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Commentary on declaration of independence
Commentary on declaration of independence
Commentary on declaration of independence
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The committee assigned three intellectual founding fathers, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin, to the challenging task of creating the Declaration of Independance. The first draft touched on the basic points and consisted of dull language. So, the crew had to dive back into their writing and add sensational word choice and proper language. They had to make sure that every sentence and idea was precise. John Adams and Ben Franklin were both considered unfit or controversial to be labeled as the “author”, and because of that, Jefferson was their last hope. But unfortunately, Jefferson was enduring major writer’s block. All he could do was pace frantically around his room praying that some inspiration would hit. His landlady witnessed
Though the full scope wasn't probably apparent, Jefferson had a way of ensuring these types of meetings would universally be looked back on the way he wanted. Many of the discussions leading up to the dinner conversation were conveniently tucked away. This made the dinner conversation out to be much more important and decisive than it probably actually was. Ellis repeatedly touches these three themes throughout “The Dinner” to illustrate how much personal relationships, ideas, personalities, and presumed control affected the way our government was formed, and how we view the process as it took place.
Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves and an author of this letter that he wrote to Thomas Jefferson, brought to the attention of inequality and unfairness of slavery. Banneker’s purpose is to have Thomas Jefferson to reflect n the words written in the Declaration of Independence and to voice out his opposing viewpoint on slavery in order to make change to the equality spoken in the Declaration of Independence. Banneker adopts a serious and critical tone with Tomas Jefferson to show him that slaves did not experience what they should’ve experienced, which where the rights entitled by nature.
Imagine living in a country where no citizen has a say in the government’s actions. Envision a nation where the ruler can tax people without permission and the common people are forced to obey without question. That was life in The Colonies before the year of 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was created. Great Britain passed laws whether it benefited the people or not. Before the Declaration of Independence was composed, a plethora of unnecessary taxes were approved. These taxes sent many colonists into debt. According to “The Declaration of Independence, 1776,” published on Office of the Historian, a famous tax called the Stamp Act was passed by Parliament. This tax forced colonists to purchase stamps for every paper product
As the tensions between Britain and the colonies grew stronger, Samuel stayed loyal to the crown. He viewed the American government as very primitive and dependent on the British government. When talk of the First Continental Congress arose, he began to voice his opinion. He tried to stop the election of the delegates by writing various pamphlets. His attempt proved futile and the delegates were elected and met together on that fateful day in Philadelphia when a new nation was envisioned. Now Samuel began to take more courageous steps in preventing the breaking away of the colonies. He wrote “Westchester Farmer” ,a compilation of five essays reasoning why the colonies should stay with the English. The five essays were Free Thoughts on the Proceedings of the Congress, The Congress Canvassed, Free Thoughts in the Full Vindication of the Congress, A View of Controversy, The Republican Dissected. Some of the writings were directed towards New Yorkers and local farmers. He begged the New York legislature to reject the laws of the “enthusiastic republicans” and was quoted as saying, ”The Congress is in the power of a faction using a mob to carry out its purposes”. The other writings were a rebuttal or defense to Alexander Hamilton’s attack. Hamilton was a student at the time when the pamphlets came out and he wrote The Farmer Refuted, a pamphlet opposing Seabury’s loyalist views. The news spread like wild fire and four of the pamphlets were printed in newspapers across the colonies. Samuel was branded a loyalist right away and this unintentionally made him some enemies.
Jefferson, Thomas. "The Declaration of Independence." The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues Across the Disciplines. 8th edition, Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003. 305-308.
The Declaration has helped in many debates ranging from the banning of slavery to the acknowledgement of newly independent nations (Tsesis 3). In 1774 delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies gather in Philadelphia to meet at the First Continental Congress to decide what to do about the British laws. Most people wanted to fix the relationship with England instead of gaining their independence. The British leaders would have most likely been up to the idea of negotiating, but instead the American Revolution was started. Thomas Jefferson was not present at the first Congress. A month after the Second Continental Congress started, Jefferson took his seat as a delegate from Virginia. John Adams stated that Jefferson had “a reputation for literature, science, and a happy talent for composition” (8). Jefferson noticed that many people were not yet open to the idea of independence, they were still trying to stay with England. During this time Common Sense came out and paved the way for the Declaration of Independence. After Common Sense came out, Richard Price published a pamphlet which condemned parliamentary infringement on the colonists’ rights. This pamphlet became very popular and was in circulation in England and America. On April 12,1776 North Carolina became the first colony “to concur with the delegates of the other colonies in declaring Independency” (10). On May 15 Congress published a preamble which explained that the Americans planned to be removed from the rule of England. This was the first step to a real declaration of independence because it finally showed that America decided to gain their independence.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence for the American colonists to proclaim freedom from Great Britain's oppressor, King George III. American colonists had been suffering for many years when this important document was drafted. King George III had pushed the colonists into a state of tyranny and most decided it was time to start an independent nation under a different type of government. Jefferson focused his piece toward many audiences. He wanted not only King George III and the British Parliament to know the American's feelings, but also the entire world. The time had come for an immense change amongst the American colonists and Jefferson made sure everyone was aware of it by using his superior strategies of persuasion.
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, representing the thirteen colonies under British rule. After being oppressed under the tyranny of Britain, Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence to address the King of Britain to declare independence from British rule. Jefferson addresses many subjects, however he focuses on the subject freedom, throughout his writing. Through his use of inductive reasoning, anaphora, and vilifying words in his logical reasoning, Jefferson successfully expresses the colonies’ frustration towards Britain and the colonies’ desire for independence.
From 1815 to 1850, the United States did not fulfill the ideals of the Declaration of Independence for all people by 1850 because immigrants and women did not have equal political, social, and political rights. For example, immigrants didn't even get to vote until they stayed in America for 21 years. Immigrants couldn't even take place in the government and couldn't hold a place in the office. Then we can't even forget about how women was treated like how they treated slaves. Women couldn't vote, speak in public, and can even be beaten by their own husbands. This is why the United States didn't fulfill the ideals of the Declaration of Independence for everyone.
The second continental congress was signing an important document on the July of 1776, that will forever change the aspects of how the English Colonies (Now the United States of America) would function as an independent nation. If I were I be there, I would fully support and sign the document, based on its political and economic reasons. This founding document was to be known as the Declaration of Independence.
Without its inspiring authors, America would have lost its drive during the initial battles of the Revolutionary War. Literature in the time before, during, and after the Revolutionary War forever made an enormous impact on historical events. In this time, literature assumes a huge position in society and everyone keeps an eye out for the newest piece. The writers of short works such as Letters from an American Farmer, Declaration of Independence and Common Sense all gave Americans a reason to fight for their freedom and surge forward as an emergent independent nation. Thomas Paine implements a mixture of forceful emotions and opinions as well as hard facts and literal common sense to beautifully present his argument against British rule. Paine wrote several pamphlets encompassing everything from why the British should not rule America to rallying the troops to continue fighting for their freedom. J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur writes about his love for America and his appreciation for the freedoms allowed even though America is imperfect. These letters are about a fictional farmer named Farmer James who, while being a loyal follower of Britain, learns to love American life and its quirks. Thomas Jefferson expresses his desire for freedom from British rule and for America to determine its own future in writing the Declaration of Independence. He devotes his precious time and effort to ensure that America would have a set of strictures to adhere to and not fall into the throes of chaos and anarchy. Each of these authors express their personal philosophies concerning America’s future and the capabilities expected of it through various forms and styles of literature.
The United States was not created in a day, and it didn’t have a peaceful foundation either. The French and Indian war took a great toll on Britain. Although gaining much from the Treaty of Paris, Britain was in a financial crisis from all the resources it spent on war campaigns. As a result George Grenville implanted the stamp act which taxed American colonists without their consent. The stamp act outraged Americans causing protests and further separation from Britain. Ideologies from John Locke, outcries from Patrick Henry, and Thomas Paine’s arguments against monarchy contributed to the idea of life, liberty and property that would later be incorporated to the Declaration of Independence and separate America from the British Empire.
However, the author 's interpretations of Jefferson 's decisions and their connection to modern politics are intriguing, to say the least. In 1774, Jefferson penned A Summary View of the Rights of British America and, later, in 1775, drafted the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (Ellis 32-44). According to Ellis, the documents act as proof that Jefferson was insensitive to the constitutional complexities a Revolution held as his interpretation of otherwise important matters revolved around his “pattern of juvenile romanticism” (38). Evidently, the American colonies’ desire for independence from the mother country was a momentous decision that affected all thirteen colonies. However, in Ellis’ arguments, Thomas Jefferson’s writing at the time showed either his failure to acknowledge the severity of the situation or his disregard of the same. Accordingly, as written in the American Sphinx, Jefferson’s mannerisms in the first Continental Congress and Virginia evokes the picture of an adolescent instead of the thirty-year-old man he was at the time (Ellis 38). It is no wonder Ellis observes Thomas Jefferson as a founding father who was not only “wildly idealistic” but also possessed “extraordinary naivete” while advocating the notions of a Jeffersonian utopia that unrestrained
The founding fathers in 1776 created the Declaration of Independence to break away from British rule and gain what they called “unalienable rights”, those being life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In this document, Thomas Jefferson explains the reasons for the independence of the 13 colonies from England. The founding fathers paved the way for freedom in the United States, but this freedom wasn’t granted equally among all citizens. Woman where still treated inferior and had very few rights as citizens compared to white men of the time. Nearly 75 years later, Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments to explain the reasons women should have the same rights and freedoms that men have. Her use of the Declaration of Independence
After using logic, the author builds on the first paragraph by appealing to the emotions (pathos) of the reader as he uses words like “We”, “these”, “Colonies” and “Great Britain”. Thomas Jefferson uses the second paragraph to recommend what the colonists should do stating “We hold these truths to be-self-evident” to make the reader feel as though he or she is a part of the story that is going to unfold. He outlines not only when a Government should be changed but also when it “should not be changed for light and transient causes”, which helps convince those sided with Great Britain that the colonists understand Governments are not perfect (Jefferson).