the-declaration-of-independence

DeclarationofIndependenceSummaryHistoricalBackgroundDraftandAdoptionHistoricalInfluenceHistoryofthedocumentsSignificanceSummary•TheUnitedStatesDeclarationofIndependenceisanimportantdocumentinthehistoryoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Itwaswrittenin1776andsaysthattheAmericancolonieswerenolongerundertheruleofGreatBritain,butwereanewcountry.HistoricalBackgroundBelieveme,dearSir:thereisnotintheBritishempireamanwhomorecordiallylovesaunionwithGreatBritainthanIdo.But,bytheGodthatmademe,IwillceasetoexistbeforeIyieldtoaconnectiononsuchtermsastheBritishParliamentpropose;andinthis,IthinkIspeakthesentimentsofAmerica.—ThomasJefferson,November29,1775BythetimetheDeclarationofIndependencewasadoptedinJuly1776,theThirteenColoniesandGreatBritainhadbeenatwarformorethanayear.RelationsbetweenthecoloniesandthemothercountryhadbeendeterioratingsincetheendoftheSevenYears'Warin1763.ThewarhadplungedtheBritishgovernmentdeepintodebt,andsoParliamentenactedaseriesofmeasurestoincreasetaxrevenuefromthecolonies.Parliamentbelievedthattheseacts,suchastheStampActof1765andtheTownshendActsof1767,werealegitimatemeansofhavingthecoloniespaytheirfairshareofthecoststokeepthecoloniesintheBritishEmpire.Whilepoliticalmaneuveringwassettingthestageforanofficialdeclarationofindependence,adocumentexplainingthedecisionwasbeingwritten.OnJune11,1776,CongressappointedaCommitteeofFive,consistingofJohnAdamsofMassachusetts,BenjaminFranklinofPennsylvania,ThomasJeffersonofVirginia,RobertR.LivingstonofNewYork,andRogerShermanofConnecticut,todraftadeclaration.HistoricalInfluenceHistorianshaveoftensoughttoidentifythesourcesthatmostinfluencedthewordsandpoliticalphilosophyoftheDeclarationofIndependence.ByJefferson'sownadmission,theDeclarationcontainednooriginalideas,butwasinsteadastatementofsentimentswidelysharedbysupportersoftheAmericanRevolution.•TheScottishDeclarationofArbroath(1320)andtheDutchActofAbjuration(1581)havealsobeenofferedasmodelsforJefferson'sDeclaration,buttheseargumentshavebeendisputed.Significance•TheDeclarationofIndependence,besidesdeclaringthatthecolonieswerenowanindependentnation,alsosetforththereasonswhywewerebreakingfromGreatBritain.Itestablishedthereasonsforthecoloniesdeclaringindependence.•Morebroadly,it'slastingsignificanceisthephilosophystatingthatallmenstartoutequal.Noonewasbetterduetotheirparentsorancestors.Thankyou