![]() England established colonies in North America in the early seventeenth century for more than 150 years, the inhabitants of these colonies, for the most part, were quite content to remain tethered to the "Mother Country." They considered themselves Englishmen and entitled to the same rights as their brethren thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, an idea shared by the vast majority of British inhabitants. To fully appreciate the Declaration of Independence, it is necessary to understand the background of its composition. It is in the pursuit of these principles that Americans have fought and died in wars, organized and advocated for civil rights, and pursued political office. It is these words, more than any others, that have drawn immigrants from all over the globe and served to instill in all citizens the fundamental concept of what the United States stands for. Foremost among the Declaration's associations with the American dream is its firm statement about the "inalienable rights" of all people, including "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Over time this phrase has become a simple summary of what this country stands for and a statement of the basic principles of American democracy. It is a comparatively brief essay because it was intended to summarize the grievances of the American colonists against the British Crown, thus providing justification for the American separation from England. To learn more, see The Charters of Freedom and 100 Milestone Documents sites from the National Archives.Perhaps the greatest of the great documents of American culture is the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence is on public display in the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington, DC. ![]() His signature was so large and bold that people use ‘John Hancock’ to mean a signature. A famous phrase from the Declaration is “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.”ĭeclaration of Independence facts and figures: Writing and signing the Declaration of Independence took courage, but it was an important step in the founding of our Government. The final draft of the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, but the actual signing of the final document was on August 2, 1776. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Jefferson then worked together to make changes to the document. ![]() The Declaration of Independence was originally written by Thomas Jefferson. The committee included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. A group of men came together in the summer of 1776 to find ways to become independent from Great Britain. The war between the colonies and Great Britain was called the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). In 1775, the colonists went to war with Great Britain. In one act of protest, men dumped the cargo of a ship full of British tea into Boston Harbor in 1773 this is now called the Boston Tea Party. The Stamp Act of 1765 collected taxes on paper goods like legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards. ![]() People in the colonies were unhappy that they did not have a say in their government and still had to pay taxes. It was an official act taken by all 13 American colonies in declaring independence from British rule. The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in the history of the United States.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |