Have you ever read a story and thought to yourself how great it feels to be an American? This feeling comes from a sense of security that we as Americans feel every day. It has not always been this way, when our founding fathers were trying to decide how the nation should be run people disagreed and there was confliction. This is seen all throughout history and even in today’s world. The sense of security and freedom though is what sets America apart from the world. In Declaration by Thomas Jefferson and Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin one can read about the disagreements and influences the authors and others around them had. Both of these stories are not only American but they are also written by two of the most influential Americans during …show more content…
their time. There are many reasons why these two stories are considered some of the most important documents in America, but two reasons are the reason why the author wrote the story and the content in the writing. For every story or book that is written there is a reason the author decided to write about it.
As in these two stories the reason the author wrote the story is different but they are both the same in the fact that they have instructions on how something should be done. In Declaration, Thomas Jefferson is writing explaining why the colonies want to form a new nation called America. The declaration explains that the colonist feel wronged by the government and are wanting to act. He writes, “He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good” (Jefferson 341). Throughout the next lines, he goes on to list more ways he feels the British government has wronged the colonists. Benjamin Franklin Autobiography was written for him to express his life to his son William. This also was a way for him to write out a list of instructions, which he calls virtues, that every man should have. “Thirteen Names of Virtues all that at that time occur’d to me as necessary or desirable, and anned’d to each a short precept, which fully express’d the Extent I gave to its Meaning” (Franklin 301). These virtues are what Franklin believed made up a well-rounded …show more content…
individual. The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in the United States.
If one was to just read a brief summary about it, you would just think that it was a list of rules for the new nation to follow. But by analyzing the text and looking deeper one would see that it is much more. You have more than just rules to follow. The document list that the colonies want to break away from the British Government. “Committees were also appointed, at the same time, to prepare a plan of confederation for the colonies, and to the state the terms proper to be proposed for foreign alliance” (Jefferson 339). It also lists the reasons why the colonist feel this way. It shows the ideas that the colonists feel they should follow in their nation. This document is the defining moment in Thomas Jefferson’s life. As with the Declaration, Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography has more to it than just a story about his life. If one were to hear the title they might think this was just a long story about Franklins entire life. But, by reading the text one can see that there is much more that make the story important in American Literature. Franklin goes through he many jobs he has from when he was just a boy to working his way up and becoming a printer. Also, listed in his autobiography is his phase in life of being an inventor. Franklin played a big role in the contribution to science with the invention of the lightning rod, odometer, and bifocals. One of the most important parts in
the story however is when he lists his virtues. “My intention being to acquire the Habitude of all these virtues (Franklin 301). The thirteen virtues are what Franklin believed a man should consist of. Even though they were written in the 1700’s these are still held in today’s society by most. This story is important to American literature by showing people that hard work does pay off and the values that one should hold themselves too. As one reads literature works, many things can stand out and some require some digging to uncover what the author is saying. That is in fact the case in these two stories. In Declaration and Autobiography one can read and understand why the author wrote the story. Also, one can go deeper into the text and explore the content and the ups and downs that the authors went through to get these two important documents published or signed. As one reads these two stories it is evident while they are studied in American Literature even hundreds of years later.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers to the United States, was not a patriot but a mere loyalist to England before the dissolution between England and the colonies occurred. Sheila L. Skemp's The Making of a Patriot explores how Benjamin Franklin tried to stay loyal to the crown while taking interest in the colonies perception and their own representation in Parliament. While Ms. Skemp alludes to Franklin's loyalty, her main illustration is how the attack by Alexander Wedderburn during the Privy Council led to Franklin's disillusionment with the British crown and the greater interest in making the Thirteen Colonies their own nation. Her analysis of Franklin's history in Parliament and what occurred on the night that the council convened proves the change behind Franklin's beliefs and what lead to his involvement in the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.
The passion for freedom was a unextinguishable flame. The fury fueled by the injustices of Great Britain induced the desire to break away from the mother country and develop a new independent government. This idea started to materialize when Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin wrote and adopted the Declaration of Independence, which stated the colonies' intention to create their own government. Thomas Jefferson and the other authors carefully manipulates their language by using parallelism and diction in order to persuade the reader to fight for personal rights and justice.
After it was written, 56 delegates coming from all of the 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence in order to make it official. This document served great justice during the Atlantic Revolution; it sought to make a difference as to how the colonies were in terms of their alliance with Britain. The Atlantic Revolution was able to make this happen, for it opened up the space for change. Through the document, we can see how the colonies determined to separate themselves from the British Empire. Some things to pay attention to in the writing is that they mentioned things like “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”. The goal of this statement is to make sure that even though the men make up the government and the people must be okay with them, at the end of the day the people have the right to make sure that their government is not being destructive and is aiming towards their rights. The Atlantic Revolution brought forth new ideas of government and the liberation of the colonies from the
The Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Preamble share many similar ideas among them. One idea being the promotion of peace. In the Declaration of Independence, it talks about how it wants to split away from Great Britain, and the document says that it doesn’t want to go into war, but when it’s necessary, the colonists will have too. The Bill of Rights were the first 10 amendments and it described what the power of the government could and could not do. It was set in place, so that people knew the amount of power the government had over them, this promoting peace between the two. The Preamble literally says “promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity” which correlates
The Declaration of Independence refers to “our constitution”, in this respect they were referring to the Ancient British Constitution. The United States was expressing the fundamental aspects of British politics; among these were Classic Republicanism, Enlightenment Liberalism, and Protestant Christianity. In the Declaration they balanced all of these English traditions; expressing what they believed to be the true spirit of the British Constitution. As Edmund Burke would say, “(the Revolution) was carried out not to create new liberties but to preserve old ones” (Wood, p. 58). The main issue that the colonies had with the British following 1763, was England’s belief in the doctrine of
The title of the document explains exactly what is in the document itself. Before the Declaration was even written, “the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia with the intention of voting for independence from England” (“Writing the Declaration”). Congress had the idea of selecting a group of people (a committee) to write out a document stating that the colonies were going to separate away from Great Britain and form a new nation. “The committee, composed of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman, in turn instructed Thomas Jefferson to write the declaration” (“Writing the Declaration”). Thomas Jefferson began work on June 11th and was able to finish writing by June 28th (“Writing the Declaration”). Imagine trying write a document for independence, creating a new nation, in such little
America was born and survived, its rough road into a nation, through a series of events, or moments in history. The founding brother’s book is about a few important figures during and after the American Revolution. These important figures consisted of Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, John Adams, George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson. Each of these men, contributed to the building of America in one way or another. The book breaks these contributions into a few short stories, to help understand what these important figures did.
Thomas Jefferson, an educated, well respected career man, served as governor of Virginia, secretary of state, and president of the United States. The Revolutionary era, during the 1770's, proved to be one of America's most victorious times. Despite the casualties the American colonies suffered, they proved to be stronger than their ruling land, Britain, and won the right to be a free land, becoming the United States of America. Living through this difficult turning point in history inspired Jefferson to write "The Declaration of Independence." Once again, nearly two hundred years later, America faced yet another turning point in history.
The United States Constitution and The Declaration of Independence are two of America 's most famous documents and most cherished symbols of liberty, however they are very different in their intents and themes, although both together laid the foundation for our independence as a nation. The Declaration of Independence proclaims the United States of America a free and independent nation that would no longer be under British Rule. The Constitution is the basis of the U.S. government. It can be rightly stated that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are best friends necessary in support for each other. There are two proofs necessary to make this argument: the first being, the Declaration requires limited, constitutional union
Compare and Contrast Declaration of Independence and Common Sense When I was asked to read the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson and Common Sense by Thomas Paine, I was kind of scared. As I started to read it, I found it to be truly interesting. Reading over them several times to make sure I understood the text and the meaning of them both. Throughout, out this paper I will share many comparisons and contrasts between the Declaration of Independence and the Common Sense pamphlet. There are many reasons why these two documents had a great effect on the American Revolution.
Throughout history, only a few documents have changed the way we as a nation view politics and carry out our everyday lives. The document mentioned above was the Declaration of Independence. It changed the course of history because it granted America its freedom from Great Britain. Originally, there was a committee created to compose the document which consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. After conversing with one another, the committee decided that Thomas Jefferson would be the one to write it with the final approval coming from the other four. After writing it and receiving approval from the committee, Jefferson presented it to the House. What happened here was not what the committee originally expected. Not all of the delegates attending the convention approved the document. However, through compromising for the greater good of the “New Nation” and editing to accommodate everyone’s preferences, the document was finally approved by all thirteen colonies.
In The Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin recounts the many paramount experiences throughout his life that shaped him into great American figure he was known to be. On the opening page, Franklin reveals the book’s epistolary format by writing, “Dear Son,” going on to admit that he’s made some mistakes in the past and to recollect that past is a way to relive it. By divulging his desire to “change some sinister Accidents & Events” (Franklin 3) the author indicates how important it is for his son to observe as he amends his mistakes. Pride, virtue and vanity play a pivotal role in Benjamin Franklin’s life and the way he portrays himself to others. Instances occur where the author is shown gloating about his great accomplishments and he puts emphasis on his need to live a virtuous and morally perfect life. Throughout his story, Benjamin Franklin tells his son of his many virtuous acts and momentous achievements, motivating the question as to whether he seeks his own approval more so than the approval of his peers.
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.
There are many important factors in the Declaration of Independence, which enable the foundation of a new government. These range from describing grievances with England, to how government should be run differently, to the first statement of separation. The first step to the foundation of a new government is the uniting of a people in a common goal. Since all people were feeling violated by English soldiers, it was necessary to state these grievances in order to make people aware that they are not alone. When people learned that others felt the same as them emotion was stirred. The Declaration of Independence listed the grievances such as, “He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.” The next important step to the foundation of a new government was to gain peoples ambition by showing how the government would be run if a new party took over. This goal was achieved by stating the rights of man. “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.” This statement made people hopeful and feel kindly toward this new government. The final step in the preparation for a new government was separation from the old government. This was declared twice in the Declaration of Independence. In the beginning, “That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, driving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” and in the end, “that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved. In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence was able to motivate people, give them ambition, and made it simple for Americans to take action.
It was a combination of principal with purpose. The Declaration had three key components: theory of government, complaints and a declaration of war. Thomas Jefferson completed the draft while adding ideas from The Enlightenment. Although The Declaration was only theory and would not be made a reality yet because they would have to fight against the British. They did not want to be ruled like the king. They wanted to create a new society based on the ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Jefferson added ideas of how all men were created equal and they were born with the same unchallengeable rights that were granted from God. He also included “Consent of the governed” which was that men are not established among government but governments are established among the men. Lastly, he incorporated that if the government fails the people have the right to alter the government or just abolish it