Declaration Of Independence

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It was the 4th of July in 1776 when delegates from all thirteen colonies assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not knowing the full significance of what was about to take place that day,the delegates would do something that would forever change the course of the American people. 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 today’s society, The Declaration of Independence is still a living document. Many ingredients are still an enormous part of our lives and the way our government handles diverse matters. One of the clauses, however, is being completely taken out of context and should be addressed immediately. The United States’ Foreign Policy is an ongoing problem and will continue until we as nation get back to our roots an... ... middle of paper ... ...w.antiwar.com/casualties/> Huckfeldt, Vaughn. Class lecture. Philosophy 243. 18 January 2007. Jefferson, Thomas. “The Declaration of Independence.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Baym, Nina. 6th Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2003. 727-732. Sheldon, Gerard Ward. “The Political Theory of the Declaration of Independence.” The Declaration of Independence Origins and Impacts. Ed. Gerber, Scott Douglas. Washington D.C: CQ Press, 2002. 16-27 United States. Dept. of State. Farewell Address by George Washington (1796). 19 March 2007. < http://usinfo.state.gov//usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm> West, Thomas G. “The Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.” The Declaration of Independence Origins and Impacts. Ed. Gerber, Scott Douglas. Washington D.C: CQ Press, 2002. 72-95

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