Importance Of Declaration Independence

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Declaring Independence
Mankind cherishes freedom and independence despite the price he has pay to obtain them. When one thinks about the value and meaning of life, it becomes clear that freedom is an essential element in making the most out of the one life each individual is given. Even though people approach life differently, what is life with no will and power over one’s existence? This is the same issue that led to the American Revolution, with patriots (40%) seeking liberty and loyalists (20%) choosing loyalty to the British crown. Accordingly, patriots believe that every man is entitled to several unalienable natural rights which England seems to oppress, while loyalists claim that their association with the British has benefited them …show more content…

In my opinion, declaring independence was necessary, a point Richard H. Lee made when stating “It is not choice then, but necessity that calls for independence as the only means by which foreign Alliances can be obtained…” (Richard Lee, 1776) It was necessary because (1) patriots were too infected with the idea of liberty and self-governance, (2) they were dissatisfied with the king’s incompetency to fulfill the desire of the ruled, and (3) taxation without representation hindered them from getting involved in governance. These three factors are clearly stated and implied in the Declaration of Independence, Common Sense, and several primary sources.
Out of the numerous issues that led to the American Revolution, taxation without representation – virtual representation: “each member represented the entire empire, no just his own district” - was a dominant one (Foner 177). For the crown, the 13 colonies were just fractions of the empire; thus virtual representation seemed pragmatic and taxation made lowering the accumulated debt possible. However, this is problematic on different levels because (1) colonists are systematically asked to pay off the debt the crown incurred during the Seven year …show more content…

Since the colonist migrated to the new world – “asylum for mankind” seeking social, economic and religious freedom, it would not make sense to stay loyal to the British government and surrender to their oppressive rule (Paine 103). According to them “Feeling as men, and thinking as subjects in the manner we do, silence would be disloyalty.” (Continental Congress) This quote implies not only that the patriots feel obligated to take advantage of their natural rights and attain independence, but also owe it to their ancestors. “Our forefathers, inhabitants of…Great Britain, left their native land…for civil and religious freedom. At the expense of their blood, at the hazard of their fortunes…” (Continental Congress) Thomas Paine reiterated the importance of independence by pointing out that “Within the British empire, America’s prospects were limited,” as it made trading with the rest of the world difficult (Paine, 102). If the same bond claimed to benefit the colonies is holding them back from achieving a greater success, remaining loyal to the crown is detrimental to their wellbeing and makes independence a unanimous choice for the patriots. Empowered by the idea of autonomy and convinced by its assets, patriots state “A government of our own is our natural right…it is infinitely wiser and safer, to form a constitution of our own in a cool deliberate manner, while we have

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