Malcolm Rivera
The United States Declaration of Independence, expressing the ideals on which the United States was founded and its reasons for separation from Great Britain, was passed on July 4, 1776. The Declaration was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, and justified the independence of the colonies, citing 27 colonial grievances against the king and asserting certain natural and legal rights, including a right of revolution. The Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights, are known collectively as the Charters of Freedom. The Articles of Confederation, which served as the United States' first constitution, were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 4 July 1776 |
| Type of Document | Declaration of Independence |
| Author | Thomas Jefferson |
| Reason | To declare independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain |
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What You'll Learn
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration was ratified on July 4 by the Second Continental Congress, whose delegates represented each of the Thirteen Colonies. The delegates knew that they were committing an act of high treason against the British Crown. The Declaration justified the independence of the colonies, citing 27 colonial grievances against the king and asserting certain natural and legal rights, including the right of revolution.
The British Government tried to dismiss the Declaration as a trivial document issued by disgruntled colonists. However, the Declaration's most important diplomatic effect was to allow for recognition of the United States by friendly foreign governments. The Declaration became official when Congress recorded its vote adopting the document on July 4. It was signed by John Hancock, President of the Congress, on that day. Copies were sent throughout the colonies to be read publicly.
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Thomas Jefferson's role
Thomas Jefferson is best known for his role in writing the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776. He was chosen by the committee to write the document, which he did over the course of three days, from June 11 to June 28, 1776. The Declaration was a formal explanation of why the Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Great Britain, citing 27 colonial grievances against the king and asserting certain natural and legal rights, including the right of revolution.
Jefferson's draft was influenced by two documents: his own preamble of the Constitution of Virginia and George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights, both written in June 1776. Ideas and phrases from these documents appear in the Declaration of Independence.
While Jefferson played a significant role in the Declaration of Independence, he did not have a direct hand in composing the United States Constitution. In 1776, he was in Philadelphia, focusing on national matters, while his home state of Virginia was working on its constitution. Jefferson did, however, advocate for a written "bill of rights" to accompany the Constitution, to guarantee personal liberties such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom from standing armies. He corresponded with James Madison, who introduced a bill of rights into the First Congress, which became the first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, and went into effect in 1791.
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The Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress, composed of delegates from each of the 13 colonies except Georgia, met in Philadelphia in 1774. The Congress was convened in response to escalating tensions between the colonies and Britain, including the passage of the Intolerable Acts, which imposed a series of measures on the colonies after they resisted new taxes. The delegates included future luminaries such as John Adams, George Washington, and John Jay. During the First Continental Congress, the delegates adopted the Articles of Association, which stated that if the Intolerable Acts were not repealed by certain dates, a boycott of British goods and an embargo on exports would begin in the colonies.
The Second Continental Congress convened in 1775, soon after hostilities broke out in Massachusetts and the American Revolutionary War began. The Second Congress sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III, established the Continental Army, and elected George Washington as its commander. As British authority crumbled in the colonies, the Second Continental Congress effectively took over as the de facto national government. In 1776, the Second Continental Congress took the momentous step of declaring America's independence from Britain, with Thomas Jefferson drafting the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was unanimously ratified on July 4, 1776, by the Second Continental Congress, whose delegates represented each of the Thirteen Colonies.
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The Lee Resolution
The resolution was introduced by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia on June 7, 1776, and had three parts: a declaration of independence, a call to form foreign alliances, and a plan for confederation. The first part, the declaration of independence, was adopted on July 2, with the other two parts being passed later: the second part in September 1776, and the third in November 1777, finally being ratified in 1781.
The resolution was a formal assertion that the colonies were no longer under British rule and created what became the United States of America. The news of the resolution was published in The Pennsylvania Evening Post on the evening of July 2, and the following day in The Pennsylvania Gazette.
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The Articles of Confederation
The only document of the US Constitution passed in 1776 was the Declaration of Independence. It was approved on July 4, 1776, and copies were sent throughout the colonies to be read publicly. The Declaration of Independence does not have the force of law, but it provides historical and legal clarity about the Constitution and other laws.
However, Maryland refused to ratify until the other states ceded their claims to western lands. Maryland finally ratified the Articles on February 2, 1781, and Congress was informed on March 1, officially proclaiming the Articles of Confederation to be the law of the land.
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Frequently asked questions
The Articles of Confederation, which was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, was the first constitution of the United States.
The United States' Declaration of Independence was a formal explanation of why the Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Great Britain. It was approved on July 4, 1776.
The Declaration of Independence expressed the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for separation from Great Britain.
The Declaration of Independence may help to provide historical and legal clarity about the Constitution and other laws, though it does not have the force of law domestically.
