The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence

For the past 200 years, the American people have celebrated the Forth of July as Independence Day. The Declaration of Independence is the core behind July fourth and it is considered by many the most important document in our American history. The Declaration of Independence unified the colonies of America in a total effort for freedom from Britain in July 1776.

The Declaration of Independence was formally written by Thomas Jefferson and revised by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. Thomas Jefferson based The Declaration of Independence on several other documents that held key concepts and philosophies of Enlightenment thinkers of how people should be governed. (ushistory.org)

The Declaration of Independence is based heavily on the ideas of the famous philosopher, John Locke. Locke proposed in his paper, Two Treatise of Government, that government should follow the Laws of Nature and Human rights, which is that all humans are created equal and are given unalienable rights by their creator. All men are to be treated with "life, liberty and respect." A government has no right to take this God-given gift away from its people. Locke states that when a government fails to follow these basic principals, they should be overthrown for a new government. An excerpt from the Two Treatise of Government explains the central meaning behind Locke's vision of government. The state of nature is also a state of equality. No one has more power or authority than another. Since all creatures of the same species and rank have the same advantages and the use of the same skills, they should be equal to each other without subordination or subjection. The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it. Reason is that law. It teaches all mankind that, since all men are equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions. All men are made by one omnipotent and infinitely wise Maker. They are all servants of one sovereign Master who sent them into the world to do His business. They are His property, made to live in His, not one another's, pleasure. He has put men naturally into a state of independence, and they remain in it until, by their own consent, they choose to become members of a political society. (Locke) Thomas Jefferson stresses heavily on these ideas of Locke in the introduction of The Declaration of Independence. Jefferson states, When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. (ushistory.org) This introduction shows Jefferson's connection with Locke's concepts of government. Like Locke, Jefferson states how people have the right to separate from a political bond if the Laws of Nature and men's rights from God are not taken into consideration. (ushistory.org)

Other useful documents that certainly aided Thomas Jefferson in the writing of The Declaration of Independence were the Mayflower Compact and Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was created in England in 1215 because King John III was breaking English Common laws without punishment. The English wanted more restriction on King John III so they created the Magna Carta. The main theme of the document was that the people of England have Natural Rights that King John III is breaking and they have the right to overthrow the King for a better government. This relates directly to The Declaration of Independence because the American colonists believed that Great Britain was taking away their Natural Rights and that they have the right to separate from Britain because of their actions. (Smith)

The Mayflower Compact is known to be the first form of democracy in the Americas when the settlers landed at Cape Cod in 1620. The document shows a similarity to The Declaration of Independence, Two Treatise of Government, and other Enlightenment writings by using the theme of God and religion in the document. The Mayflower Compact states, In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith … Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick…(Mayflower Compact) The Mayflower Compact is viewed as a covenant with