As soon as Kosciuszko began to speak, his words made it clear that his uprising would not tolerate vengeance, but rather celebrate unity: “Honorable sirs, in defense of the fatherland, equality will prosper in my eyes, and that is why Jews, peasants, aristocrats, priests and burghers have equal respect from me, the many citizens and land magnates who have been invited to participate in today’s events.”11 With all the different sectors of society in one place, it was an incredible show of harmony. The Act of Insurrection was read aloud by Krakow’s Seym representative as the crowd listened
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