The Justification for Declaring Independence 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 …show more content…
For instance, Michael Zuckert states “The Declaration of Independence adopts a position between that of Socrates in the Republic and that associated with the Enlightenment. According to Socrates, the citizens of the just city must ‘hold’ a lie; the citizens of the Declaration 's regime ‘hold’ the truth, but they hold it in less than a fully enlightened way”(325). Additionally, Amanda Wallace also argues against the colonies declaring independence by stating “Many of the accusations Thomas Jefferson brings against the King are rooted in historical fact, although he also writes in half-truths, omits details deliberately, and uses sweeping generalizations in order to obscure reality and sees Jefferson guilty of oversimplifying complicated issues involving the division of the North American colonies from Great Britain”(1) .In contrast, historians such as Staughton Lynd, and David Waldstreicher, believe the colonies were right to declare independence because they were fundamentally drained economically(599). To further justify the colonies quest for independence, David Armitage a famous historian showed the importance the Declaration of Independence played in the future quest for independence by other countries seeking freedom from their mother country. A small example that he found was “in 1945 the Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh opened his declaration of …show more content…
Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence that “He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures” (16). Being physically oppressed by the ruler plays a large role in the quest for independence. We see this in Tecumseh’s Speech to Governor William Harrison at Vincennes but not with public laws, but with the Native American’s land. Tecumseh’s Speech can further prove the point that the colonies were justified because they were facing the same hardships the colonies were and dealt with it the same way Jefferson
Imagine living in a country where no citizen has a say in the government’s actions. Envision a nation where the ruler can tax people without permission and the common people are forced to obey without question. That was life in The Colonies before the year of 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was created. Great Britain passed laws whether it benefited the people or not. Before the Declaration of Independence was composed, a plethora of unnecessary taxes were approved. These taxes sent many colonists into debt. According to “The Declaration of Independence, 1776,” published on Office of the Historian, a famous tax called the Stamp Act was passed by Parliament. This tax forced colonists to purchase stamps for every paper product
Rhetorical Analysis: The Declaration of Independence. Our Declaration of Independence, was penned most notably by Thomas Jefferson in response to the atrocities committed by the British Crown against the citizens of the American Colonies. At the time of the drafting of The Declaration, Jefferson was widely known to be a successful practitioner of Law as a lawyer, and an eloquent writer. It is due to this, that although Jefferson was a member of a five-man committee charged with drafting the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was tapped to be the main author. After enduring “a long train of abuses and usurpations” the colonists decided to declare themselves free of British rule (para 2).
Thomas Jefferson, an educated, well respected career man, served as governor of Virginia, secretary of state, and president of the United States. The Revolutionary era, during the 1770's, proved to be one of America's most victorious times. Despite the casualties the American colonies suffered, they proved to be stronger than their ruling land, Britain, and won the right to be a free land, becoming the United States of America. Living through this difficult turning point in history inspired Jefferson to write "The Declaration of Independence." Once again, nearly two hundred years later, America faced yet another turning point in history.
One of the greatest conflicts in the history of the United State of America, the Revolutionary War, was started when the colonies of North America declared themselves independent from British rule. A group of men known as the Founding Fathers, which included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John and Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others, formed the Continental Congress to rule their new nation. They chose Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence, which they would send to King George III to make their independence official. Jefferson knew that he needed to use strong language to make a solid agrument against British rule in the colonies and to convince the colonists that independence was the only choice to maintain their freedom as human beings. The powerful use of parallelism, ethos, pathos, and logos helpd Thomas Jefferson to convey his idea that all men are created equal with unalienable rights and that it is the duty of the government to protect those rights.
When in the course of the household we, the teens, have always had the responsibility of doing the chores around the house.When oneself has to do chores one has to miss out on hanging out with friends, going to the mall, et cetera. Of course we do not wish to be disrespectful toward our parents but it is now time that we write our own Declaration of Independence. It is important that our parents or guardians know how everyone feels about the chores that have been placed on us and why we should be independent.
The Declaration of Independence stands as a representation of justice, equality, and natural human rights. With it being written to liberate the American citizens from British control; allowing the citizens to live freely as they wish - as equal humans. However, there are numerous discrepancies and controversies to this document. Especially in the field of gender-equality and women 's rights. Mary Wollstonecraft, writer of A Vindication of the Rights of Women, is a forerunner of this movement. Comparing her work to the Declaration of Independence, it can be seen that Wollstonecraft 's work can be served as a critique against the masculinity put forth in the Declaration of Independence. With the declaration making numerous remarks with recognition
There are many events that have happened in our history that have helped shape our country into what it is today. One of those events that helped change our country was the Decleration of Independance. The Declaration of Independence was written on July 4th, 1776. And this document was written so we were separate from England and so we weren’t under their power anymore. It meant that we were going to become a self-governing country. This was the very first big step we took to become our own country. And if we hadn’t have separated from England we wouldn’t be the country we are today. This helped build our nation and bring us closer together so we were united as one. This is when we realized we could be something bigger than what we were.
Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence is one of the most famous influential documents ever produced. The declaration led to the freedom of the Thirteen Colonies which in turn sparked the independence of much of the Western Hemisphere. “When in the course of human events” and the following text are now some of the most recognizable words in all of historical documents.
Thomas Jefferson composed The Declaration of Independence in 1776. The purpose of this document was to explain to both foreign countries and the people of America why separating from England had to happen and to ultimately get them [the people] to agree to a revolution. Thomas Jefferson made The Declaration of Independence a stylistic and artistic masterpiece through his powerful word choice, the use of personification and the sentence structures used throughout the document.
In terms of great historical documents, it is hard to argue that the United States Declaration of Independence is perhaps one of the greatest pieces of writing in existence. Many have viewed it as a “grand experiment” and an attempt to create a civilization unlike any that came before it. However, the Declaration of Independence was the culmination of ideas and ideological principles spanning many generations and even after it was drafted, it was far from complete or whole. Interestingly, though, it was not simply an idea that just miraculously generated out of thin air; the building of the “New World” was the result of a great many attempts and failures, many of which provided both positive
During the 1776 meeting of the second Continental Congress Jefferson wrote one of the most famous documents in American history, the Declaration of Independence. This document would become the basis for the writing of the Articles of Conferderation and eventually the United States Constitution.
The Declaration of Independence is focused for the most part toward King George III and the British Parliament. Jefferson wanted them to understand the reasoning behind the American's decision of independence. From paragraphs 6-32 he lists all the acts of tyranny that King George III forced upon the Americans. The list is longer than all the other parts of the document put together. It demonstrates how much emphasis Jefferson placed on providing reasons. But, this list is not only directed at Jefferson, it is a reminder to all Americans and the whole world of what disturbing times have been overcome in the past.
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
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (qtd. in Allison 65). Before 1776, Colonial America was a colony of Great Britain. Then, when their mother country became too oppressive, brave revolutionaries planned a Declaration of Independence to rid themselves of their bonds. This document launched the colony into The Revolutionary War with Great Britain. Eventually, The United States of America gained independence at the hands of many brave men and women. Prominent among these heroes and heroines is Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Apart from the Declaration, Jefferson accomplished great achievements in his lifetime; our nation would not be the same today without his genius: “Even among that remarkable group of men known as the Founding Fathers, Jefferson was truly a giant” (Allison 9).
Boundless (2015), a website about the importance of the Second Continental Congress, states, “The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that formed in Philadelphia in May 1775, soon after the launch of the American Revolutionary War.” Jefferson was elected to Congress and placed on a team of five men including Ben Franklin, Roger Sherman, John Adams, Robert Livingston, all put in charge of writing the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to be the main author of the Declaration, primarily because of his famed writing abilities as shown in his writing of the document; A Summary View of the Rights of British America. “He [Thomas Jefferson] was too anti-British to be made use of until a total break with Great Britain had become inevitable. Then he was entrusted with drafting the Declaration of Independence,” (Virginia Historical Society) proving just how motivated Jefferson was for liberty. Jefferson was so motivated that those around him placed him in charge of writing the document that would announce the colonies’ freedom from Great Britain, a document that became the living voice of American independence. The Second Continental Congress was a huge part of America’s freedom because of their