The Declaration of Independence
4
Copyright 2006 Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The Unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America. W hen 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 85 12 12 The Declaration of Independence THOMAS JEFFERSON z BACKGROUND INFORMATION • This reading is one of the most important documents in American history. It explains and justifies the separation of the United States from the government of the king of England. • One important theme to be found in the declaration of independence is an orientation of the new country in religious and philosophical terms. Human beings have inalienable rights, one learns, just as the secular rationalists of the Enlightenment had maintained. However, in the understanding of the declaration, human beings enjoy these rights only because the Creator has bestowed them; this perspective was compatible with a religious view of the world. • A second important theme is an extended discussion of the issues that inspired American opposition to numerous policies and actions of the government of King George III. More important than the spe- cific incident to which each grievance refers is the underlying principle being violated. King George was the real rebel, claimed the declaration, because he had violated his own British laws in his treat- ment of the Americans. Taken as a whole, the grievances thus define the attitude of the new United States toward the older body of British law and governmental tradition. That attitude was one of pro- found respect. The new country would borrow much of its legal and governmental structure from the old. Source: The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, July 4, 1776.
description
The Declaration of Independence
Transcript of The Declaration of Independence
Copyright 2006 Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.The Unanimous Declaration of the thirteenunited States of America.
When in the Course of human events,it becomes necessary for one peopleto dissolve the political bands which
have connected them with another, and toassume among the powers of the earth, theseparate and equal station to which the Lawsof Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a
decent respect to the opinions of mankindrequires that they should declare the causeswhich impel them to the separation.—Wehold these truths to be self-evident, that allmen are created equal, that they are endowedby their Creator with certain unalienableRights, that among these are Life, Liberty andthe pursuit of Happiness.—That to securethese rights, Governments are institutedamong Men, deriving their just powers from
85
1212The Declaration of Independence
THOMAS JEFFERSON
z
BACKGROUND INFORMATION• This reading is one of the most important documents in American history. It explains and justifies
the separation of the United States from the government of the king of England.• One important theme to be found in the declaration of independence is an orientation of the new
country in religious and philosophical terms. Human beings have inalienable rights, one learns, justas the secular rationalists of the Enlightenment had maintained. However, in the understanding ofthe declaration, human beings enjoy these rights only because the Creator has bestowed them; thisperspective was compatible with a religious view of the world.
• A second important theme is an extended discussion of the issues that inspired American oppositionto numerous policies and actions of the government of King George III. More important than the spe-cific incident to which each grievance refers is the underlying principle being violated. King Georgewas the real rebel, claimed the declaration, because he had violated his own British laws in his treat-ment of the Americans. Taken as a whole, the grievances thus define the attitude of the new UnitedStates toward the older body of British law and governmental tradition. That attitude was one of pro-found respect. The new country would borrow much of its legal and governmental structure fromthe old.
Source: The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, July 4, 1776.
Copyright 2006 Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
the consent of the governed,—That wheneverany Form of Government becomes destructiveof these ends, it is the Right of the People toalter or to abolish it, and to institute newGovernment, laying its foundation on suchprinciples and organizing its powers in suchform, as to them shall seem most likely toeffect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence,indeed, will dictate that Governments longestablished should not be changed for lightand transient causes; and accordingly allexperience hath shewn, that mankind aremore disposed to suffer, while evils are suffer-able, than to right themselves by abolishingthe forms to which they are accustomed. Butwhen a long train of abuses and usurpations,pursuing invariably the same Object, evincesa design to reduce them under absoluteDespotism, it is their right, it is their duty, tothrow off such Government, and to providenew Guards for their future security.—Suchhas been the patient sufferance of theseColonies; and such is now the necessity whichconstrains them to alter their former Systemsof Government. The history of the presentKing of Great Britain is a history of repeatedinjuries and usurpations, all having in directobject the establishment of an absoluteTyranny over these States. To prove this, letFacts be submitted to a can did world.—Hehas refused his Assent to Laws, the mostwholesome and necessary for the publicgood.—He has forbidden his Governors topass Laws of immediate and pressing impor-tance, unless suspended in their operation tillhis Assent should be obtained; and when sosuspended, he has utterly neglected to attendto them.—He has refused to pass other Lawsfor the accommodation of large districts ofpeople, unless those people would relinquishthe right of Representation in the Legislature,a right inestimable to them and formidable totyrants only.—He has called together legisla-tive bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable,and distant from the depository of their publicRecords, for the sole purpose of fatiguingthem into compliance with his measures.—Hehas dissolved Representative Houses repeat-edly, for opposing with manly firmness hisinvasions on the rights of the people.—He hasrefused for a long time, after such dissolu-
tions, to cause others to be elected; wherebythe Legislative powers, incapable ofAnnihilation, have returned to the People atlarge for their exercise; the State remaining inthe mean time exposed to all the dangers ofinvasion from without, and convulsionswithin.—He has endeavoured to prevent thepopulation of these States; for that purposeobstructing the Laws for Naturalization ofForeigners; refusing to pass others to encour-age their migrations hither, and raising theconditions of new Appropriations of Lands.—He has obstructed the Administration ofJustice, by refusing his Assent to Laws forestablishing judiciary powers.—He has madeJudges dependent on his Will alone, for thetenure of their offices, and the amount andpayment of their salaries.—He has erected amultitude of New Offices, and sent hitherswarms of Officers to harass our people, andeat out their substance.—He has kept amongus, in times of peace, Standing Armies with-out the Consent of our legislatures.—He hasaffected to render the Military independent ofand superior to the Civil power.—He has com-bined with others to subject us to a jurisdic-tion foreign to our constitution, andunacknowledged by our laws; giving hisAssent to their Acts of pretendedLegislation:—For Quartering large bodies ofarmed troops among us:—For protectingthem, by a mock Trial, from punishment forany Murders which they should commit onthe Inhabitants of these States:—For cuttingoff our Trade with all parts of the world:—Forimposing Taxes on us without our Consent:—For depriving us in many cases, of the bene-fits of Trial by Jury:—For transporting usbeyond Seas to be tried for pretendedoffences:—For abolishing the free System ofEnglish Laws in a neighbouring Province,establishing therein an Arbitrary government,and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render itat once an example and fit instrument forintroducing the same absolute rule into theseColonies:—For taking away our Charters,abolishing our most valuable Laws, and alter-ing fundamentally the Forms of ourGovernments:—For suspending our ownLegislatures, and declaring themselvesinvested with power to legislate for us in all
86 z PART 2 THE LEGACY
Copyright 2006 Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
cases whatsoever.—He has abdicatedGovernment here, by declaring us out of hisProtection and waging War against us:—Hehas plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts,burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives ofour people.—He is at this time transportinglarge Armies of foreign Mercenaries to com-pleat the works of death, desolation andtyranny, already begun with circumstances ofCruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in themost barbarous ages, and totally unworthythe Head of a civilized nation.—He has con-strained out fellow Citizens taken Captive onthe high Seas to bear Arms against theirCountry, to become the executioners of theirfriends and Brethren, or to fall themselves bytheir Hands.—He has excited domestic insur-rections amongst us, and has endeavoured tobring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, themerciless Indian Savages, whose known ruleof warfare, is an undistinguished destructionof all ages, sexes and conditions. In everystage of these Oppressions We have Petitionedfor Redress in the most humble terms: Ourrepeated Petitions have been answered onlyby repeated injury. A Prince, whose characteris thus marked by every act which may definea Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free peo-ple. Nor have We been wanting in attentionsto our British brethren. We have warned themfrom time to time of attempts by their legisla-ture to extend an unwarrantable jurisdictionover us. We have reminded them of the cir-cumstances of our emigration and settlement
here. We have appealed to their native justiceand magnanimity, and we have conjuredthem by the ties of our common kindred todisavow these usurpations, which, wouldinevitably interrupt our connections and cor-respondence. They too have been deaf to thevoice of justice and of consanguinity. Wemust, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity,which denounces our Separation, and holdthem, as we hold the rest of mankind,Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of theUnited States of America, in General CongressAssembled, appealing to the Supreme Judgeof the world for the rectitude of our inten-tions, do, in the Name and by Authority of thegood People of these Colonies, solemnly pub-lish and declare, That these United Coloniesare, and of Right ought to be Free andIndependent States; that they are Absolvedfrom all Allegiance to the British Crown, andthat all political connection between themand the State of Great Britain, is and ought tobe totally dissolved; and that as Free andIndependent States, they have full Power tolevy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances,establish Commerce, and to do all other Actsand Things which Independent States may ofright do.—And for the support of thisDeclaration, with a firm reliance on the pro-tection of divine Providence, we mutuallypledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunesand our sacred Honor.
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE å 87
Copyright 2006 Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
Thinking and Writing Assignment: 15 pointsComplete the notes and analysis assignment given below and post it at the discussion forumcalled FORUM 12. Complete the critique assignment below and post it as a reply to one ofyour colleagues’ entries at FORUM 12.
NotesThe purpose of this exercise is to ensure that you have understood the reading assignment.Please answer each of the questions below with a clearly written sentence or sentences.
1. What are “unalienable rights” and why should they have priority in a country?
2. What did Jefferson and the Continental Congress expect to happen as a result of the prom-ulgation of the Declaration of Independence? What does Jefferson include in the text thatshows they expected an angry response?
3. What is the structure of the Declaration of Independence? What do each of the two para-graphs do? Can the text be divided into smaller sections, with each section having a spe-cial purpose?
4. What strong language does Jefferson use? Do you think that he is always justified in usingsuch language? How does he justify it?
5. What are the stated reasons for declaring independence? Might there be any other reasonsthat are left unsaid?
6. What is the claim and what are the points supporting that claim?
AnalysisThe purpose of the exercise below is to give you opportunity to apply the insights gained fromthe reading assignment through critical analysis. Please answer each of the questions below witha clearly written statement or essay. Think carefully, and express yourself with precision.
1. Describe (from your point of view) the typical American opinion of monarchy. What doesthis opinion share with the ideas stated in the Declaration of Independence?
2. Analyze the rhetoric of the Declaration of Independence. What makes this a powerful doc-ument? Include in your analysis specific examples from the text of effective rhetoric, andexplain why these examples are effective.
3. Research the writing of the Declaration of Independence. How many drafts did Jeffersonwrite? What kind of help did he receive? How was the Declaration received by theContinental Congress? Why was Jefferson chosen to write it?
Critique1. READ the submissions of your colleagues carefully.
2. THINK about what they are saying.
3. FIND at least one idea you do NOT agree with.
4. WRITE a clear response to that submission, in which you explain politely what you disagree with and why.
5. POST your statement as a REPLY to the submission to which it responds.
88 z PART 2 THE LEGACY
