Government
Zach Stearney 3B
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson July 4th 1776, in Philadelphia PA. The immediate effect of the document was to sever its ties to Great Britain. What made it so unique was that it began to talk about the individual rights & liberties that have transformed America into what it is today.
The Declaration
Stone, William. United States Declaration. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web.
The authors
Ferris, Jean. Writing the Declaration. Digital image. Wikimedia. Wikimedia, n.d. Web.
Philadelphia, 1776
Trumbells, John. Declaration Independence. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web.
RELATIONSHIP TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Even though the declaration was written over 200 years ago it is still affecting modern day government. The declaration is what influenced the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the United States. In the declaration Thomas Jefferson mentioned "all men are created equal with certain unalienable rights". These certain rights are now inferred from the Bill of Rights. Some of these rights include freedom of speech, right to bear arms, self determination with regards of own property, trial by jury, and protection from cruel unusual punishment. The declaration also sets our philosophy for the government, which are individual liberties come from: rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We still hear politicians talking about upholding our rights and is what we look for in a candidate. The reason the declaration was written was because Britain's government was too powerful, so the authors made sure to give the power to the people and set certain limits so the government does not become too powerful. The Declaration of Independence is still upholding the founding fathers moral & political vision for the United States.
SOURCES
"Declaration of Independence, U.S." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 254-255. U.S. History in Context. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
Maier, Pauline. "Declaration of Independence." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 520-523. U.S. History in Context. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
Miller, Laura M. "Declaration of Independence (1776)." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 9. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 139-141. U.S. History in Context. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.