troops fired upon civilians who were taunting them. Eventually, the disputes between parliament and the American people turned to war. Americans fought a war because they wanted to govern themselves, and Britain’s growing restrictions told Americans that self-governance was the only path to freedom. They realized they needed their own government, and the only way to do that was to kick British troops out of America. While America had to fight a war, Ukraine had an easier transition. Prior to 1991, the Soviet Union had already begun to collapse, and in August of 1991, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada declared independence, which was followed by a ratifying vote with 90% of Ukrainians voting for independence (The December 1, 1991 Referendum/Presidential Election in Ukraine). When Ukraine declared its independence in 1991, it was breaking off from the Soviet Union rather than fighting a war or storming government facilities and forming a new state. During the years Ukraine was controlled by the Soviet Union, it had its own government, the Verkhovna Rada, which had to answer to officials in Moscow. As the Soviet Union began losing control, the Verkhovna Rada was able to gain autonomy gradually over 1990-1991, and it gained full power by the end of 1991. While Ukraine became its own country, there were still major issues with corruption and Russian influence in the country’s government, which led to the Euromaidan revolution in 2014. Political issues in Ukraine have not ended, as there is now a war, but Ukraine still holds its democracy and freedom tight. America and Ukraine both hold democratic freedom as core values because of their previous experiences, and hopefully neither country attained independence in vain.
The Shared Need For Human Rights
Americans and Ukrainians were both ruled by major world powers, so their people wished to gain more rights when they declared independence. During British rule, American colonists were subject to many unfair taxes and laws and did not have many freedoms. Leading up to the revolution was a series of severely unjust Acts and events that sparked unrest among the citizens, notably the Tea Act and Taxation without Representation. The Tea Act, which was a tax on imported tea, led to the Boston Tea Party, a nonviolent protest where tea from British ships was thrown into the Boston Harbor. Another major legal issue that led to the revolution was Taxation without representation. The idea that one could be taxed without having a say in what their tax money was used for. These decisions, among others made by the British government, angered the colonists and drove them to push for independence. (10 Causes of the American Revolution) Similarly, in Ukraine, the freedoms and lives of the citizens were very restrained. Directly prior to Ukraine becoming a sovereign nation, it was controlled by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union made significant efforts to eradicate Ukrainian culture. The language was not allowed to be taught in schools. Publications and media were not allowed to be printed, and poets and playwrights were silenced. In the constitution of Ukraine, the first three articles highlight what was very important to the Ukrainian people when they declared independence. Article one states that Ukraine is a sovereign, independent, and democratic social and legal state. Article two further protects this by specifying that the law of Ukraine extends to all of its lands, and the borders cannot be changed. Article three stresses the importance of rights for citizens, including freedom, health, honor, dignity, inviolability, and safety (Constitution Of Ukraine). Out of the initial trio of articles, number three highlights best how controlled the people of Ukraine were because it protects very basic human rights that evidently were not available to citizens. This is significant because while Ukraine was controlled by the Soviet Union during the 20th century, it had not always been so and was a captured nation. Ukraine has been ruled by many different empires and countries, all the while keeping its own distinct cultural roots, people, language, and customs. Just like the Americans, Ukraine has prevailed despite centuries of severe oppression.
Who had government expereince
America and Ukraine both wanted self-governance, but an important difference between the two stories is that Ukrainians had previous experience with governing their country, and Americans did not. The American colonists had local assemblies, but major decisions were made by Britain, and British soldiers enforced rule. “Nearly all of the colonies held Royal charters with Parliament or the British monarch. Each colony had a Royal governor appointed by the King. This individual held the ultimate say over the decisions in the colony. However, most colonies also had colonial assemblies, bodies of elected officials who conducted local affairs and business” (Zielinski). The Royal governor from Britain made the decisions, and the American people did not get a say in matters. On the contrary, when Ukraine declared independence, there was a preestablished government, and the Ukrainian people had a history of self-governance. Ukraine was a well-established nation being controlled and hidden by the USSR, while America was metaphorically a new baby nation just entering the world. The state of Ukraine had been on its own before, despite having been controlled by the USSR and, before that, the Russian Empire and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, among other rulers. In 1918, there was a brief 8-month period of freedom for Ukraine when they declared independence following the fall of the Russian Empire. During this time, Ukraine was recognized internationally in Europe as a sovereign state, and Poland even fought alongside Ukrainian soldiers, but the armies failed to hold out against Soviet advances, and Ukraine was brought into the Russian fold. (Brand, Ukraine) While Ukraine’s past rulers repeatedly suppressed its sovereignty by imposing their own governments, the state of Ukraine had been previously independent, which allowed for an easier transition into full independence. In contrast, America was a new nation, and Americans did not have prior experience with the duties that come with running a country and preserving a culture.
Cultural Heritage
In Colonial America, a distinct culture had not yet been established because the nation was so new, but in Ukraine, during the independence movement, Ukrainians had a long-standing, rich culture to fight for and protect. The American colonies were mainly composed of immigrants from England and Western Europe, so they shared their traditions and didn’t have their own cultural heritage. For example, Americans shared language, food, holidays, government, and traditions with the British. Over time, American culture has grown to be unique and complex due to influences from immigrants from around the world. Today, American culture is very unique because it is a blend of almost every culture in the world. In the 18th century, however, Americans were mainly declaring independence for rights and freedoms. While Ukrainians also wanted the same things, they had a very ancient and rich culture to fight for and protect, which became one of the large reasons for their declaring independence. Ukrainian history goes back over 1,000 years, and through those many years, unique elements have been formed, such as dances, folk songs, traditional attire like the vyshyvanka, national cuisine, and a unique language. The Soviet Union tried to submerge Ukrainian identity by suppressing the language and culture, banning Ukrainian books, teaching only Russian in schools, and prohibiting media publications in Ukrainian. Unlike America, Ukraine was fighting for more than just political self-rule—it was fighting for its cultural survival. America’s independence was about creating a new and ideal nation. Ukraine’s independence was about preserving an already existing nation and culture.
Conclusion
Americans and Ukrainians had valid reasons to declare independence and shared notable similarities and differences. Americans and Ukrainians both wanted to gain rights and self-governance, but only Ukraine had previous governmental experience and a long-standing and rich culture to protect. Americans and Ukrainians both wanted to gain rights for themselves and to guarantee freedom. The values at the core of both nations are dignity, honor, freedom, and safety for each and every citizen. Ukraine and America also each saw their rulers as insufficient and not representing the wishes of the people, so both nations wished for self-governance and secured that through succession. While the stories of these two nations match up at many points, they differ because Ukraine had previous experience governing itself and had an old and rich culture to protect, while America did not. As Ukraine continues to defend its independence today, its struggle serves as a reminder that democracy must be actively preserved by everyone who holds freedom close to their hearts.
Works Cited
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, Staff Member. “10 Causes of the American Revolution.” Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, www.bostonteapartyship.com/article/10-causes-of-the-american-revolution. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Brand, Ukraine. “Origins and History of Ukraine.” Ukraine.UA, 22 Feb. 2022, ukraine.ua/explore/origins-history-of-ukraine/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Staff of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. “The December 1, 1991 Referendum/Presidential Election in Ukraine.” CSCE, 1 Dec. 1991, www.csce.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/120191UkraineReferendum.pdf. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Stephanie. “In the Words of Nelson Mandela, ‘To Be Free Is Not Merely to Cast off One’s Chains’.” Questrom School of Business, 1 Apr. 2019, sites.bu.edu/socialimpactblog/2019/04/01/in-the-words-of-nelson-mandela-to-be-free-is-not-merely-to-cast-off-ones-chains/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
Supreme Soviet of Ukraine on behalf of the Ukrainian people. “Constitution of Ukraine.” Verkhovna Rada, 24 Aug. 1991, www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/eoir/legacy/2013/11/08/constitution_14.pdf. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Zielinski, Adam E. “Life in Colonial America Prior to the Revolutionary War.” American Battlefield Trust, 24 Jul. 2024, www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/life-colonial-america-prior-revolutionary-war. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
