The Four Ideas Of The Declaration Of Independence

On July 4, 1776, an independent and fervent nation was born. Our Founding Fathers used an overwhelming sense of integrity and determination to fabricate the Declaration of Independence - a historical document that pleads King George III for independence and stresses the importance of freedom, equality, and natural rights. Though the Declaration of Independence signifies the birth of America and represents a powerful landmark in our history, when looked at from a broad spectrum, it can be seen as arrogant, ironic, and controversial. The Declaration states, “ … 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” (“The declaration”,

July 4th 1776, The day the world changed forever. On that day A new country was formed, A country that would soon be known as the most powerful country on the planet. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The second continental congress met and the signed the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, this document was a very articulate “break up letter” (Mcinnis) the declaration contained a list of grievances and an explanation for why we Americans wanted to seperate. One of the most important parts of the Declaration is the 4 ideals of America which are Equality, Unalienable Rights, Consent of the Governed, and the right to Alter or Abolish Government.

In comparing Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists, The Declaration of Independence, and U.S. Constitution, it is evident that the basis of all three documents is the idea that all human beings possess God-given fundamental rights and that government is created to protect those rights. The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, is the first of the three documents penned. This is important because it defined the rights of liberty and equality of all American citizens as outlined in John Locke’s natural law thesis (Martin, page 113). In addition to providing an itemized account of the grievances colonist’s held against King George III of England, it served to justify the colonist’s quest for independence and separation from British rule. The Declaration of Independence conveyed to the crown that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, which among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The Founders’ of the New World understood that their pursuit of liberties and autonomy specified in the Declaration of Independence could not come to fruition without instituting decrees. In 1787, the U.S. Constitution, was written to replace the Articles of Confederation with a better defined series of stringent laws that would legally uphold the freedoms and privileges established in the Declaration of Independence. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights in

Ideals stated in the Declaration of Independence became the foundation for what America was to become and what it is today. This document is the most important document in the history of the United States of America. Written by Thomas Jefferson at age 33 and signed by numerous American leaders in 1776, this document forever changed the rich history of the world. There are four main ideals stated in the Declaration of Independence; equality, liberty, consent of the governed, and alter or abolish government. Although liberty and the consent of the governed are important ideals, equality is the most important.

Our American government became independent from Great Britain, on July 4, 1776. There was a committee of five people who wrote the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration has a structure of an introduction, a statement of ideals about government, a long list of grievances against the British, and a Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Yet the four ideals; consent of governed, Equality, Unalienable Rights, and the right to alter or abolish, are the foundation of our government. Equality is the most important and the reason our government is so successful to this day.

This leads to the Declaration of Independence which was adopted July 4, 1776. This document was meant as a self-esteem boost for the new Americans; giving them inalienable rights. “The most important statement in the declaration is the human rights, where the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are extolled” (Gaynor). “He [Thomas Jefferson] wrote: "... it was intended to be an expression of the American mind" (Early America). Jefferson meant that the American people wanted freedom from high taxes and the big government in England.

“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.” This quote is the most significant line in the Declaration of Independence and I believe that this is the most significant line in the Declaration of Independence. These rights are the foundation of the United States of America. These rights allow everyone to pursue life and happiness in the way that is most important to them. These are the most important ideals because having these rights is the path to having a good life in a country where we can do as many activities as we can.

The Declaration of Independence is considered the most influential document in American History.Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration at the age of 33. The document includes four parts of the Declaration of Independence.The four ideals are equated, unalienable rights, consent of the governed, and the right to alter or abolish government, and the most important is every man and women are equal.

On June of 1776, the Declaration of Independence was born. Drawn up by Thomas Jefferson and based on the works of John Locke, the general purpose of the document was to clarify that governments have conditional, not absolute authority over the people; that human beings possess natural rights that can’t be taken from them and government is created to protect those rights. The phrases “unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “all men are created equal” were the main theme of the social contract written for the small colonies of what would be the basis of the United States of America to declare independence from Great Britain and its tyrannical king. However, “unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “all men are created equal” did not apply to African Americans, enslaved or free for the coming years.

Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.Some evidence to prove my thesis is a quote which is known by Thomas Jefferson has this ideal in the quote and proof to show is “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,

The American Revolution was not only a battle between the British and the colonists; it was a historical movement that brought about new ways of thinking. The ideas of liberty and equality began to be seen as essential to the growth of the new nation. The separation of the American colonies from the British Empire occurred for a number of reasons. These reasons are illustrated in the Declaration of Independence. Although Thomas Jefferson wrote the document, it expressed the desire of the heart of each colonist to be free of British rule. British rule over the colonies became unbearable in the early months of 1776, making it clear to the colonists that it was time to either give in

“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” - The Declaration of Independence

One of the most famous quote people remember from the Declaration of Independence was, “ We hold these truths to be self- evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ Adams persuaded the committee to select Thomas Jefferson to compose the original draft of the document, which Congress then would edit to create the final version. The Declaration was an explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare

Though term was yet to be coined, these rights give birth to the "American Dream." The bulk of The Declaration is specific in making complaints to and about King George the III. All the complaints are in violation of some basic right or another. The Declaration of Independence in essence says to England, "we are free men, and potentially a great nation, we will not be restricted and bound by your unjust and inhumane laws any longer."

When foreigners envision the United States, they often visualize economic opportunities, but more importantly: liberty and equality. The birth of America could only happen with the hard and persevered works of its founding fathers; this includes the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Danielle Allen, a professor of government at Harvard University and an African American, claims the Declaration as patrimony. In her book Our Declaration, she defended and argued how the Declaration provides liberty and equality to the American people. But intense analysis of the Declaration proves otherwise. Allen’s interpretation of the document was wrong; the Declaration of Independence is not a document of liberty and equality for all, but rather a document for white men that transcribes the founding fathers’ desire for superiority and the coding of white privilege.