Great care was used to ensure each word and idea expressed in the Declaration of Independence was precise and symbolic. In this extra-legal document, written by a group of representatives to the Second Continental Congress a list of grievances against King George III’s appears the term “our constitution.” The reference to a constitution is not to a singular written constitution; it is much more complex. The Continental Congress’ reference to “our constitution” denotes the American interpretation of an assemblage of principles, customs, laws, and precedents blending ideas from experience, and political roots. Made of written and understood ideals, this constitution reflected America’s interpretation of constitutional topics including representation,
The issue the Declaration of Independence being a legal document has been up for debate in courts for many years now. Although, the Declaration of Independence clarifies the United States identity as a free nation, it has generated intense controversy. Some feel strongly that it did not clearly define the new powers that the thirteen colonies would acquire and did not define the identity of the United States; while, others firmly believe that without the Declaration of Independence the United States would not be the free nation that it is today. Therefore, serving as the foundation for many laws and documents composed after it, the Declaration of Independence has been helpful in defining the rights of the American citizens, the powers of the government, and the identity of the United States as a free nation.
-The Declaration of Independence was a very clear document stating the causes and events which separated the Colonies from Great Britain, many of the main points declared in this document were the events that were going on in the colonies at the current time such as rights being taken away from people, soldiers not being accused, and the colonist who appealed to the king about those events and many others that were unjust and had accord in the colonies at the time weren’t taken into consideration by none of the British, even though the British and the colonists had the same blood and decent, they saw the colonists as lower and if they lived in some uncivilized place. Many causes and effects lead to the separation because it was just too much and as Jefferson said in his first long sentence, “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which ha...
In 1776 Thomas Jefferson, a founding father of the United States of America, wrote the most significant document in the history of the United States. On behalf of the Continental Congress, Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, which stated the moral and civic duty of the common man, and explained the infringements that the British monarchy had on the colonies, and created a new nation. Thomas Jefferson proved through the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, that the colonies were justified in declaring independence from Great Britain because the colonies economically suffered under the harsh British rule, were blatantly taken advantage of, and the citizens of the colonies were
“The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Second Continental Congress, states the reasons the British colonies of North America sought independence in July of 1776 (“SparkNotes”).” The text document opens with a preamble explaining why the thirteen colonies have overthrown their ruler and chosen to take their place as a separate nation in the world. Governments should never infringe on both the idea that all men are created equal and certain unalienable rights of citizens such as the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When a government fails to protect their unalienable rights, it is not only their right, but their duty to overthrown that government. After that, the people should
A common error that people make is that the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th our national Independence day in the United States, but the truth is that the document was only approved on July 2nd and wasn’t even signed until August 2nd. The document was signed by 56 colonial delegates, and was used to explain why they want to break free from Britain. This document consists of 4 parts, statement of purpose, the contract theory of government, grievances, and the conclusion, the two major parts are the contract theory of government, grievances; they make up the bulk of the document. The colonists wanted to officially split from Britain due to the many unjust things Britain had done. The Declaration of Independence was a list of those unjust things and who gave them the authority to split.
In terms of shaping political thought and institutions in America, no two documents have had more influence than that of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The Declaration of Independence, drafted in 1776, was the zenith of the American Revolutionary campaign. Written largely by Thomas Jefferson, who was heavily influenced by John Locke’s ideas of natural rights, the document was as much a philosophical doctrine as it was a political one (Cummings 2015, 64). After being embroiled in a long, bloody war with Britain for over ten years, the Thirteen Colonies formally emancipated themselves from their mother country through the Declaration. They justified the Revolution and their need for independence in the document by
The Declaration of Independence and Constitution’s treatment of equality are different. Let’s start with the differences, the Declaration of Independence is the only document that uses the word equality. It does not have any real legal power. The Constitution add the bill of rights in 1789 and was written by James Madison. Within those bill of rights it states the rights of people and that everyone would not be deprived of “life, liberty or property”. The thing the Constitution missed is that in the 1700’s when it was first written it did not apply to everyone. It was not equal among slaves, landowners, and citizens of the American Colonies. You can also compare the Declaration of Independence and the Fifth Amendment. The Fifth Amendment is
The American colonies assertion for freedom from the English rule officially began with the Declaration of Independence. In the monumental document the founding fathers state their grievances with the English policies, and most importantly make a promise to the American people of maintaining a fair constitutional republic based in pluralism in which sovereignty lies with the citizens. The follow through to the promises made by the Declaration of Independence is the United States Constitution. The Constitution set into official law the equality of American citizens, created a network of checks and balances, relying on an informed populace to preserve the republican system of government, and the secure establishment of a federal model, resulting from the prior events, conflicts, and compromises that necessitate the existence of the Constitution as well as being inherent in it’s writing and ratification.
The Declaration of Independence was America’s declaration of freedom from Great Britain. Americans had begun to shift their view from Britain as a mother country to Britain as an oppressor. The early colonists were no longer willing to endure the oppression, thus a declaration was drafted that declared or demanded freedom. This document was an instrument of hope for the majority of the citizenry; however, it was a source of anguish for those still in bondage.
When I was asked to read the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson and Common Sense by Thomas Paine I was kind of scared. As I started to read it, I found it to be truly interesting. Reading over them several times to make sure I was understanding the text and the meaning of them both. Through, out this paper I will share many compares and contrast over the Declaration of Independence and the Common Sense pamphlet. There are many reasons why these two documents had a great effect on the revolutionary American. As you will see in this paper I will point out many ways that these documents are still in effect today. In the end you will understand how the United States
In the year 1787, George Washington headed the delegation that had come together to sign the US Constitution. The aim of the constitution was to give more power to the federal government. The Constitution contains rights that guarantee American citizens freedom of religion and worship. The Declaration of Independence came into existence on the fourth day of the sixth month of 1776, and it regarded the thirteen American colonies as free and independent from the British oppression. The Declaration of Independence came before the Constitution, and its aim was to state that the United States was no longer under colonial power as compared to the constitution that gives rights to American citizens. The Declaration of Independence, therefore, freed a state while the United States Constitution gave freedom to the American citizens after their nation had been liberated from all forms of colonial repression. The Declaration of Independence defined that the United States was free from British oppression whereas the Constitution describes the role of each branch of the government.
What is the Declaration of Independence? The declaration of independence states that all individuals have inalienable rights, requiring life, liberty, and property, a document by which the thirteen colonies proclaimed their independence from Great Britain. If these rights are not protected, people have the right to abolish the government and institute a new one that is willing to secure those rights and their happiness. The declaration was written by Jefferson when he had the vision that America should be liberal. While liberals wanted to over through the government, conservatives believed that not every person should receive the same privilege, not every person is the same and therefore, not every person should be created equal. America is viewed as a liberal state. Thomas Jefferson once said, “When the people fear the government, there is tyranny, when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” This was the strongest reason for the people to bear arms, so that they can be protected from tyranny in the government. People wanted their independence.