United States Declaration of Independence

 

 

Text to read carefully

The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams had put forth a resolution earlier in the year, making a subsequent formal declaration inevitable. A committee was assembled to draft the formal declaration, to be ready when congress voted on independence. Adams persuaded the committee to select Thomas Jefferson to compose the original draft of the document, which congress would edit to produce the final version. The Declaration was ultimately a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. The Independence Day of the United States of America is celebrated on July 4, the day Congress approved the wording of the Declaration.

After ratifying the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms. It was initially published as a printed broadside that was widely distributed and read to the public. The most famous version of the Declaration, a signed copy that is usually regarded as the Declaration of Independence, is displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Although the wording of the Declaration was approved on July 4, the date of its signing was August 2. The original July 4 United States Declaration of Independence manuscript was lost while all other copies have been derived from this original document.

The sources and interpretation of the Declaration have been the subject of much scholarly inquiry. The Declaration justified the independence of the United States by listing colonial grievances against King George III, and by asserting certain natural and legal rights, including a right of revolution. Having served its original purpose in announcing independence, the text of the Declaration was initially ignored after the American Revolution. Since then, it has come to be considered a major statement on human rights, particularly its second sentence:

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. 

This has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language", containing "the most potent and consequential words in American history." The passage came to represent a moral standard to which the United States should strive. This view was notably promoted by Abraham Lincoln, who considered the Declaration to be the foundation of his political philosophy, and argued that the Declaration is a statement of principles through which the United States Constitution should be interpreted. It has inspired work for the rights of marginalized people throughout the world.

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Before 1776, the United States of America was not a country. The individual states were colonies of Great Britain. They were called British Colonies. This means that the King and Parliament of Great Britain ruled the United States. The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men.

During this time, many American people were angry at Great Britain. Many say Americans did not like paying taxes to Great Britain when they did not have any representation in Parliament. The American people wanted to be treated like British citizens. When they were not treated like citizens, they felt that their loyalty towards Great Britain was no longer valid.

Responding to actions taken by Great Britain, including the Intolerable Acts, the different colonies formed a Continental Congress to make decisions for all of the colonies. They met in the American city of Philadelphia. During a meeting of the Second Continental Congress, on June 11, 1776, they named John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut to form a committee to draft a document that would become the Declaration of Independence.

Jefferson did most of the writing. Jefferson writes of the rights of people and the role of government. Jefferson then lists specific bad things that the government of Great Britain did, like putting people in jail with no reason, making taxes that were too high, and not giving respect to people who lived in the colonies.

The Declaration then says that because of all the things that Britain had done to the colonies, the colonies would now be free, independent states.

After arguing about it and making some changes, the Continental Congress approved Jefferson's document. They used this document to declare their independence. Independence was actually declared on July 2, 1776. The full Continental Congress ratified (approved) the Declaration on July 4th, at the Pennsylvania State House. This version was only signed by the President of the Congress John Hancock and the Secretary Charles Thomson. On August 2, 1776 a parchment paper copy of the Declaration was signed by 56 persons. Many of these signers were not present when the original Declaration was adopted on July 4. One signer, Matthew Thornton, from New Hampshire, who agreed to the Declaration and having joined the Continental Congress, signed on November 4, 1776.

The Declaration of Independence had many different effects. One of them said that they were now not part of Great Britain. It also said that all men were equal.

They made a new democratic government to govern America. When the king of Great Britain and Parliament heard about this they were angry. Great Britain and the people in America had already been fighting in a war. This war is called the American Revolution. America won the war, and in 1783 Great Britain had to recognize the independence of the new country, the United States, at the Treaty of Paris.

The people of America know that the Declaration of Independence is very important. Every year on the day of July 4, they have the holiday that is named 'Independence Day'. They celebrate this holiday to remember the day that the Declaration was approved, and the day that the United States of America became a its own country. Now we have parades, fireworks, and songs.

Americans also know the Declaration of Independence is very important because it gives the simple ideas that the people who started the United States believed in. It says that every person in this U.S has rights (to life, to liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) and that the government has to listen to our people. These things are what makes America a free independent country.

The initial text says that a declaration of independence must be well-reasoned:

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. 

The preamble of the declaration is the best-known part.

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. 

Then, the text follows to the main declaration, showing what the United States are going to do and what their goals are.