The Independence Of The U. S. And Its Impact On European Monarchies

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

     The Declaration of Independence was the cornerstone of American freedom and equality. By writing this document, the American Colonies could now begin the process of starting a new way of life and a new government. Obviously, at the time the Declaration of Independence was written the concept of “equality” was more limited than it is today. Certainly, all members of colonial America did not share equal status. However the concepts of the Declaration of Independence have evolved more fully over the centuries

Of slavery, the third President of the United States and co-writer of the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution of the United States wrote: "But, as it is, we have the wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other." This quote illustrates the role that slavery played in the western world at the end of the eighteenth century. In "The Declaration of Independence," Jefferson wrote that: "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" (Jefferson 1776). According to this document, all human beings should be considered equal, but this does not take into account Africans who were not treated as equals and were not even treated as human beings at this time in history. Many people, including Jefferson desired that an end to slavery be written into the Constitution, a move that was decided against when the delegates realized that the southern states would never ratify the document if it contained that demand. The conflict between abolitionists and anti-abolitionists was an issue which would not be resolved until nearly a century after Jefferson's writings, but it is clear from this statement that he and others felt the issue keenly and were trying to find a way to deal with it, but were

Individual rights and forming a lasting union is what keeps the laws and the lives of people balanced and safe in America. The Declaration of Independence, by Thomas Jefferson, firmly states 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 statement by Jefferson states that all men and women have equal rights and if the government were to go against these rules, the people can alter or abolish it, balancing between preserving individual rights and forming a strong, lasting union. Furthermore, The Declaration of Independence outlines a series of violations of people’s rights that the King of Great Britain, George III, caused by a repeated history of “injuries and usurpations”, as stated in The Declaration of Independence, to the states and overall the people. With the

In the preamble of our current draft of the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “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.” If we are going to use this statement as well as John Locke’s ideals on Natural Rights, we cannot simply ignore slaves. They are also humans which means they, too, deserve the rights endowed by our creator. I believe that to simply ignore this error would be a huge oversight on our part that could eventually lead to problems within our country. I believe that, in order to correct this error, we must broaden our definition of “all men” to include slaves. However,

Many Americans struggle to gain equality in the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence is the document that holds the ideals of the American people. Equality is the core value in the document. Equality is being treated fairly and with dignity and be able to embrace the opportunities for education, economic success, political involvement, and a fulfilling life. African Americans struggled for Equality when they were being turned into slaves and not having the equal rights as a white man.

Thomas Jefferson had written in the Declaration of Independence that, “all men are created equal.” Also, every man has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In addition, several enlightenment thinkers in Europe believed in natural law, human progress, and a government made for the people, all of whom inspired Jefferson. Despite this, in 1716, 500,000 African slaves were kept in the Americas, and Jefferson was one of these people that owned slaves.

If everyone lived and practiced the idealistic beliefs they’re so willing to preach, the world would simply be idealistic. Unfortunately “we the people” have not evolved into a less duplicitous form, in most cases. The writing of “The Declaration of Independence” is not one of those cases, it is true Thomas Jefferson did own slaves, but evidence proves that he was explicitly against the institution of slavery. In reality he owned slaves because his lifestyle was made possible by slavery, not because he supported it. The ownership of slaves by Thomas Jefferson, the writer of “The Declaration of Independence”, does not in any way invalidate his belief that “all men are created equal” or “The Declaration of Independence” itself. Thomas Jefferson’s circumstances, mainly his lifestyle of owning slaves while writing “The Declaration of

The American Declaration of Independence, penned mostly by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, is a beloved document and symbol of freedom in the hearts and minds of Americans. The iconic, tripartite “slogan” of this document is the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” And while this is for many the most memorable phrase in the document, the actual content focuses much more on the abuses and injuries of King George III than on these inalienable rights. In fact, Jefferson lists twenty seven specific abuses of King George III compared to the three listed inalienable rights. The question then arises, why does Jefferson parse his argument for independence in such a way? This essay seeks to show that Jefferson chose to focus on the

As the British government of the 18th century began to impose discriminatory policies on the colonists, the American rebels grew angry. They became motivated to break away from England in hopes of creating a country that was unique and superior to their mother country. After their victory in the American Revolutionary War, the colonists united to establish a constitution. While America's founding fathers changed many British policies and ideas, slavery was not. Jefferson, one of the most influential founding father’s, famous for writing the words, “all men were created equal” was a privileged plantation owner, putting into question the meaning behind this well-known phrase. Jefferson, unlike his fellow landowning class, was among the first to speak up against slavery regarding it as “moral depravity.” However, he contradicted his own beliefs in his personal life as a slave owner. It is essential to analyze economic, political and social factors when understanding the differences between his professional and personal life.

The Declaration of Independence states how we as the Thirteen Colonies declared independence from Great Britain. One of the major arguments made by Thomas Jefferson that supported the colonies right of independence was how, “All men are created equal”. However, some question Jefferson's choice to put forth that statement, and find him a hypocrite, since he himself was a slave owner. On the contrary, Jefferson should not be seen as a hypocrite, because we can not judge Jefferson from a modern perspective, as well as Jefferson supported blacks, thus he included a passage regarding slavery in his draft of the Declaration of Independence, which was later deleted by congress.

In the late eighteenth century, Thomas Jefferson penned one of the most well-known documents in the history of the United States, The Declaration of Independence. Officially completed and signed in 1776, this document is one of the foundations that America builds its rich history on today. Jefferson borrowed English political philosopher John Locke’s philosophy when he wrote the line, “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.” Many Americans today still base theories of American Exceptionalism on this idea of liberty and equality for “all men”, but a look back at United States history show that political and social policy hasn’t always reflect this sentiment. The main problem with the statement is the vague phrase “all men”. One needs to be able to define that phrase and the standards of humanity themselves to understand the history and policies of human rights in America. In early America, standards of humanity were based on religious standards adapted from John Locke’s writing molded to fit societal hierarchy by Jefferson and the founding fathers in their vision of the country. African Americans worked hard to fight the hypocrisy of these claims, but it would take more than a century for changes to be made for the good of “all men”. In this paper, I will work to find the

When the ties of the colonies with Britain began to deteriorate from the lack of representation and unsolicited taxation, as a community, liberty was simply the desire for something better than current treatment. This will solidified – for non-Loyalists – at the onset of war with Britain, and fuel the flames. Even though there was the collective enemy, Britain, the Declaration of Independence faced revisions as there were many different viewpoints from the Puritans to the Quakers, the Northerners to the Southerners, the poor to the rich. After much compromise, the consensus seems to be that “all men are created equal”, and liberty is given to those who can afford it: white men with wealth and status, a rather exclusive prerequisite. The impetus

God grants people freedom by providing them the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Each of these rights provides every individual with freedom because they have free range to what what they please with their lives. In America, everyone can live independently under the law and they will be able to live freely in the eyes of God. Overall, freedom and independence is explored because people are made aware of their rights and they are able to live the way they intend to, as long as their way of life does not impact the rights of others. Here, the theme of freedom and independence is conveyed through the way Jefferson clearly states the rights of others and the one person who ensures them with those rights. Towards the end of the work, Jefferson sincerely closes the work by clearly stating his purpose of the work. The Declaration of Independence

The declaration of independence brought with it differences in the application of American values. The founding fathers had different ideas of equality and liberty for different groups of people. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the declaration, “all men are created equal (The Declaration of Independence)”. At the time, women could not own land, African Americans were considered