Writing.Com General Discussion

The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776 by 56 delegates of the Continental Congress representing the 13 Colonies of Colonial America. The majority of the writing of this document was done by Thomas Jefferson(1743-1826), being a very progressive president Jefferson attempted to create a more agrarian democracy based on states' rights against the strong centralized government that was brought on by the federalists. Endorsing his own beliefs in the Declaration of Independence by stating the reasons why the 13 colonies wanted to be free of Great Britain's' control, for examples reasons like: depriving us the benefits of trial by jury, quartering large troops in our homes, and dissolving representative houses repeatedly were just some, out of many, unfair and unjustified treatment of the colonies and its people. The Declaration wasn't only meant as a rally call for fellow colonials, and it wasn't only meant for the King and the British government, but also all of mankind, it is explicitly addressed to such people when it says that it is necessary to explain the American cause because of a "decent respect to the opinions of mankind." In other words, congress was trying to convince all of "mankind" that the Americans are doing the right thing, and this was important because, it was hoped, people in other countries would support what the colonies were doing and make it easier for them to succeed. Which France eventually supported by aiding the Colonies towards the end of the war, turning the tide, and forever changing history. Which to me is a prime example of why words said in a certain why, with a certain cause, and enough conviction can forever alter the course of human history, and to me the Declaration is a wonderful example of the impact of a revolution. The Declaration of Independence was in other words a revolution of change, for the better as seen by the colonies. The part that surprised me the most while reading the text was when Jefferson fearlessly quoted "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". It surprised me because of the length of time since I last read the Declaration I had forgotten how powerful the wording of the text was and at the same time it saddened me to think that the spine this country once had, is no longer there, or has ever so slowly started getting more frail. Somewhere along the way we have forgotten or decided to ignore the underlying fact that the Declaration of Independence was created as a presentation for us, now living in the future as seen from the pasts' perspective, to look back at and realize that "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 made this document as a way to say our Government doesn't control us, we control it, we choose our destiny and we have the independence given to us by whatever almighty power is out there to decide how we want to live our lives...free people or puppets? I say free.