Eleanor Finch
The United States Declaration of Independence is a legal document indicting King George for violating the constitutional rights of colonists. It is one of the three documents, along with the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights, that form the Charters of Freedom, which establish the United States' guiding principles. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, and its adoption was dramatized in multiple award-winning films and musicals. It was influenced by Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Common Sense, and Thomas Jefferson's preamble of the Constitution of Virginia and George Mason's draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. The Constitution of the United States was drafted in 1787, and it established a new system of government for the American people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of signing | 4 July 1776 |
| Location | Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, National Archives |
| Signatories | 56, including James Wilson |
| Height of the new One World Trade Center | 1776 feet |
| Year the document was made into an ebook | 1971 |
| Year the Memorial to the 56 Signers was dedicated | 1984 |
| Year the document was moved to the National Archives | 1952 |
| Year the US Constitution was moved to the National Archives | 1921 |
| Year a facsimile of the document was made | 1823 |
| Year the original document was showing signs of age | 1820 |
| Year Thomas Jefferson explained the origins of the ideas in the document | 1825 |
| Year Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Common Sense, was published | 1776 |
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What You'll Learn
- The Declaration of Independence is a legal document indicting King George for violating the constitutional rights of colonists
- The document was influenced by Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Thomas Jefferson's preamble of the Constitution of Virginia, and George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights
- The Charters of Freedom are a group of documents that include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights
- The Declaration was signed on July 4, 1776, and announced the independence of the United States from Great Britain
- The document is not legally binding but expresses the principles on which the American government and identity are based
The Declaration of Independence is a legal document indicting King George for violating the constitutional rights of colonists
The Declaration of Independence is a legal document indicting King George III for violating the constitutional rights of colonists in North America. It was drafted by the Second Continental Congress's Committee of Five and adopted on July 4, 1776. The Declaration is not a philosophical tract on natural rights but a legal indictment of the King, following the precedent set by the 1550 Magdeburg Confession.
The Declaration lists 27 grievances against the King, including his refusal to endorse laws that the colonists viewed as necessary for the public good. For example, the King violated the colonial charter by ordering the governor of Massachusetts to withhold his assent from a law taxing government officers in the colony. The King also imposed taxes on the colonists without their consent, such as the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act, and established a Board of Trade to enforce revenue laws in the colonies, bypassing the usual colonial legislation.
England also attempted to control colonial trade, working to destroy trade with Spanish and French colonies in America, which the colonists had long enjoyed. This was in violation of the old Navigation Act. The British also formed a Court of Admiralty in America, which meant that colonists were tried by a single judge hired by the Crown, rather than by a jury of their peers.
The Declaration was influenced by Thomas Jefferson's draft of the preamble of the Constitution of Virginia and George Mason's draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. It was also influenced by de Vattel's "The Law of Nations", which defined independence as fundamental to statehood. The primary purpose of the Declaration was to express the international legal sovereignty of the United States.
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The document was influenced by Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Thomas Jefferson's preamble of the Constitution of Virginia, and George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights
Thomas Paine's pamphlet, titled "Common Sense", was influential in shifting American sentiment towards independence. It was a 47-page pamphlet published in Philadelphia in January 1776, which made a powerful argument against the injustice of rule by a king. Paine wrote that the Americans had the opportunity to change the course of history by creating a new form of government where people were free and had the power to rule themselves. Paine's pamphlet was so popular that it sold an estimated 500,000 copies, and it put the rebellion leaders under pressure to declare independence.
Thomas Jefferson's preamble of the Constitution of Virginia, also known as the Virginia Declaration of Rights, was widely copied by the other colonies and became the basis of the Bill of Rights. It was written by George Mason and adopted by the Virginia Constitutional Convention on June 12, 1776. Jefferson drew upon this document for the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence.
George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights asserted that all men are created equally free and independent, and that they possess inherent rights that cannot be taken away, such as the right to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness. It also emphasised the importance of a uniform government and the preservation of liberty through adherence to principles like justice and moderation.
The influence of these documents on the Declaration of Independence is evident in its content and impact. The Declaration of Independence, authored by Thomas Jefferson and adopted on July 4, 1776, explained the decision of the Thirteen Colonies to regard themselves as independent sovereign states, no longer subject to British colonial rule. It set a precedent for other declarations of independence and influenced the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, as well as thinkers in the Russian Empire.
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The Charters of Freedom are a group of documents that include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights
The Charters of Freedom are a group of documents comprising the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. These documents are considered fundamental to the founding and philosophy of the United States, outlining the rights and freedoms of its citizens.
The Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson, was a statement of sentiments shared by supporters of the American Revolution. It expressed the ideals on which the United States was founded and outlined the reasons for its separation from Great Britain. The Declaration is not a philosophical treatise on natural rights but a legal document accusing King George of violating the constitutional rights of colonists. It follows the precedent set by the 1550 Magdeburg Confession, which legitimised resistance to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
The United States Constitution defines the framework of the federal government of the United States. It outlines the powers and responsibilities of the government and the rights and freedoms it must protect.
The Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the Constitution. It defines the rights of citizens and states in relation to the federal government, guaranteeing their freedoms and protections.
These documents are on permanent display in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building, designed by architect John Russell Pope as a shrine to American democracy. The Rotunda features two murals by Barry Faulkner, depicting fictional scenes of the "presentations" of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
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The Declaration was signed on July 4, 1776, and announced the independence of the United States from Great Britain
The Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776, announced the independence of the United States of America from Great Britain. The Declaration was a formal explanation of why the Continental Congress voted to sever ties with the British monarchy. The thirteen colonies and the Kingdom of Great Britain had been at war for over a year before the Declaration was adopted.
The Second Continental Congress appointed a Committee of Five, including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman, to author the Declaration. John Adams persuaded the committee to charge Thomas Jefferson with writing the original draft, which was edited by the Second Continental Congress. Jefferson wrote the Declaration in isolation between June 11 and June 28, 1776.
The Declaration's second sentence is considered one of the most significant and famed lines in world history: "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 sentence encapsulates the principles on which the American government and identity are based. The Declaration continues to inspire people worldwide to fight for freedom and equality.
The Declaration of Independence is not legally binding, but it provides historical and legal clarity about the Constitution and other laws. It was one of the first texts to be made into an ebook, in 1971, and a memorial dedicated to the 56 signers was unveiled in 1984 in Constitution Gardens on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The original Declaration is now maintained under exacting archival conditions in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, alongside the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.
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The document is not legally binding but expresses the principles on which the American government and identity are based
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in American history. It is a statement of the principles on which the American government and identity are based, and it expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded. The document proclaims that all men are created equal and have certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is not, however, legally binding.
Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, admitted that the document contained no original ideas. Instead, it was influenced by various sources, including Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense", published in 1776, which argued that ordinary people could govern themselves without the leadership of a crowned official. This pamphlet inspired many Members of Congress and American colonists, and its ideas were formally articulated in the Declaration.
Other influences on the Declaration include two documents written in June 1776: Jefferson's own draft of the preamble of the Constitution of Virginia and George Mason's draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. The Virginia Declaration of Rights, in particular, provided the foundation for the subsequent Bill of Rights. The Declaration of Independence was also influenced by de Vattel's "The Law of Nations", the dominant international law treatise of the period.
The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, and it served its original purpose of announcing the independence of the United States. It is now permanently housed in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in the National Archives, along with the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These three documents, known as the Charters of Freedom, have secured the rights of Americans and are considered fundamental to the founding and philosophy of the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
The United States Declaration of Independence is a document that expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for its separation from Great Britain. It is considered a legal document that indicts King George for violating the constitutional rights of the colonists.
The Declaration of Independence, along with the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, forms the foundation of the American Charters of Freedom. These documents establish the guiding principles of the United States, asserting that people are not bound by tribe, race, religion, or language.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, influenced by Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense" and the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Benjamin Franklin, one of the few Americans to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, also played a significant role in its creation.
