AR - Declaration Of Independence (Lesson)
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence - What it Says
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.”
Common Sense
Common Sense was initially published anonymously in January of 1776. While the identity of its author may not have been clear initially, the intent of this pamphlet was to persuade colonists to break from Great Britain. The author, Thomas Paine, made numerous points as to why the American Colonists should declare independence from Great Britain. Paine accused King George III of being responsible for the controlling conditions the colonists faced. Paine questioned how a continent so large could be ruled by a much smaller island across a vast ocean. He compared the treatment of the colonists by King George III to that of a cruel mother to a child. The pamphlet spread quickly through the colonies. In today’s terminology it went “viral”. It is believed nearly every American Colonist either read the pamphlet or was clearly aware of its arguments.
The Influence of John Locke
John Locke was a British philosopher who believed all individuals are born with certain rights without regard to their socioeconomic status. These “natural rights” Locke believed included the right to choose their government and give a government its power through the individual’s will. Natural rights provide the foundation for John Locke’s Social Contract Theory. Locke’s Social Contract Theory provides that individuals choose a government, give the government its power and in return the government provides for, and protects, the individuals’ rights. The people, having given the government the power to establish laws, must then be held accountable for obeying those laws. If the government, under the power provided by the individual, abuses their powers, then its people have the right to replace the government and/or its officials. John Locke’s natural rights and Social Contract Theory serve as the basis for colonial arguments for independence. It is widely recognized that the founding fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, were inspired by Locke’s writings and used them in documents such as the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence
With previous events such as the Boston Massacre, Lexington and Concord, and British increased taxation, tension in the American colonies was at an all time high. The call to formally separate from Great Britain was likely. Delegates from the Continental Congress proposed to draw up a formal statement of grievances and issue a statement of separation. In June of 1776 the Continental Congress designated five members to create a draft of this document. The Committee of Five, as they became known, consisted of Thomas Jefferson from Virginia, Benjamin Franklin from Pennsylvania, John Adams from Massachusetts, Robert Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut. Thomas Jefferson was asked to be the author of the document. Jefferson presented his draft to the committee and, with few edits, the document was presented to the Continental Congress. After 86 revisions to the document, it was finally adopted on July 4, 1776. The result of the Committee of Five’s work became The Declaration of Independence.
As the author, Thomas Jefferson had presented logical arguments for separation from Great Britain based on philosophies of the time period, mainly those presented by John Locke. The Declaration of Independence is organized into three parts. The opening Preamble provided the main ideas for separation including those outlined by Locke’s natural rights and Social Contract Theory. The second section provides a list a grievances and complaints. The evidence provided connects to the Social Contract Theory’s right to break from an abusive government. Finally, the third section outlines the colonists' attempts to obey the British government and create a better relationship between the colonies and their “mother” country. In closing, the document provides the logical response to the argument of natural rights, an abusive government, and failed attempts to reconcile was to separate from Great Britain.
Challenge
Blackout Poetry involves taking a printed document, finding a message within, or creating a new message with its words, and then redacting, or darkening, the remainder of the document. To explore the message of the Declaration of Independence, try printing the handout and creating your own Blackout Poetry version. How does it connect with you? What relationship do you find the document has with our modern society?
IMAGES OF DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
PAINTING BY JOHN TRUMBULL [PUBLIC DOMAIN], VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS