"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" and "all men are created equal" are a couple of
phrases from the Declaration of Independence that many Americans know by heart. These
phrases are parts of philosophies that inspired the very foundation of the American
government. A close reading of arguably the most important document in the early history of
the United States can tell us more about what kind of government the founding fathers wanted.
In a way, the Declaration of Independence is like a break‐up letter or an email sent to a boss
after a long time working a hated job. "I quit!" it says. "And here's why." The Declaration is an
interesting document to read, even more than two centuries after it was written.
The intellectual foundation of the Declaration is explained in just a few sentences in the second
paragraph. "All men are created equal," writes author Thomas Jefferson. And everyone has basic
rights that cannot be taken away, including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Any
government that triesto deny those rightsto its people is a government thatshould not deserve to
exist. Perhaps the most revolutionary idea in this paragraph comes in the statement that a
government's power derives "from the consent of the governed." To make such a statement to
England's King George III, who believed that hisrightto rule came fromGod, was quite a bold move.
In the 18th century, this was cutting‐edge philosophy, the sort of thing that French intellectuals
like Voltaire and Rousseau might have discussed in Parisian coffee houses. However, Jefferson
spends a few lines on these matters before moving on to the nitty‐gritty: a list of complaints that
he refersto as "a history of repeated injuries and usurpations." After decades of monarchical rule,
the colonists became angry at how they were being ruled, and they weren't going to take it
anymore. These complaints give insightinto the sort ofthingsthat bothered the colonists by 1776.
Let's look at a few specific lines and think a little bit about what they mean.
In one of the first complaints, the king is accused of holding legislative meetings "at places
unusual, uncomfortable, and distant" from their ordinary locations. Thisis a reference to specific
occasionsin Massachusetts and Virginia, where regular legislative meeting places were changed
to locations so inconvenient that most of the lawmakers could not make the journey. If they did
make the long trip, they would be too tired to argue with unjust decision‐making. "Fatiguing
them into compliance with [the king's] measures," writes Jefferson, was the "sole purpose" for
moving these public meetings around.
The right for people to watch their government in action has been an important part of
American democracy eversince. Thisis why local city council meetings are generally open to the
public and why even small government decisions—the altering of a school district, for
instance—must be preceded by a public hearing. When citizens speak at such a hearing, they
are able to do so because of the colonists who demanded that public meetings be held in
convenient locations.
Most of the first part of the list concerns similar bureaucratic complaints. The king controlled
the appointment and payment of judges, making them more likely to rule in hisfavor. He passed
laws making it difficult for new colonists to immigrate. When colonial lawmakers complained
about such injustices, the king would dissolve their "Representative Houses…for opposing with
manly firmness" his policies. These are all important complaints, but they only make up the first
part of the list of complaints. Jefferson then mentions the continued presence of the king's
soldiers in the colonies.
After the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, the British armies were not dissolved.
Instead, they remained in the colonies. A "standing army" was maintained to supposedly guard
against French or Indian aggression, though the colonistssuspected it wasintended to limit their
freedom. Several entries in the middle of the list of grievances are taken up by complaints about
the presence of these soldiers.
"He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power,"
Jefferson writes—a way of saying that it was like the colonies had been converted to a military
dictatorship, because the king’s armies were not under the control of local governments. Then,
it gets worse. Jefferson blasts the king "for Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us,"
a reference to the Quartering Acts of 1765 and 1774, which required local governmentsto house
and feed British soldiers.
As the colonists saw it, these protections given to the British army were not just a matter of
money or privacy, but of justice. Because of the Administration of Justice Act of 1774, popularly
known as the "Murder Act," British officials accused of crimes in Massachusetts could be tried
in Britain. This meant that a British soldier could kill a colonist and escape trial by local jury,
instead being tried in front of a more friendly English court. In his next complaint, Jefferson
refers to this as "a mock trial."
The colonists were so incensed by the Quartering Act that, after the Revolutionary War was
finished, they wrote a special amendment to the new Constitution to prevent such a law from
ever being passed in the United States. It read: "No Soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered
in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be
prescribed by law." This was so important to the founders that they made it the Third
Amendment, following only the freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.
When the Declaration of Independence was written and ratified in the summer of 1776, the
Revolutionary War had already begun. The Battle of Bunker Hill had occurred the year before,
upon which the king declared the colonies in open rebellion. He sent his army and navy to
contain the revolt and hired Hessian mercenaries from Germany to supplement his forces. The
response to these actions concludes Jefferson's list, and it is here his strength as a writer
becomes most apparent.
He accusesthe king of "waging War against us," saying that "he has plundered our seas, ravaged
our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of the people." The hiring of the Hessians
draws even sharper comment, as Jefferson refers to "large Armies of foreign Mercenaries
[coming] to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with
circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally
unworthy the Head of a civilized nation."
Although a written document, the Declaration of Independence was intended to be read aloud
throughout the colonies as a way of inciting frustrated citizens to rebel against their king. For
this reason, it makes sense that it starts slowly, introducing the intellectual argument calmly,
before steadily rising to a fever pitch of rage and indignation. Even listeners unmoved by the
opening paragraphs—the now famous ones—would be excited by this talk of death and
destruction and tyranny.
The Declaration of Independence was not solely meant to serve as a nation's founding
document. It was to be used to raise an army and protect a rebellion that had just barely begun.
Through a close reading of the Declaration of Independence, we can see the foundational principles of the American government and the grievances that led to the colonists' rebellion against British rule. The document starts with the assertion that all men are created equal and have certain unalienable rights, setting the stage for the colonists' demand for self-governance and the consent of the governed.
The list of grievances against King George III covers a range of issues, from bureaucratic inconveniences to more severe violations of justice and rights. The complaints about the presence of British soldiers in the colonies and the Quartering Acts, which required colonists to house and feed these soldiers, were particularly egregious to the colonists. These infringements on their rights and freedoms were seen as acts of tyranny and oppression, leading to further anger and resistance.
The document's escalating rhetoric, from complaints about legislative inconveniences to accusations of war and cruelty, reflects the growing outrage and determination of the colonists to break free from British rule. The Declaration of Independence was not just a written document but a call to action, intended to rally support for the revolution and justify the colonists' fight for independence.
In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence not only spells out the principles on which the American government was founded but also serves as a powerful testament to the colonists' grievances and their determination to create a better future for themselves. It remains a timeless and inspiring document that continues to resonate with Americans today.
who was involved?
The Declaration of Independence was primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, with input from John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. These five members of the Second Continental Congress formed a committee to draft the Declaration. Jefferson, as the primary author, is credited with the majority of the document's composition.
The Second Continental Congress, composed of delegates from the thirteen American colonies, ultimately approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The Congress included prominent figures such as John Hancock, George Washington, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, among others.
While Thomas Jefferson is often recognized as the principal author of the Declaration, it was truly a collaborative effort involving many influential individuals who played crucial roles in its drafting and adoption.
list names only
- Thomas Jefferson
- John Adams
- Benjamin Franklin
- Roger Sherman
- Robert Livingston
- John Hancock
- George Washington