MovieChat Forums > 1776 (1972) Discussion > Unalienable / Inalienable

Unalienable / Inalienable

posted 11 years ago by nannyjo
7 replies | jump to latest

I never realized that "Unalienable / Inalienable" was a big deal, until I saw this movie.

There are, actually, multiple copies of the declaration in which the words are different.

This website:

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/unalienable.htm

give a great breakdown of this debate.

It seems Mr Adams definitLEE may have spoken to the printer about it.

That site also give a lot of good information about the document, the signers, timelines, etc., for anyone who wants to know more after watching "1776."

[–] srnumber9 11 years ago

English was a lot less standardised back then, so in a way they were both right.

Jefferson won in the end: "inailienable" became the correct spelling and in the modern ear "unalienable" just sounds wrong!

200+ years ago? No worse than "gray" or "grey".

[–] rob-2423 11 years ago

Technically, Adams was correct.

[–] OlLineRebel 10 years ago

No. The root "alien" is Greek and thus, the Greek prefix "in-" is the correct match.

"Un-" is a Germanic prefix and thus is not meant to be mated with a Greek root.

[–] kiddykarr 9 years ago

When I worked for Colonial Williamsburg in the '70's, this film was (naturally) shown each July. Whole crowds of students would sit through the movie just to hear Ken Howard mention "The College of William and Mary". Raucous cheers would erupt, and then they were pretty much done.

[–] tobian85 9 years ago

When I worked for Colonial Williamsburg in the '70's, this film was (naturally) shown each July.

As well it should be.  I am an alumna of W & M, and was lucky enough to see the movie at the theater adjacent to the Colonial area during its original release. While of course we all cheered when "Jefferson" cited his alma mater--and sided with him re: the "in v. un" debate--some of us were picky enough to criticize the quality of his Virginia accent...and even more that of Ron Holgate, who portrayed Richard Henry Lee (rather hammi-LEE ).

But we enjoyed the film mighti-LEE, and as we walked back to the college two of my dorm-mates were rhapsodizing about the sexiness of one of the leads. Knowing their occasional weakness for tall, broad-shouldered hunks, I not unnaturally assumed they had were discussing Jefferson. Nope. They adored John "Obnoxious & Disliked" Adams.

Can't say I disagreed with them...then or now. 

If we die for them, Harry, I'm going to KILL YOU!

[–] kellyleighcrutcher 8 years ago

I checked this site:
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/unalienable.htm

and the link's down. Would there be a place to find the debate or a similar one somewhere else?

[–] nannyjo 8 years ago

This one should work.

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/unalienable.html

It looks like the link changed since it was posted originaLEE.