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The Declaration Of The United States Essay

Decent Essays

The Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Thomas Jefferson drafted the declaration, with a preamble by John Adams and editing by Benjamin Franklin and other members of Congress, it outlines the offenses of King George III to justify the vote for independence that had taken place two days earlier. The Declaration closed the door on reconciliation with Great Britain, with the colonies already one year into war. The declaration paved the way for the creation of the United States of America, and continues to serve as an inspiration throughout the world.

Thomas Jefferson had strong views on independence. As a farmer in the ‘wilderness’ of Virginia, he knew that people could govern themselves. Jefferson wrote opinions on the colonists’ struggles against Great Britain. Jefferson said that the colonists were a free people claiming their rights. People outside of Virginia read his opinions. Many agreed with Jefferson. They also recognized his skills as a writer and thinker. Before the Revolutionary War, the colonies had no central government that met in America. State governments were just being set up. But the state governments reacted to Great Britain’s harsh taxes and rules. They sent delegates to Philadelphia to meet and discuss the problems. The delegates called themselves the First Continental Congress.
The delegates wanted the British Government to end its harsh taxes and rules. They urged colonists to stop buying

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