The Declaration of Independence

Introduction

The Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4th, 1776, was a monumental moment for the United States of America. The document was primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, and according to gliderlehrman.org, the goal of the authors of the papers was essentially to extend the sphere of European international relations across the Atlantic Ocean. They wanted to do this by turning dependent colonies into independent political actors, even though the odds were against them. The Declaration of Independence introduced foundational ideas to the population, such as unalienable rights, equality, and the rights to abolish oppressive governments. This document continues to shape America’s democracy, making it an important document to learn about in Civics.

Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. According to the Library of Congress, he originally wrote the draft in June of 1776, and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and other members of the committee later made 86 changes. Originally, it was designed for multiple audiences: the King, the colonists, and the world. The Declaration of Independence was made to rally the troops, win foreign allies, and announce the creation of a new country. Congress had to prove that this declaration was for the better, as it had just defied the most powerful nation on Earth.

Explanation

The Declaration of Independence is a significant document in the history of the United States. This document broke off the United States’ political ties with Great Britain during the Revolutionary War, which was their fight against the monarchy of Great Britain in order to form a free union. In general, the Declaration of Independence summarized that the colonists wanted independence. According to the National Archives, by doing this, they declared themselves an independent nation, and they were able to form an alliance with the Government of France, and the French assisted the US in the war against Great Britain. This led to the end of Great Britain's reign over the colonies when they finally surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown on October 19, 1781. This actually means that the colonists declared independence before the end of the war; the Declaration of Independence showed their early-on readiness to be a new country. Overall, the Declaration of Independence gave the colonists independence from Great Britain, and the French helped them fight back against them.

History

The Declaration of Independence wouldn’t exist today if it weren’t for some significant people. Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. According to the Office of the Historian, he is the one who wrote the draft and started the concept of it to gain freedom from Great Britain. However, there are also many other important people involved in this. Some other members from the committee include John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. The rest of the committee helped with making changes to the document before presenting it to Congress. On July 2, the independence section of the Lee Resolution was adopted. Congress reviewed The Declaration of Independence on July 3, and most of July 4, and the afternoon of July 4, the Declaration was adopted.

Impact

As we know, the Declaration of Independence is a very influential and impactful document in our history. As seen in its name, it gave the US its freedom. According to the National Archives, this document also impacts the US government in many other ways. As the National Archives Website says, the Declaration of Independence is the basis of Americans’ identity and states the principles of our government. This shows how much of an influence this document has on our government, even today. Everything that Americans can do today is because of this document that granted us our freedom.

Significance

Like many other important documents, the Declaration of Independence is essential for students and all Americans to learn about. It shows how the government and country have progressed immensely throughout the years. This document gave us the freedom that we have today because Thomas Jefferson and the committee took a brave step for our future. Although citizens may not remember it every time, July 4th is celebrated throughout America as a great celebration. Studying this document gives us an insight into what our role as citizens of the U.S. is. In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence is a greatly impactful document that gave the colonists freedom from Great Britain, and it’s key to learn about it to understand how the US got its freedom and rights.

The Declaration of Independence is not just a historical document. It’s a symbol of the United States. The document’s ideas about rights given by birth, government by consent, and equality continue to influence laws and movements in the present day. According to freedomandcitizenship.columbia.edu, The Declaration of Independence continues to be very significant in today's society because its values and goals have influenced several liberation movements, sparked democratic fights, and provided oppressed peoples with a light of hope around the world. Also, because of The Declaration of Independence, the US was able to form many allies with other governments. The Declaration of Independence gives its readers a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities. Therefore, it reminds us that civic participation, like voting and protesting, is necessary to ensure the government is treating its citizens fairly.

Learn More

This video talks about what you may not know about the Declaration of Independence and some facts.

This video gives some more details about the Declaration of Independence.

References

A&E Television Networks. (2025a, May 28). Declaration of independence. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/declaration-of-independence

Armitage, D. (n.d.). The declaration of independence in global perspective. The Declaration of Independence in Global Perspective | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/declaration-independence-global-perspective

Declaration of independence | freedom and citizenship. (n.d.). https://freedomandcitizenship.columbia.edu/syllabus/declaration-of-independence

Hughes, A. (2021, October 18). Amanda Hughes. Constituting America. https://constitutingamerica.org/90day-dcin-introduction-revolutionary-importance-declaration-of- independence-guest-essayist-judge-michael-warren/#:~:text=The%20importance%20of%20the%20Declaration,alter%20or%20abolish%20oppressive%20government.

Library of Congress. (n.d.). Today in history - October 19 | library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/october-19/

National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). The declaration of independence: What does it say?. National Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration/what-does-it- say#:~:text=The%20Declaration%20of%20Independence%20was,allies%20to%20join%20the%20fight

National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.-a). Declaration of independence (1776). National Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/declaration-of- independence#:~:text=It%20was%20engrossed%20on%20parchment,officers%20of%20the%20Continental%20troops

National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.-b). The declaration of independence. National Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/founding- docs/declaration

Thomas Jefferson Declaration of independence: Right to institute new Government. Library of Congress. (2000, April 24). https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/jeffdec.html#:~:text=Written%20in%20June%201776%2C%20Thomas,the%20document%2C%20and%20by%20Congress

U.S. Department of State. (n.d.). U.S. Department of State. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776- 1783/declaration#:~:text=By%20issuing%20the%20Declaration%20of,the%20war%20against%20Great%20Britain

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