United States Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence, also known as "The Unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America", mostly written by Thomas Jefferson, is a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on 4 July 1776. It is about the disentanglement of the thirteen British colonies from Great Britain and their right to form a sovereign confederation on the North American continent. In the years before 1776, the inhabitants of the American colonies had to pay taxes to the British Crown without having the opportunity to take part in the Lower House in London (the House of Commons). Succinctly phrased in the slogan “no taxation without representation” (The US National Archives). When the Continental Congress first met in May 1775, King George III had not responded to the petition for an improved system of taxation and representation. Therefore, the Congress gradually took on the responsibilities of a national government. In August 1775 a royal proclamation declared that the American “subjects” were to be treated as rebellious “vessels” attacking the Crown. In May 1776, the King negotiated treaties with German states to seek their assistance to fight in America. These actions later convinced many Americans that the mother country was treating the colonies as a foreign object.

In March 1776 the Privateering Resolution allowed the colonists "to fit out armed vessels to cruize [sic] on the enemies of these United Colonies" (The US National Archives). More and more colonists became convinced of the necessity of independence. The publication of Thomas Paine's Common Sense in January 1776 made a great contribution to that process. By the middle of May 1776, eight colonies had decided that they would support independence. On May 15, 1776, the Virginia Convention passed a resolution that "the delegates appointed to represent this colony in General Congress be instructed to propose to that respectable body to declare the United Colonies free and independent states" (The US National Archives). On 7th June, 1776 Richard Henry Lee of Virginia read his resolution about the fact “that these United Colonies are […] free and independent states […] and that all political connection between [the British Crown] and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved” (The US National Archives). This was seen as the clearest call for independence. The Committee of Five, which was to draft the text of the Declaration, consisted of John Adams of Massachusetts and Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. On July 1, 1776, the Congress discussed the draft of the Declaration. The process of revision continued through all of July 3 and into the late morning of July 4. Today, the 4th July is a national holiday in the US. The Declaration of Independence is composed of five parts: the introduction, the preamble, the two-part body, and the conclusion. The introduction deals with the necessity of this document to dissolve from the British Empire. The preamble sets out principles that it is the right and the duty “to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security” (The US National Archives). The first part of the body of the Declaration gives evidence of the bad conditions under the reign of King George III. The second section of the body says that the colonists’ respect to the British Crown was in vain. The Declaration concludes with the words 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" (The US National Archives).

Sources:

The US National Archives. The Declaration of Independence. 4 Nov. 2009 <http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_history.html>

Indiana University School of Law. The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies. 4 Nov. 2009 <http://www.law.indiana.edu/uslawdocs/declaration.html>