Declaration of Independence

Examples of Declaration of Independence in the following topics:

• [PF content: The Declaration of Independence]

• The Unilateral Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration of Independence

  • The Declaration of Independence was a letter to the king explaining why the colonies were separating from Britain.
  • The Independence Day of the United States of America is celebrated on July 4, the day Congress approved the wording of the Declaration.
  • After ratifying the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms.
  • The most famous version of the Declaration, a signed copy that is usually regarded as the Declaration of Independence, is displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
  • Explain the major themes and ideas espoused by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration of Independence

  • Declaration of Independence.
  • His motion called upon Congress to declare independence, form foreign alliances, and prepare a plan for colonial confederation.
  • Opponents of Lee’s resolution argued that although reconciliation with Great Britain was unlikely, the timing was premature to declare independence and Congress ought to focus on securing foreign aid.
  • Proponents of Lee’s resolution, however, argued that foreign governments were unlikely to grant aid to a party to an internal British struggle, making a formal declaration of independence all the more urgent.
  • The text of the Declaration of Independence was drafted by a “Committee of Five” appointed by Congress, which consisted of John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Robert R.

• Political Strife and American Independence

  • That same day the Virginia Convention instructed its delegation in Philadelphia to propose a resolution that called for a declaration of independence, the formation of foreign alliances, and a confederation of the states.
  • The records of the Continental Congress confirm that the need for a declaration of independence was intimately linked with the demands of international relations.
  • Congress would formally adopt the resolution of independence, but only after creating three overlapping committees to draft the Declaration, a Model Treaty, and the Articles of Confederation.
  • Congress next turned its attention to a formal explanation of this decision, the United States Declaration of Independence, which was approved on July 4 and published soon thereafter.
  • Describe the steps taken by the Continental Congress after declaring independence from the British Empire

• The First Continental Congress

  • In June 1774, the Virginia and Massachusetts assemblies independently proposed an intercolonial meeting of delegates from the several colonies to restore the union between Great Britain and the American colonies.
  • In September, the first Continental Congress, composed of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies—all except Georgia—met in Philadelphia The assembly adopted what has become to be known as the Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress.
  • The document, addressed to his Majesty and to the people of Great Britain, included a statement of rights and principles, many of which were later incorporated into the Declaration of Independence and Federal Constitution.
  • When the first Congress adjourned, it stipulated another Congress would meet if King George III did not acquiesce to the demands set forth in the Declaration of Resolves.
  • By the time the second Congress met, the Revolutionary War had already begun, and the issue of independence, rather than a redress of grievances, dominated the debates.

• Legal Changes to Slavery: 1777-1804

  • The Declaration of Independence also had prominent influence on the debate over slavery.
  • Its leaders Benjamin Lundy and William Lloyd Garrison adopted the "twin rocks" of "the Bible and the Declaration of Independence" as the basis for their philosophies.
  • For radical abolitionists like Garrison, the most important part of the Declaration was its assertion of the right of revolution; Garrison called for the destruction of the government under the Constitution and the creation of a new state, dedicated to the principles of the Declaration.
  • The first major public debate about slavery and the Declaration took place during the Missouri controversy of 1819 to 1821.
  • Pro-slavery congressmen, led by Senator Macon of North Carolina, argued that since the Declaration was not a part of the Constitution, it had no relevance to the question at all.

• Pursuing Both War and Peace

  • In the period of uncertainty leading up to the formal declaration of war, the Second Continental Congress attempted to pacify the British and declare allegiance to the Crown, while simultaneously asserting independence and engaging British forces in armed conflict.
  • The petition was rejected, and in August 1775, A Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition (or the Proclamation of Rebellion) formally declared that the colonies were in rebellion.
  • The rejection of the "olive branch" polarized the issue in the minds of many colonists, who realized that from that point forward the choice was between full independence or full submission to British rule.
  • This document declared the North American colonies to be in a state of rebellion and ordered British officers and loyal subjects to suppress this uprising.
  • Describe the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain in the year before the Declaration of Independence.

• The Declaration of the Rights of Man

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights