Mulky1

ShainaMulky
ProfessorZitko
PoliticalScience001
DeclarationofIndependence
TheDeclarationofIndependencemaybeconsideredthemostimportantdocument
writteninAmericanhistory.Manyarefamiliarwiththisdocumentwrittenin1776mostlyby
ThomasJefferson.ItisfamousforbreakingthetiesbetweenthethirteenAmericancoloniesand
GreatBritain,grantingthethirteencoloniesasanewlyindependentsovereignstate.OnJuly
fourth1776itwasofficiallyadoptedbythecontinentalcongressmeeting,whichannouncedthe
coloniestobenolongerpartoftheBritishEmpire.Thereareanumberofreasonsastowhythe
DeclarationofIndependenceisconsideredthemostvaluableofalldocumentswrittenin
Americanhistory,notonlydiditsetthepaceforfreedominAmericaitalsoinspiredimportant
conceptswhicharecommontoAmericanstodaysuchas,therighttosovereignty,universal
truths,naturalandsocialrights.AlloftheseconceptscamewithathoughtprovokedfromThe
DeclarationofIndependence,whichledtoachainofremarkableevents:Thepeopleandtheir
fightforrights!
TheDeclarationofIndependencejustifieshumanlibertiesandbyexplainingthepurpose
ofhavingagovernmentistoprotectthepeopleandtheirrights,clarifiesthelegitimacyofthe
document.ManywouldagreethatLegitimatelysovereigngovernmentsobtaintheirjustpowers
fromtheconsentofthegoverned(Randolph1).Therefore,wouldprovethatasanAmerican
citizen,sovereigntyismanifestedtobeaGodgivenrightofselfgovernment.Duringthe
AmericanRevolutionthecolonistdemandedautonomythatexcludedtheBritishempire.In1763

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AfterthefrenchandIndianWarendedtheBritishwereevidentlyindebt,whichledtostartof
Britaincollectingtaxesbythecolonies,inhopetoreducetheirdebt.OneofthemethodsBritain
usedtotaxthecolonistwasintheTheStampActof1765.Thisactwasmadesothateveryone
wasobligatedtoputastamponall,licenses,collegediplomas,newspapers,oranylegal
documents.ByMarchof1766theStampActwasrevokedbyparliament.TheBritishalso
discoveredthatthecolonistweresmugglinggoods,whichgavethemanotherideatoacquire
currency.Thiswastotaxallsugarimportedtothecolonies,andisknownastheSugarand
MolassesActofApril1764.TheSugarActcolonistswererequiredtopayexcisetaxonall
foreignsugaritems.AlsotoraisemoneyduringthestampActcrisis,theTownshendActwas
passedJune1767.Thedutiesofwhichtaxedimportslikeglass,paint,leadorpaper.Boycottsof
BritishgoodsledtononimportationagreementsthatinjuredtheBritisheconomyandcausedthe
rescindmentAsBritishpunishmentsincreasediteventuallyledtotheunintentionalstartofthe
BostonMassacre.TheBostonMassacreof1770wasaBritishplantopreventseriousproblems,
theirplanbackfired.Britainsent4,000troopstoBostonandendedupcausingthedeathoffive
civilianswithoutbeingorderedtodoso.Understandably,thisheavilyangeredtheBostoncolony
andledtomoredrama.ThisoneinfamouslywentdowninhistoryastheBostonTeaParty.The
storygoesalittlelikethis,Bostonmenthrowingteachestuponteachestintothewater.Asa
resultKingGeorgeIIIdeclaredthecoloniesasarebellioninAugustof1775.Excerptsfrom
ThomasPaine'sCommonSense,whichinfluencedmanyafencesitters,werepublishedinthe
VirginiaGazetteinFebruary1776,andtheDeclarationofIndependencefollowedafewmonths
later(WilliamsburgJuly,2000para.2).

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InThomasJeffersonslifetime,hehasownedover600differentslavesandyetheisthe
creatorofthequoteallmenarecreatedequalwrittenintheDeclarationofIndependence.
Jeffersonswordsclearlyhadnoreferencetoblackpeople,themajorityofblackpeoplehadno
placeinAmericansocietyotherthanbeingapropertyofawhiteperson.ForJeffersonandthe
majorityofthefoundingfathersmanywouldagreethatthephraseallmenarecreatedequalto
themtrulymeantthat,allwhite,propertyowningmales,arecreatedequal.(Brundagepara2)
Themeaningofallmenarecreatedequal(U.S.1776),orequality,haschangedovertimewith
thewordequalityexpandingonAmericasdefinitionsincethefoundingoftheUnitedStates.
OnemanofgreatnoteonthiseventualitywasFrederickDouglass.AnAfricanAmerican
manwhowas,likemanyothersatthetime,bornintoslavery.ItisquitepossiblethatDouglass
unknownfatherwaswhite,aneasyconclusionuponseeinghiscreamycomplexion.Thiscameto
benefitDouglasinthelongrun.Sincehewaslighterskinnedthanmostblackpeople,hewas
treatedwithmoreprivilegesthantheotherblackchildslaves.Hewastaughttoread,writeand
evenbefriendsomeoftheslaveownerschildren.AtagetwentyDouglasusedhisquickwitand
wasabletoescapethelifeofslavery.Hechangedhisnamesowhenspokenof,hewouldgo
unrecognizedbyanyonesearchingforhim.SoonaftertheescapeandnewidentitythatDouglass
embarked,hebecameanantislaveryactivist.Heinfluencedmanypeopletojointheclubtofight
forthefreedomofslaves.HebecameabigfanofWilliamLloydGarrison,whowasthemost
famouswhiteabolitionistintheUnitesStates.LaterevenbecominggreatfriendswithGarrison.
TogethertheysupportedandspreadthesamewordintheAmericanantislaverysociety.This
abolishmentmovementgainedtractionacrosstheworld.Theirworkfoughtwithsuccessagainst
theJimCrowlawstheyabolisheditentirely!Duringthemakingofthereconstruction

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amendmentsalsoknownasthe13th,14thand15thamendmentsbroughtAfricanAmericans
closertoequalityandgavethemfreedom,citizenship,andwhatoncewastheunthinkable,the
righttovote!Tofurtherprotectblackpeoplefromconstitutionaltreatment,in1875theCivil
RightsActmadeitillegaltosegregateschools,placesofpublicaccommodation,orpublic
transportation.Itwasanexcitingtimefilledwithremarkablechangesandinspiredawholeother
species,tofightforacause,Women!
Womenrecognizedtheirinequalitiestomen.Thereoncewasatimewhenwomen
werentalwaystreatedequally,thewomen'ssuffragemovementthatbeganin1848.The
womenssuffragemovementwasfirstheldinSenecaFalls,NewYork,byagroupof
abolitionist,activistsmostlymadeupofwomenbutafewmengatheredalso.TheLeadersofthe
movementwereSusanBAnthony,ElizabethStantonandLucretiaMott.Yet,itwasmorethan
thesegalsthattookrisks.Insupporttothewomenssuffragemovement,LucyBurns,awomens
suffrageactivist,wasimprisonedonNovember1917,andmanyotherswerearrestedaswellfor
picketingatthewhitehouseinsupportofgettingthenineteenthamendment,givingwomenthe
righttovote.Thismovementmadeahugeimpactongettingtheattentionofpeopleandcongress
ontowomen'srights.OnJunefourth1919congresspassedthenineteenthamendment,which
statesTherightofcitizensoftheUnitedStatestovoteshallnotbedeniedorabridgedbythe
UnitesStatesinaccountofsex(U.S.1919),whichguaranteedthatallAmericanwomenhave
therighttovote.
Inthesocialcontractacitizenscivilrightsarepromisedtostaysecureiftheyagreetoto
respecttherightsofothers.TheSocialContractwascreatedinintenttoexplainhowthe
relationshipbetweenthegovernmentanditspeopleshouldbehavewithamutualunderstanding.

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However,murdersbasicallygiveuptheirrightssincetheywanttoactoutsideofthelaw,
defeatingthepurposeofthesocialcontract.Themostknownphilosophersofthesocialcontract
wereJohnLocke,ThomasHobbesandJeanJacquesRousseau.
TheNaturalRightsTheorywasmostinfluencedbyJohnLockewhomhadtheideathat
menwerebornwithcertainrights:life,liberty,andproperty.Jefferson,substitutedthephrase
frompropertyto"pursuitofhappiness,"inthedeclarationofIndependencedocument,which
Lockeandmanyothersbelievedtodescribefreedomofopportunity.Lockebelievedthatthese
rightscannotbetakenawaybyanyindividualorgovernment.Hewrotethatallpeopleareborn
withcertainnaturalandunalienablerightsanditsthegovernment'sroletoprotectthem.The
factthatallpeoplearebornwiththeserightcreatestheknowledgethatallpeoplearecreated
equal.TomanypeopletheseareconsideredGodgivenrights,theycanneverbetakenorgiven
away(Brundage23October2015).Jefferson,substitutedthephrase,"pursuitofhappiness,"in
thedeclarationofIndependencedocument,whichLockeandothershadusedtodescribe
freedomofopportunityaswellasthedutytohelpthoseinwant.
ThesearejustafewwaysthatTheDeclarationofIndependencehashelpedAmerica
growasacountry,byintroducingtherighttosovereignty,universaltruths,naturalandsocial
rights.WithoutthisimportantdocumentitwouldbeuncertainifAmericawouldbewhereits
standingtoday.TheDeclarationofIndependencehasmotivatedanumerousamountofpeopleto
fightfortheirrightsandtheirfreedom.Forlongperiodsoftimetheyfoughtandkepttheir
motive,pushinglimitsuntiltheyfinallygotwhatwasdeservedallalong.Themoralofthis
conclusionisthatifyoufightforwhatyouneedorevenjustwhatyoubelieveinthenitwill
eventuallyhappenanditwillmakeadifference.However,thefightmaynotbeeasy,itmaybe

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drawnoutandlongsimilartothosewereadabouttoday.Itmaycomeatapriceorresultinscars,
butaslongasyoupersevereandworkhardtowardsyourfinishline,youllcrossit.Whoknows
youmightevencomeinfirst.

Research

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Citesusedforresearch:

Williamsburg."History.org:TheColonialWilliamsburgFoundation'sOfficialHistoryand
CitizenshipWebsite."ReasonsfortheRevolutiononColonialWilliamsburg'sWebSite:The
ColonialWilliamsburgOfficialHistory&CitizenshipSite.Williamsburg,2015.Web.21Dec.
2015.
http://www.history.org/almanack/life/politics/4thjuly.cfm

Brundage,Matt."TheMeaningofThomasJefferson'sPhrase"allMenAreCreatedEqual""The
MeaningofThomasJefferson's"allMenAreCreatedEqual"MattBrundage.Web.21Dec.2015.

Brundage,Matt."TheMeaningofThomasJefferson'sPhrase"allMenAreCreatedEqual""The
MeaningofThomasJefferson's"allMenAreCreatedEqual"MattBrundage.Web.21Dec.
2015.

"AmericanColoniesDeclareIndependence."History.com.A&ETelevisionNetworks.Web.22
Dec.2015.

PBS.PBS.Web.22Dec.2015.

Douglass,Frederick.LifeandtimesofFrederickDouglass:HisEarlyLifeasaSlave,HisEscape
fromBondage,andHisCompleteHistory:AnAutobiography.NewYork:Gramercy,1993.
Print.

JonesMiller,Tiffany."TheHeritageGuidetoTheConstitution."AmendmentXIX:
SuffrageSex.Heritage.org.Web.22Dec.2015.
<
http://www.heritage.org/constitution/amendments/19/essays/181/suffragesex

"TheTownshendRevenueAct."
Ushistory.org
.IndependenceHallAssociation,n.d.
Web.22Dec.2015.