The Reasons Behind the Writing of the Declaration of Independence
There were several events that led up to the writing and publication of the Declaration of Independence. The colonists did not understand why they were being taxed on items such as stamps and tea which was extremely essential to the colonists at this time. The phrase “taxation without representation” was used by the colonists to show their outrage with these taxes from England. They set out to rebel and started the American Revolution. Thomas Paine contributed to the colonists’ views on rebellion due to his book Common Sense. These are some of the events that encouraged the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
The Stamp Act & Boston Tea Party
The Stamp Act was passed in 1765 and placed taxes on just about every paper transaction. This included legal documents, marriage certificates, newspapers, and several other items. According to Schweikart & Allen (2014), the Stamp Act was created because Grenville wanted to somehow decrease the cost of troops sent to defend the colonies (p. 70). The Stamp Act created hostility because the colonists were used to fairly low taxes. The colonists were infuriated by the taxes and as a result, organizations such as the Sons of Liberty came together to try to protest against Parliament’s decisions on taxes. The Sons of Liberty destroyed stamps and burned Thomas Hutchinson’s house, who was known as the lieutenant governor. As Schweikart & Allen (2014) state that the Sons of
The Declaration of Independence was a letter written to King George III, stating that the 13 colonies were declaring that they were leaving the rule of Great Britain, and that they were becoming a free nation. It was important for the Declaration of Independence to be written first because it represented the creation of our free nation. It made it possible for Americans to have the rights that we have today.
These stamps were required on bills of sale for trade items, and on various types of commercial and legal documents, anything from playing cards to diplomas to marriage licenses. Grenville claimed that the Stamp act was needed in order to help defray the cost of keeping British troops stationed in the colonies in order to protect them. To the colonists this was an invalid answer, because the French were out of North America, and they no longer needed protection. Instead, this Act was viewed as a tax solely to make money for England: "A right to impose an internal tax on the colonies, without their consent for the single purpose of revenue, is denied..." (Document B). Also, anyone that disobeyed these laws was tried in the admiralty courts, were juries were not allows, and you were guilty until proven innocent. In response, the colonists formed the Stamp Act Congress, in which the members drew up a statement of the rights and grievances of the colonists to send to the king, however it was ignored by England. Instead, they started a steady boycott of British goods. It is after this that the colonists realized that they were being used by England, and began their cry of "no taxation without representation!" Parliament had thought that it was making easy money off of the colonies; instead it had started the fire of rebellion burning, and the Stamp Act was soon repealed.
The Declaration of independence was a great successful document written by Thomas Jefferson a great idealist and a man from the age of enlightment, he was a great writer and was the one chosen to write the declaration of independence, he wrote it with a lot of thought about how people’s emotions would be, how they would react, and how it would work all to their advantage, and with very rhetoric language he wrote this document, stating truths and lies about what was happening in the colonies at that time.
The Declaration of Independence occurred in Philadelphia on June 7, 1776. Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion in Congress to declare Independence. Other members of Congress were amenable but thought some colonies not quite ready. Congress did form a committee to draft a declaration of independence an assigned this duty to Thomas Jefferson. The main purpose of the America’s Declaration of Independence was to explain to foreign nations why the colonies had chosen to separate themselves from Great Britain. The Revolutionary War had already begun, and several major battles had already takes place. The American colonies had already cut most major ties to England. What was the motivation for writing the Declaration of Independence? The Declaration of Independence is a list of complaints against the King of England. Some historians believe the Declaration of Independence was written for selfish reasons while others believe that it was written for ideological reasons. America was destined to play this role. My position statement on the historical question is the motivation for writing the Declaration of Independence was for the people not for selfish reasons.
In 1765 the Stamp Act was passed and colonists had various reactions to these acts. The Stamp Act was an act created by the British. This was to pay off the debt they had from the French and Indian War. Items that were taxed were newspapers, dice, legal documents, and playing cards. Basically all printed goods were taxed. Colonists that wrote
A democracy is a system of government controlled by the people, not by one certain group or individual. In the Declaration of Independence it states that “all men are created equal,” an idea which leads to the concept that all citizens should have the same rights, responsibilities, and influence in the governing of their country. In writing the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson was trying to break his ties with the harsh and non-democratic rule of the British and begin a new, equal society and government for America.
“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
Back when America was still young and under the control of Great Britain, the colonists were being taxed in unfair ways and forced to quarter British soldiers. The Founding Fathers made the Declaration of Independence to tell Britain that they did not want to be taxed anymore, and wanted freedom from Britain's rule. Many would think that this was noble, but others would think that the Founding Fathers were being selfish when they created this document. However, this is not the case. The Founding Fathers were not selfish when they wrote the Declaration of Independence because even though they wanted Britain to leave them alone, which might seem like a selfish act, but they did it for the good of America.
Our people today in the united states are holding up the principles of the Declaration of Independence good,but they could improve. Everyone is still treated equal, they haven't taken our rights away, the people help the government to protect their rights and make decisions if the government is not cooperating,and they even still let you have the freedom of speech .But they do judge people on their religion and where they were born and who they are, like they do to muslims.
The stamp act put a tax on paper transactions including marriage certificates, ship’s papers, legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards. The colonies reacted strongly even engaging in violence. The sons of liberty destroyed the stamps and burned the house of the lieutenant governor. The colonist were not justified in reacting in the way that they did. The taxes were already imposed on Britain based citizens, their trade was protected, and the British were paying off the colonists debt.
When the Stamp Act of 1765 was passed in the Thirteen Colonies, the colonists were compelled to rethink their loyalty and standing with the British monarchy. The Stamp Act would be the first actual tax levied upon the colonists, which caused outrage in the Thirteen Colonies. The act would place a tax on any document and printed paper that they used: such as legal documents, newspapers, and licenses. All thirteen colonies did not agree that the tax was passed with legality and refused to acknowledge that such tax existed. They would all band together to ensure that the Stamp Act would be repealed and would become nonexistent.
This was a document that was written to explain why we should break away from Great Britain and become independent from their laws. It explains that all men (and now women too) are created equal and were born with rights that cannot be taken away…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To ensure that these rights remain, the people create a government and laws that will protect these rights. When the government starts to act in such a way that these rights are threatened…then the people have the right to change the government or remove it and replace it with a new one. It then continues to list the reasons why they want to sever ties with Great Britain and list the ways they feel they have
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
When the Boston Tea Party occurred on the evening of December 16,1773, it was the culmination of many years of bad feeling between the British government and her American colonies. The controversy between the two always seemed to hinge on the taxes, which Great Britain required for the upkeep of the American colonies. Starting in 1765, the Stamp Act was intended by Parliament to provide the funds necessary to keep peace between the American settlers and the Native American population. The Stamp Act was loathed by the American colonists and later repealed by parliament.
The Declaration of Independence was written to explain, why colonies chose to separate from Great Britain. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson explains that if the government becomes unfair and controlling, a body of people have the right to change governments. Jefferson organized his argument in a format of writing an essay. He organized his document with an introduction, body, and conclusion.