The Declaration of Independence: Assignment

The Declaration of Independence was formed resulting from the treatment of 13 colonies from the British government without representation after subsequent denials to be represented and treated equal. This historic document was revolutionary because it’s what began the transition of our government into a democracy unlike that of parliament in the 1700’s. The British government and their ruling made decisions that didn’t involve what was right for the people; only what was in the best economic interest of parliament. This caused significant hardships on the American colonies which eventually led to them coming together as a people and forming this declaration.

On July 4 1776 in Philadelphia the continental congress and the founding fathers sing the final draft of the Declaration of Independence separating them from britain. The colonist were sick of Great britain’s king using unfair power on them. What were the reason the colonist declared their independence from britain? The colonist wanted independence because they wanted liberty, freedom of choice, and peace.

This leads to the Declaration of Independence which was adopted July 4, 1776. This document was meant as a self-esteem boost for the new Americans; giving them inalienable rights. “The most important statement in the declaration is the human rights, where the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are extolled” (Gaynor). “He [Thomas Jefferson] wrote: "... it was intended to be an expression of the American mind" (Early America). Jefferson meant that the American people wanted freedom from high taxes and the big government in England.

Another straw on the camels back was that throughout the 1700's multiple events added to the ticking time bomb of the colonists declaring their independence. In 1774 Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, which were called the intolerable acts by the colonists. When one looks at these acts its obvious to see why they gained the name “intolerable”. These acts closed their ports, Shut down governments bringing them under parliaments control, helped red coats escape justice, and forced the colonists to give up there homes to house the British troops that they were fighting. Just this was the end of the rope for many colonists. Later, in 1775 was the Second Virginia convention was held in Richmond. Patrick Henry gave a beautiful speech that stated “Give me liberty, or give me death!”. These words struck home with many colonists who were now ready to fight for the freedom that they deserved.

What was radical and new in the Declaration of Independence, and what was old and traditional? What did the statements like “all men are created equal” mean in their historical context, and what did they come to mean later?

The thirteen British colonies of North America were slowly going into independence. The people (colonists) were proud of being British, they had no desire to separate from their own country. April 19, 1775 people made calls for independent. Also in that year of July the Second Continental Congress sent the King a request for redress and reconciliation, which Dickinson had to drain indubitably.

1. In the first paragraph of the declaration, Jefferson states the reason for the writing of this document. What reason does he give?

The Declaration of Independence is one of the most famous documents in the history of the United States of America. It helped the colonists declare independence from Great Britain and King George III. It is one of the documents that has made our country what it is today. Without the Declaration many things would be different. After reading this I hope you are able to see what these great men went through to make America’s founding document.

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are two significant documents that transformed the history of the United States. The people of the “New World” went from being ruled by British law and living in the thirteen colonies, to becoming an independent nation with a democratic government. The Declaration was written to ensure that all official ties with its mother country, Great Britain, were suspended indefinitely. It then went on to describe the concepts and ideologies behind a just and fair government. The Constitution, however, outlined how the newly democratic government would operate. In 1776, after the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, a verdict was made that the only constructive way to ensure independence as a nation would be to declare independence from King George III, Parliament, and Great Britain. The colonists sought to fashion a clear, detailed document, known as the Declaration of Independence, which stated why the people chose to move in this direction as well as providing several arguments to support their case. This world-renown document is a symbol of the unity between the 13 colonies during their fight for independence during the American Revolutionary War.

1) What reasons did Thomas Paine give in his pamphlet Common Sense for why the American Colonies should declare full and complete independence from Great Britain in 1776?

4) All of the people I talked agreed that wanting independence had to do with money. Two of the people further said that it had to do with rich people wanting to keep their money. They also all agreed that didn’t want to pay taxes, they wanted to keep all of their wealth. Two of my people also mentioned that the colonists didn’t want to quarter the British troops. The first two people I talked to seemed to believe that it was all about rich people and money and that the average person did not have a lot to do with wanting independence. The last person I talked too was more inclined to believe that there was a mass outrage to the implementation of various tax and quartering acts. Next, everyone I talked to was sure that it had to do with unreasonable

The Declaration of Independence is a document, saying how the British government wanted to halt their authority, thus wanting to construct their own government . It starts off, by saying that it introduced reason it was created- colonists beliefs about the purpose of the government. Also, complaints against King George lll, actions he took that the colonists believed violated their rights and principle of government. Finally, the colonists officially declared the United States as a independent nation. "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not" (Thomas Jefferson).

The Declaration of Independence, completed and signed in July of 1776, marked the official separation between the 13 colonies and Great Britain. An armed struggle between the colonies and Britain had begun just over a year before, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The formal declaration of independence established the new American revolutionary government and officially declared war against Great Britain. The primary purpose of the declaration was to assist the Second Continental Congress in obtaining aid from foreign countries. The document also clearly outlines the history of abuses the colonists had suffered under British rule since the end of the French

1.The author claims that American independence did not become a reality on July 4, 1776. In what ways was America still subordinate to Britain after Independence Day?

Jefferson began the document by explaining that the rights of the Americans had been brutally molested by the unjust King of Britain. Following this accusation, he provided evidence of this abuse by listing not just a mere handful, but 27 grievances that the King had inflicted against the colonies. Lastly, the conclusion of this article publishes and declares that the United Colonies have the right to be freed from the British and that they have the right to govern themselves as any free country does. The strategic organization of the Declaration of Independence allowed the colonies to be powerfully represented by such a clear and prudently worded