Why was the Declaration of Independence written?
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American History: Declaration of Independence
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April 1st, 2015.
Introduction
When the colonists of the North America had been dismayed with extend of the taxation and abuse by the British authorities, they made their opinions and concerns audible in a letter that was addressed to the King of the Great Britain (Magliocca & Mele, n.d.). The letter has since been referred to as the Declaration of Independence. Originally written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in the history of the United States. The Declaration of Independence was drafted in order to address numerous concerns of the colonists, and it is divided into four parts.
Reasons Why Declaration of Independence was Written
Thomas Jefferson originally wrote the document in 1776, although the Congress convened initially, appointed a team of five individuals to draft the declaration (Trollope, 2009). The genesis to the drafting of the document can be attributed to the fact that in 1700s the authorities in the Great Britain had developed a number of laws that restricted the freedom of the British colonists in its various colonies. These restrictions to freedoms in American colonies led to the formation of the First Continental Congress in 1774 whose aims were to articulate their concerns to the British government.
The resolution of the First Continental Congress was reached and a number of complaints were sent to the King of Great Britain, King George III via a declaration. In the declaration were lists of abuses that the colonists received from British colonialists, which they wanted addressed (Feross, 2012).
However, instead of addressing the concerns of its colonists, the King ignored them. A second meeting was convened after a second letter addressed to the King had been ignored. In the second meeting, the American colonies resolved that the only feasible solution to their concerns was to stage a rebellion against the British colonial rule in their country. The Declaration of Independence had some naked truths, it was meant to show that all human beings were equal (ushistory.org, n.d.).
Therefore, the Declaration of Independence was drafted, and it served as a way in which the United States British colonies (thirteen colonies) informed the world why they had sought for separation from British empires. It enlisted some of the unfair actions from the deeds of the Great Britain King and Parliament. The need for independence by the British colonies was well captured in the document and it asserted it as the central focus why the document was drafted. The Declaration of Independence in its third part asserted that the colonies were fed up with being ruled by Britain and they wanted their independence (ushistory.org, n.d.). They quoted that the King and his Parliament were unfit and had no legal and moral grounds to rule free people.
In their quest for freedom, the Declaration of Independence informed the Great Britain that the 13 colonies were free, independent and wanted to exercise their own power, engage in trade, make war or peace and engage in all activities that free countries did during that period. These reasons were addressed in the fourth part of the Declaration of Independence. It was clear from the onset that the series of mistreatments and the desire to be free and engage in other commercial activities without restrictions were the core reasons why the Declaration of Independence was drafted.
During the period of British rule in the 13 colonies in North America, some other parts of the world had been granted freedom by their colonialists (Hamowy, 2000). In addition to the inability of the British government to address the abuses from its administrators, it angered the colonies who then sought for their freedom by drafting the document that had all their concerns. Furthermore, the Declaration of Independence was drafted was to point out the nature and consequences of colonialism. In drafting the document, Jefferson included a broad section that described the slavery by colonialists a form of cruel war against humanity. However, there was a sense of discord among the leaders in the thirteen colonies. For instance, Georgia and South Carolina were opposed to the issue of slavery. Although it was the major issue, since even Jefferson himself was a slave trader, it had to be struck out for the Declaration of Independence to receive unanimous support.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence was important since Jefferson recognized that the document would spur rebellions in different parts of the world. However, he safeguarded that by declaring that colonialists were not to be expelled for trivial reasons. It contributed greatly in the understanding of their values by America as a new nation. The document makes a good integration between philosophical theory and real politics while it outlined the new values of the then new American Nation. Finally, it appealed for other countries to accept United States of America as a new nation, after its independence.
References
Hamowy, R. (2000). The Declaration of Independence. A Companion to the American Revolution, 258–261. http://doi.org/10.1002/9780470756454.ch32
Feross, A. (2012). Declaration of Independence – AP U.S. History Topic Outlines – Study Notes. Retrieved 1 April 2015, from https://www.apstudynotes.org/us-history/topics/declaration-of-independence/
Magliocca, B. M., & Mele, M. (n.d.). Writing the Declaration. Retrieved 1 April 2015, from http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/cunniff/americanhistorycentral/08warofindependence/Writing_the_De.html
Trollope, A. (2009). Declaration of Independence. North America, 467–471. http://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139150804.017
ushistory.org. (n.d.). The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy [ushistory.org]. Retrieved 1 April 2015, from http://www.ushistory.org/us/13a.asp
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