ESSENTIONAL QUESTION:
Analyze the opening of the US Declaration of Independence.
CONTEXT:
After the French and Indian War (1754-1763) in America, relationships between Great Britain and her American Colonies began to sour. Britain saw the relationship in economic terms–the Colonies’ purpose was to support Britain, providing raw materials and a market for goods. The Colonies saw the relationship in increasingly political terms–Britain owed colonists the same rights and privileges of Englishmen in Britain. In April, 1775, British troops and American militia exchanged fire over an ammunitions cache at a local farm near Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. Blood had been spilt. Through political actions and documents such as Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”, more and more people became convinced that America could not remain as British colonies. On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia presented a resolution in the Second Continental Congress that the United States should be free and independent.
But not everyone was totally convinced. Some delegates to the Congress wanted to pursue diplomatic negotiations. After all, Britain was one of the most powerful nations in the world at that time; many Americans had economic ties with Britain; and the Colonies had no army or navy to speak of. If independence happened, it was going to require the help of foreign nations, especially France. So Congress decided to draft a statement to explain their actions.
For that purpose Congress established a Committee of Five, including Thomas Jefferson (of Virginia), John Adams (of Massachusetts), Roger Sherman (of Connecticut), Benjamin Franklin (of Pennsylvania), and Robert Livingston (of New York). The Committee asked Jefferson to do most of the writing (he was a talented writer), and Jefferson asked Franklin and Adams to look over his drafts. When the document went back to the Congress, other changes were incorporated. The Declaration was eventually adopted on July 4 and signed over the next several weeks. It was printed (it is unknown how many copies were printed) and distributed. This text is from the beginning of the Declaration of Independence. There are currently 26 copies of the original printing known to exist.
Jefferson would go on to be a governor of Virginia and the third President of the United States. Of the other 56 men who signed the Declaration, some served in Continental Militia, five were captured and tortured by the British, nine died from war wounds or hardships, and twelve saw their homes and farms burned by the British.
TEXT:
In Congress, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, 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, ….
INQUIRY:
- What was the purpose of this document, as stated in the first paragraph?
- What made this document necessary? Quote from the document.
- What two states did this document cause to happen? Quote from the document.
- What was the effect of using the phrase, “to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”?
- Why was it necessary to “declare the causes which impel them to the separation”?
- What does it mean to be “self-evident”?
- One phrase of this document that has been controversial over the years is “all men are created equal”. When the Declaration was written, society still held women, enslaved people, non-property owners, and others in subservient roles, without political voice. Thus in this case “men” meant all humanity. How has the meaning of “men” changed over the centuries?
- What two references to God are found in this document? Why do these strengthen the argument?
- What are “unalienable rights”? What three unalienable rights are listed?
- At this time the “pursuit of happiness” meant the pursuit of a good character, virtue, and becoming a good citizen. Do we still pursue this kind of happiness? Give examples.
- Before editing, the phrase “pursuit of happiness” read “pursuit of property”, meaning owning things, mainly property. How did the changing of this one word change the meaning of the phrase? (Life, liberty and property were natural rights as put forth by philosopher John Locke).
- What is the purpose of government?
- From where does government get its power?
- The Declaration of Independence is not a law. But why is it so important in America?
- The purpose of these paragraphs is to declare, not to persuade. What is the document declaring?
- The Declaration closes with the statement, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor..” What did this statement suggest?
- Investigate John Locke and the other influences on Jefferson’s writing.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
https://jeffersonpapers.princeton.edu/declaration-of-independence/
https://www.si.edu/spotlight/american-revolutionary-war/signers-declaration-independence
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