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The Unanimous Declaration

A foundational text proclaiming the birth of a new nation, detailing the philosophical underpinnings and historical context of American independence.

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Document Overview

The Founding Charter

The Declaration of Independence, formally titled "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America," stands as the seminal founding document of the United States. Adopted unanimously by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, it articulated the colonies' reasons for seeking separation from British rule.

Genesis and Location

Convened at the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, the delegates who adopted the Declaration became known as the nation's Founding Fathers. This pivotal document has since become one of the most widely circulated and influential statements in global history.

Authorship and Intent

Primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson, with contributions from the Committee of Five, the Declaration served as a formal explanation for the Continental Congress's decision to declare independence. It outlined the inherent rights of citizens and cataloged the specific grievances against King George III.

Historical Context

Escalating Tensions

By July 1776, the Thirteen Colonies had been engaged in armed conflict with Great Britain for over a year, commencing with the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. The preceding decade saw escalating disputes over taxation and parliamentary authority, fundamentally challenging the colonists' understanding of their rights within the British Empire.

Divergent Interpretations

A significant ideological rift emerged between the colonies and Great Britain regarding the extent of parliamentary power. While Britain asserted supreme authority, colonists argued that the British Constitution recognized fundamental rights that Parliament could not violate, leading to protests like the Boston Tea Party and the formation of the Continental Congress.

Philosophical Foundations

The intellectual climate of the Enlightenment heavily influenced the Declaration. Thinkers like John Locke, whose ideas on natural rights and the social contract were foundational, and Thomas Paine, whose pamphlet "Common Sense" galvanized public opinion towards independence, provided the philosophical framework for the document.

The Drafting Process

Committee of Five

On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a Committee of Fiveโ€”Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Shermanโ€”to draft a declaration of independence. Jefferson was tasked with writing the initial draft, drawing upon existing ideas and colonial sentiments.

Jefferson's Draft

Jefferson composed the majority of the Declaration between June 11 and June 28, 1776, in Philadelphia. His work was influenced by Enlightenment philosophy and contemporary documents like the Virginia Declaration of Rights. The draft was subsequently reviewed and edited by the committee members, with minor alterations made.

Jefferson's draft incorporated principles from:

  • John Locke: Concepts of natural rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and the right to revolution.
  • George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights: Provided specific phrasing and structural elements.
  • Thomas Paine's "Common Sense": Articulated the popular sentiment for independence and linked it to American identity.
  • English Declaration of Rights (1689): Served as a precedent for articulating grievances against a monarch.

Congressional Edits

Congress debated Jefferson's draft, making significant revisions. Approximately a quarter of the text was removed, including a passage condemning the slave trade, to achieve broader consensus among the colonies. The final text was approved on July 4, 1776.

Structure and Key Sections

Introduction

This section establishes the philosophical basis for the document, asserting the natural right of a people to dissolve political bands and declare independence, necessitating a clear explanation of the causes.

The Preamble

Famously articulating the self-evident truths that "all men are created equal" and endowed with unalienable rightsโ€”Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happinessโ€”this section outlines the purpose of government: to secure these rights through the consent of the governed. It posits the right of the people to alter or abolish a government that becomes destructive of these ends.

Indictment of the King

This extensive section presents a detailed list of 27 specific grievances against King George III, documenting a pattern of "repeated injuries and usurpations" intended to establish absolute tyranny over the colonies. These charges range from obstructing justice and imposing taxes without consent to quartering troops and waging war against the colonies.

Key grievances include:

  • Refusal of Royal Assent to necessary Laws.
  • Dissolving Representative Houses repeatedly.
  • Obstructing the Administration of Justice.
  • Keeping Standing Armies without legislative consent.
  • Imposing Taxes without Consent.
  • Depriving colonists of Trial by Jury.
  • Transporting colonists overseas for trial.
  • Abolishing free English Laws in neighboring Provinces.
  • Taking away Charters and altering fundamental Forms of Government.
  • Suspending Legislatures and declaring power to legislate for colonies in all cases.
  • Abdication of Government by waging War against the colonies.
  • Plundering seas, ravaging coasts, burning towns, and destroying lives.
  • Transporting foreign mercenaries to complete works of death and tyranny.
  • Constraining captured citizens to bear arms against their country.
  • Exciting domestic insurrections and inciting attacks by "merciless Indian Savages."

Denunciation and Conclusion

The document concludes by asserting that the colonists have appealed for redress without success and must therefore acquiesce in the necessity of separation. The final paragraph formally declares the colonies to be Free and Independent States, absolved from allegiance to the British Crown, possessing the full powers of independent states to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, and conduct commerce.

The Signatories

The Fifty-Six

Fifty-six delegates from the Thirteen Colonies signed the engrossed copy of the Declaration. The most prominent signature, that of President John Hancock, became iconic. The signatories included future presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, the oldest signer at 70.

Signing Process

While the Declaration was adopted on July 4, 1776, the formal signing of the engrossed parchment copy primarily occurred on August 2, 1776. Some delegates signed later, and the process reflected the gravity of their actions, understood as an act of treason against the Crown.

Notable signatories and facts:

  • John Hancock: President of Congress, known for his large signature.
  • Thomas Jefferson: Principal author.
  • Benjamin Franklin: Oldest signer (70 years old).
  • Edward Rutledge: Youngest signer (26 years old).
  • Benjamin Harrison V: Famously quipped to Elbridge Gerry about their impending fate.
  • William Whipple: Freed his enslaved person, Prince Whipple, citing revolutionary ideals.

The Act of Treason

The delegates understood that signing the Declaration was an act of high treason, punishable by death. Benjamin Franklin's apocryphal remark, "We must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately," captures the perilous nature of their commitment.

Enduring Legacy

Global Impact

The Declaration of Independence has served as a foundational inspiration for numerous movements advocating for self-determination and human rights worldwide. Its principles have echoed in declarations of independence across various nations, shaping modern concepts of statehood and liberty.

American Identity

Within the United States, the Declaration's ideals, particularly the preamble's assertion of equality and unalienable rights, have been central to the nation's political discourse and moral aspirations. Abraham Lincoln famously referenced it as the standard against which the nation should strive.

The Declaration influenced or was echoed in:

  • French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)
  • Venezuelan Declaration of Independence (1811)
  • Liberian Declaration of Independence (1847)
  • Vietnamese Proclamation of Independence (1945)
  • Numerous other declarations of statehood and independence globally.

Legal and Historical Significance

While not a domestic law itself, the Declaration provides critical historical and legal context for the U.S. Constitution and other laws. Its enduring message continues to inform debates on rights, governance, and the pursuit of a more perfect union.

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References

References

  1.  "The Declaration of Independence in Easton", Historical Marker Datatbase
  2.  Ray Forrest Harvey, Jean Jacques Burlamaqui: A Liberal Tradition in American Constitutionalism (Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1937), 120.
  3.  Wills, Inventing America, especially chs. 11รขย€ย“13. Wills concludes (p. 315) that "the air of enlightened America was full of Hutcheson's politics, not Locke's".
  4.  Benjamin Franklin to Charles F.W. Dumas, December 19, 1775, in The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, ed. Albert Henry Smyth (New York: 1970), 6:432.
  5.  Cuomo, Mario. Why Lincoln Matters: Now More Than Ever, p. 137 (Harcourt Press 2004) (it "is not a law and therefore is not subjected to rigorous interpretation and enforcement").
  6.  Papas, Philip. That Ever Loyal Island. Staten Island in the American Revolution. New York University Press, 2007, pp. 74รขย€ย“76
  7.  Boyd, "Lost Original", 448รขย€ย“50. Boyd argued that, if a document was signed on July 4 (which he thought unlikely), it would have been the Fair Copy, and probably would have been signed only by Hancock and Thomson.
  8.  Philip S. Foner, ed., We, the Other People: Alternative Declarations of Independence by Labor Groups, Farmers, Woman's Rights Advocates, Socialists, and Blacks, 1829รขย€ย“1975 (Urbana 1976).
  9.  Willmoore Kendall and George W. Carey, The Basic Symbols of the American Political Tradition (1970)
  10.  M. E. Bradford (1976), "The Heresy of Equality: A Reply to Harry Jaffa", reprinted in A Better Guide than Reason (1979) and Modern Age, the First Twenty-five Years (1988)
A full list of references for this article are available at the United States Declaration of Independence Wikipedia page

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