Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence
Foundational Ideals and Natural Rights
Arguably the most famous document in U.S. history, the Declaration lays out the philosophical foundation for the entire American governmental project.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft in June 1776 for a five-member committee of the Second Continental Congress, and John Adams and Benjamin Franklin suggested edits. Congress voted for independence on July 2 and adopted the final Declaration on July 4, 1776. Its job was to explain to the world why the colonies were breaking away from Great Britain: after the famous opening, most of the document is a list of grievances against King George III meant to show he had broken the social contract.
- "All men are created equal": establishes the ideal of political equality for the new nation, a goal the country is still working to fully achieve.
- Natural (Unalienable) Rights: Jefferson writes that people are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," meaning rights that can't be taken away and don't come from government. He names these as "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," a deliberate tweak of John Locke's natural rights of life, liberty, and property (Locke's own words were "life, liberty and estate").
Social Contract and Popular Sovereignty
- Purpose of Government: governments are created among people specifically "to secure these rights," the essence of the social contract, people give up a bit of freedom, but only as much as necessary to protect their rights.
- Popular Sovereignty: government gets its "just powers from the consent of the governed," meaning it only has power because the people allow it.
- Right to Abolish: if a government becomes "destructive of these ends," the people have the right to alter or abolish it and build a new one.
- Duty Against Despotism: if a government becomes despotic, absolute and unlimited in power, the people don't just have a right but a duty to throw it off.
Limited Government and Legacy
The willingness to overthrow a despotic government reflects Jefferson's underlying support for limited government, one constrained to protecting natural rights and providing security. While the Declaration carries no legal authority today, it still functions as a kind of ideological north star for American government, and continues to inspire modern movements demanding equality.
Uses for Argumentative Essays
- Principles: natural rights, social contract, popular sovereignty, and limited government, the four democratic ideals in EK 1.1.A.1.
- Where it shows up: Unit 1, Topic 1.1 (EK 1.1.A.1 and EK 1.1.A.3, which says the Declaration restates the philosophy of natural rights and provides a foundation for popular sovereignty). The CED also links it to Topics 1.2 and 1.3.
- In an argument essay: quote "consent of the governed" as evidence of popular sovereignty, or "certain unalienable Rights" for natural rights. It pairs well with the Gettysburg Address and the Letter from Birmingham Jail, since both hold the country to the Declaration's promise that "all men are created equal."