Category: Declaration Of Independence

The declaration of independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and was later adopted by the second continental congress and this declaration of independence illustrates the main reasons that pushed the colonies of the United Kingdom in North America to seek independence in 1776. This declaration starts with a description of why these colonies decided to depose their ruler and become independent nations. Then it goes ahead describing the rights of a citizen that any government should not violate and asserts that the people of these colonies decided to depose the tyrannical government because of its long history of abuses of human rights. The declaration also documents a list of specific human rights abuses that King George the third is guilty of, including interference with the hitherto fair judicial system and institution of legislation without seeking the consent of the people and this interference affected their lives. The colonial governments in North America had tried to negotiate with the central government in Britain urging it to respond to the concerns of the people but Britain did not heed these calls. Therefore, the declaration stated that the new country would be called the United States of America and would cut its ties with Great Britain.

Why is the declaration of independence important? It is very important because it has been an inspiration to a wide range of revolutionary efforts worldwide and has also made Americans understand their values as an independent republic. The preamble of this declaration is very vital because it connects practical politics and philosophical theory by expressing the central values of an independent nation and it also inspires other countries to accept the new republic. This introduction is founded on the politics and philosophy of the enlightenment period using ideas of thinkers such as Rousseau and Locke, who believed that human beings have a natural predisposition to protect their lives, health, liberty, and possessions. Jeffersons declaration used the philosophy of John Locke and put it in real politics.

This introduction is important because it has enabled Americans to understand their rights and the phrase- all men were created equal- has become a central law in the United States of America, though it has not been explicitly stated in any of the official laws granted by the constitution of United States of America. This document does not have any legal authority in the United States of America though it is heavily cited because it is the foundation of equality in the United States of America. Whenever any group is agitating for equality in the United States of America cites the declaration of independence for support. However, there are some critics who point to the use of the world men in the declaration saying that it does not factor in gender equality.

Towards the end of the declaration, there is a list of abuses. The declaration pays attention to particular incidents that highlight the Kings disregard for liberty and the perils of the division on the issue of independence. It was able to convince the moderate voices in the second continental congress to vote for independence because reconciliation was not possible under the circumstances that were prevailing at that time.

The other section of this declaration is the conclusion which makes the identity of the new nation clear. Most of the delegates who were present in the second continental convention believed that the declaration is vital especially because it had an important message to other countries abroad. The conclusion identifies the independent country as the USA and also clarifies its authority.

The conclusion establishes the power of the SCC over issues concerning foreign policy, war, and peace and congress can use these powers to run governmental affairs that are related to a war that has been declared. However, the declaration describes itself as a conglomeration of colonies that are free and independent of each other and this is quite paradoxical because they cannot be free and independent when they are being run like one. The problems arise because of the notion that the colonies are united while it is implied that the states are independent and free. This inconsistency created a debate about the nature of the US government because it was hard to explain whether the United States was a loose confederation of states with each state pursuing its own interests or it was a strong nation with a central government with powers stronger than that of separate states. The other issue with the declaration is that it grants the separate states the power to make war and peace but fails to make provisions that explain how the war will be accounted for.

In conclusion, the famous wording of the declaration has for a long time been used to protect the rights of the citizens of the United States of America and marginalized sections of society. The declaration is now considered as a moral standard for which the people of America should strive and Abraham Lincoln used it as the basis of his political philosophy.

The War of Independence of the United States is the war of the 13 American colonies against Great Britain. The tension grew up from the end of the 1760s when capitalism and the formation of the North American nation came into conflict with the policy of the metropolis. A long struggle took place until the introduction of the Declaration on July 4, 1776. Thus, the United States of America appeared, and Great Britain officially recognized the colonies independence. The essay reveals the theme of the main important events about struggle between nations for colonists independence and peace over the earth.

After the Seven Years War, the British government increased pressure on the colonies, hindering industry and trade further development. The prohibition on the colonization of the lands west of the Allegheny Mountains and taxes and duties were introduced, so the interests of all colonists were infringed. Since about 1767, there have been several uprisings and conflicts in response to such measures, which later turned into a war.

The famous Boston Tea Party took place in 1773  the most essential, provocative protest act of American colonists in response to the actions of the British government. The destruction of tea in Boston Harbor radically aggravated Great Britain and the American colonies (Corbett). The government responded with repressions against Massachusetts: sea trade was banned in Boston, the Massachusetts party was abolished, and its legislative assembly was dissolved.

In 1774, the First Continental Congress of Representatives from 12 colonies, except Georgia, chosen by the legislative assemblies, opened in Philadelphia. Congress developed a petition to the King and an appeal to the English people. American people insisted on repealing the last acts of parliament and demanded justice, thereby threatening to stop trade with England. The response to the petition was the Declaration of martial law in Massachusetts. Great Britain did not intend to make concessions, and already in 1775, the first armed clash between British troops and American separatists took place. During the battles, the British had heavy losses when the first skirmishes were near Concord and Lexington.

Meanwhile, on May 10, a Congress of 13 colonies gathered in Philadelphia. The colonists submitted a petition to King George III of England for protection from the arbitrariness of the colonial administration, and on the other began to mobilize an armed militia, headed by George Washington. The King described the situation in the North American colonies as Rebellion. Washington managed to create a disciplined, efficient army that defeated the British at Bunker Hill near Boston from ordinary colonists.

The morale of American soldiers was raised by a pamphlet Common Sense by Thomas Paine, which rejects the monarchy and questions the right of the king to rule America (Corbett). It is a simple and understandable call for the creation of a new republic without a king. It was time to separate from the Empire and declare independence in 1776 for the rights of the oppressed. However, the adoption of the Declaration did not mean the end of the war, and military operations were conducted with varying success. The long battle ended only in April 1782 after a vote in the House of Commons.

In conclusion, the war for independence in the United States remains the main bloody event of the past, which claimed thousands of lives in exchange for reconciliation and freedom. The revolution was a success because their unity and cohesion distinguished the colonists from different strata of society in the struggle against a common enemy. Thanks to patriotism and indifference, citizens gained power over the irrepressible Britons and could repel the attackers, protecting their rights and powers.

Reference

Corbett, Scott, et al. U.S. History. 2021. OpenStax. Web.

Introduction

Possibly no manuscript in record has undergone as much examination as the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. In this official declaration, Thomas Jefferson wrote fundamentally of a novel theory of government, in which the government was expected to protect the natural rights of citizens.

In his Gettysburg Address of 1863, US President Abraham Lincoln concisely elucidate the vital significance of the Declaration to American history Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

In the United States, Independence Day (normally known as the Fourth of July) is a national public holiday to celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 thereby declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Ever since Thomas Jefferson has written the Declaration, several factions have inferred the document to connote diverse ideas, and repeatedly, the Declaration has been used to validate other political and societal activities. The Declaration is a significant historic document and includes several of Americas most fundamental beliefs.

The Declaration is considered as the original document of the United States of America, where July 4 is celebrated as Independence Day and the nations centenary.

It has been noted that Jefferson got several of his ideas for the preamble from the Virginia Declaration of Rights written by his associate George Mason and from his own draft preamble to the Virginia Constitution.

Jefferson noted that all men are created equal , suggesting that this was selfevident.

Many conflicts and misconceptions may have stemmed from this statement.

Main body

Ever since 1776, nothing from the Declaration of Independence have attracted more interest than Jeffersons expression, All men are created equal. However Jefferson and the other signers of the declaration could not probably believe this at a time when slavery existed in the colonies. For Jefferson who was an all-time possessor of slaves, this was a much more difficult problem.

It does seem to appear that Jefferson opposed slavery in principle but he saw no evident way to end it once it became customary. Jefferson rightfully apprehended that if the slaves were freed all at once, white chauvinism and black resentment would result in a war of extinction and that the whites would be triumphant. He fretted that if slaves were independently liberated they would have nowhere to go and no resources to stay alive on their own. Evidently, Jefferson and other Southern plantation owners were also economically reliant on slave labor.

Some may note that Jefferson made this statement as a slave owner and had no intention of granting citizenship status or equality to his black slaves. Others might speculate that Jefferson believed in a literal interpretation of this phrase and had no intention of granting equality or the right to vote to women. Also, some may note that some white men (if they were not property owners) did not have the right to vote.

At the time the American Constitution was formerly written, it symbolized the most gracious and most liberal political reflection of the most excellent intellect of that time. It stood as a visualization of idealistic optimism, a mechanism of honesty, and a representation of political constancy. The democratic system of 1776, in reality, only incorporated a small, fortunate section of the populace, the white, male, property proprietors, and not the myriad others, who comprise the America of today which includes full range of citizens of all classes, religious conviction, race, era, and genders.

The issues involved in this conflict are the decades of long struggle of African Americans for fair protection under the law and equal standing as citizens of the U.S. including the liberation, the abolition of Jim Crow laws, voting rights, school unification, and non-discrimination or confirmatory action legislation.

According to one more account of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and captivity of Civilians, Personal Justice was not given to Asian Americans, in the confinement centers where families lived in poor quality accommodation surroundings, had insufficient sustenance and health care, and had their sources of income ruined. Many of them continued to be ill psychologically, for very long after their liberation. The majority of the 110,000 people removed for reasons of national security were young children, infants and adolescents who had not reached the voting age.

At present in America , Childhood, is considered as a holy time of life, for joy and loving, fostering interaction, for inspiration of astuteness, for study and the development of ambition, for the development and progress of personality. The United States as a nation, struggles with child education and didactic policy to exploit the potential of every child. But this was not the case in the early days of the countrys reality. In the earlier period, a child was a worker.

Whether it was on a farmhouse or in an industrial unit, the children of the working group in America labored, as quickly as they were able to, and for as long as they could. Children of refugee families, struggled hard to continue to exist in the poverty stricken circumstances of the eastern industrialized cities. They had to live in dirty, dim, packed, disease-ridden dwellings, and do whatever they could to earn a few additional cents to keep the family afloat monetarily. Socially aware persons were disgusted by the conditions which came to notice during the shared improvement era of the 1890s and started to insist for laws which would shelter young children. These and many other movements such as Voters rights, Womens Movement took place in the United States which altered the course of history to a great extent.

The essay in issue would remain incomplete if the subject of slavery is not elaborated upon, the very reason for the debate. African Americans or black Americans are citizens or inhabitants of the United States who have genesis in any of the black ethnic groups of Africa. In the United States the term is commonly used for Americans with sub-Saharan African descent. Most African Americans are the offspring of imprisoned Africans who survived slavery in the United States, even though some are or have descended from voluntary refugees from Africa, the Caribbean, South America, or somewhere else.

Africans initially arrived in British North America

(future United States of America) in 1619 as slaves or servants. In the final decade of the nineteenth century in the United States, ethnically prejudiced laws and racial aggression intended at African Americans began to mushroom, which led to a movement to fight violence and discrimination against African Americans.

The Civil Rights Movement intended at eliminating public and private acts of racial discrimination against African Americans, particularly in the southern United States. By 1966, the Black Power movement emerged, which lasted from 1966 to 1975, elaborated upon the aims of the Civil Rights Movement to comprise ethnic decorum, monetary and political independence, and liberty from white influence.

The following gives the African American population and % of slavery in the U.S. over time, based on U.S. Census figures. (Numbers from years 1920 to 2000 are based on U.S. Census figures as given by the Time Almanac of 2005, p377).

By 1990, the African American population touched about 30 million and characterized the nations most prosperous province with an African American majority is Prince Georges County, Maryland, with a median income of $62,467. Other wealthy principally African American counties include Dekalb County In Georgia, and Charles City County in Virginia. Queens County, New York is the only county with a population of 65,000 or more where African Americans have a superior norm family income than European Americans.

Conclusion

Oprah Winfrey is the richest African American of the 20^th century and the worlds only black billionaire for three straight years.

To sum up, I would simply like to quote Martin Luther King Jr. who had a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed  we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

John Hancock: From Signature to Legacy

Who has the larger signature, John Hancock or President Trump? Not surprisingly, the answer is President Trump. But John Hancock’s signature was bigger than the rest of them on the Declaration of Independence for a very different reason, though. Some legends say the extra large and largely famous signature on the Declaration of Independence was because John Hancock wanted to brag about it in reference to King George and his poor eyesight.

But actually, the real reason was that his signature was the first and only signature on the document for two whole years. Hancock’s bravery and willingness to lose everything for the liberty of a land that he had four generations of history in is represented in that beautiful script. He was a trendsetter and goal-getter and deserves to be remembered as much more than just the biggest signature on one of the most important documents in the history of our nation.

Hancock was born January 12th, 1737 (according to the calendar in use at the time) to his father, a minister named John Hancock, and his mother, Mary Hawke, in a town called Braintree, Massachusetts. At the age of seven, his father passed away, so he was adopted by his aunt and uncle, who were childless and very wealthy. In 1750, they sent him to Harvard University, and by 1763 they made him a full partner in their family company named “The House of Hancock. Once his uncle passed away in 1764, he inherited the company and continued to do well for himself, being labeled as one of the richest men in Massachusetts at only 27 years old. Well respected and loved for his empathy for people, he employed about one thousand people at his company and became a pillar in the community.

Hancock’s Defiance: Influential Voice in Colonial Struggles

Although he was favored by employees and friends, he was targeted by British law enforcers for his patriotic mentality. This is one of the reasons that he began having issues with Great Britain passing laws like the Stamp Act in 1766. He was a businessman, and having such high taxes on goods was affecting his business. He was ornate, vocal, and powerful in his own right, and he used his power of persuasion and influence to fight the Stamp Act. He fought to have it repealed, and he and many others thought that the battle was won. Little did they know this was only the beginning.

He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives and served there until 1772. Unfortunately, in 1767 because he did not support their tax hikes and was boycotting British goods, they seized one of his ships called the “Liberty” and accused him of smuggling in goods without paying taxes. This move of the British government only made the colonial public more upset, and they became even more united against their rule. Like a Domino effect, the Boston Massacre in 1770 was the final straw. John Hancock demanded that the troops be removed to Castle Williams, and because he was successful, he was elected to the General Court.

Throughout all of the nonsense with the British Government, he still managed to fall in love with a woman named Dorothy Quincy. They ended up having two children who sadly both passed away young. John Hancock was willing to take action, ruffling enough feathers to make a difference even if it cost him everything. His popularity and knack for influencing the public helped to bring everyone together.

But the pre-war political battles with the British caused a lot of strife for him, his colleagues, and friends. Publications and announcements were used to counteract the moves of the British government, but it was ultimately his skill with words and way with people that brought his intentions to fruition. To Hancock, it was important the movement not include violence as Samuel Adam was suggesting, and because Hancock had the money to support the movement and Samuel did not, he was able to have more control.

Hancock’s Bold Signature: Symbol of Sacrifice and Courage

I believe the reason that John Hancock’s “John Hancock” was so big is because he was the first one to sign it, and there was almost half a page of blank space. It was not to be arrogant or to make a statement such as President Trump likely does. He was the first and the only one to sign the Declaration for two whole years, and he was willing to risk life and limb for it. Signing that day was a possible death sentence.

It was considered treason, and I am sure that the other men were probably thankful that they had to get approval from their home bases before signing because they would not have to be self-proclaimed traitors in the public eye. It was very brave and gutsy, to say the least. He signed because he believed that he could make a difference. I think he saw the British taking advantage of the colonies and knew that he had to be the one to do something about it. And I, for one, am so glad that he did!

References:

1. Flexner, J. T. (1968). John Hancock: His Book. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
2. Middlekauff, R. (2005). The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789. Oxford University Press.
3. Miller, J. C. (2012). John Hancock: Merchant King and American Patriot. Wiley.
4. Fischer, D. H. (1994). Paul Revere’s Ride. Oxford University Press.
5. Ferling, J. E. (2007). A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic. Oxford University Press.
6. Maier, P. (1997). American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence. Vintage.
7. Chernow, R. (2004). Alexander Hamilton. Penguin Books.
8. Ellis, J. J. (2002). Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. Vintage.

Myths & Misconceptions: Distorted Narratives

The American Revolution was an era that marked American history. During this era, the Americans teamed up and commenced a war against their colonialists. Washington led to the victory of USA citizens in defeating the Europeans, and it led to a stalemate within American history. The Continental Congress on July 4th voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence and, therefore, the unification of American citizens.

The traditional story of this era results in misconceptions and beliefs and also the emergence of myths among Americans. Many books are written explaining detailed information about American history. Different sources of this story have led to the event of assorted myths. These myths include the date the US became independent, the biting of clay pipes to avoid germs, the war was fought over foreign taxes, the doctors used leeches to bleed patients, and lots more. These myths led to a special perspective of the revolutionary and diverse ideas of the story.

Challenging Founding Myths: Diverse Historical Perspectives

The books “founding fathers’ by Zinn, Loewens, Brands, and Lepore were different from the stories we frequently learn in history courses in different ways. Brands argue that the interest of individuals in the Founding Fathers has declined and developed over time. Brands also state that the Americans support the event made by the Founding Fathers, and yet, they still blame them for other reasons. With the struggle of the Founding Fathers and also the effort they made in fighting for independence, Americans still argue about what they fought for. The results of what’s seen in America today aren’t depicted within the history of the Founding Fathers.

Loewen argues that the Founding failed to interact with slaves, Indians, and those that owned property and that they interacted with people of the category and traded together, yet, what we see today is different. The slaves were subject to the masters therein era, and with their suffering, they still paid high taxes. Today Americans have the guts to help and create peace, unlike the Founding Fathers, who were greedy and brutal.

From a Marxist point of view, Zinn approaches the beliefs of the Founding Fathers and their contribution to American development. He argues that history is grouped into different classes competing against one another. He believes that the Constitution was written to favor some classes, and yet, America could be a democratic country. The Americans hold a free and fair election because it is their democratic right. Zinn’s argument on the Founding Fathers doesn’t support American rights and freedom, therefore, Zinn’s arguments don’t seem to be what’s seen and practiced on American soil.

Independence, Security, and Socio-Economic Change

The American Revolutionary Era was about the event of the province and the restoration of peace and humanity among the American people. This resulted in an exceeding conquest by the Americans to fight colonialists to realize their independence. The need to bring led to the attainment of independence on 4th July 1776, and this marked a long-term history on American soil. Although the Founding Fathers, in line with Zinn’s argument, had the aim of benefiting themselves, they also helped in developing and defending the Americans from the brutal colonialist.

Zinn argues that the last word reason behind the war was the military conflict, and it dominated the complete American soil. The will for revolution and independence was the answer, and elites discovered that waging war against the colonialists was the answer since they believed that war made them safer. Americans wanted peace and time for development, and this led them not to join War 1 in 1917. Zinn argues that the Constitution had an economic interest in developing a robust long-term government.

The business owners wanted security to guard their property, and therefore the slave owners needed protection. Moneylenders needed to use folding money to pay their debts, therefore, the Revolutionaries developed a well-structured system to manage the American economy. The skillful Americans majored in research, and plenty of inventions were made. These inventions reduced manpower and resulted in the reduction of slavery.

Legacy of Revolution: Evolution of Power and Prosperity

I trust Zinn’s argument on the causes of war and also the Constitution to be since a stalemate was the answer. Americans wanted peace, security, and development. The elites drafted laws to be followed, and therefore the punishment of law offenders was also passed. Law court was established to pass judgment on the law offenders, an example of the judgments was death and made slavery. The elites also introduced taxes to regulate the economy and assist in development projects.

In conclusion, we’ve realized the American Revolution of Independence is a significant historical event that marked the start of the American nation as a superpower up-to-date. The myths we’ve studied are among the key important factors that helped the growth of the Yank economy. The Founding Fathers, in keeping with Zinn, Brand, Loewen, and Lepore, are the key figures in the contribution of American citizen’s history.

References:

1. Zinn, H. “A People’s History of the United States.” Publisher.
2. Loewen, J. W. “Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong.” Publisher.
3. Brands, H. W. “The Founding Fathers: The Essential Guide to the Men Who Made America.” Publisher.
4. Lepore, J. “These Truths: A History of the United States.” Publisher.

Declaration’s Emblematic Engraving & Congress’ Gathering

The most famous well-known document in the U.S. was the Declaration of Independence is engraved with the famous known words “In Congress, July 4, 1776” at the top of the document. At the bottom, they have one of the most famous historical presidents of the Continental Congress, John Hancock, and the other founding fathers. In May of 1775, the Second Continental Congress was held in the Assembly Hall in Philadelphia. Weeks after hostilities have been breaking out, the British and colonial militias Lexington and a few more. In August of 1775, the king declared that the colonies should be open.

Road to Independence: Lee’s Resolution & Historic Vote

George Washington was in command of the continental army, which was formed by the Second Continental Congress. By the middle of 1776, the opinion expressed by the crowd in numerous colonies appeared to have turned in favor of independence from Great Britain. Richard Henry Lee, the founding father of Virginia, proposed to Congress a resolution on independence on the date of July 7, 1776. The first three actions in the resolution are: “Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.’

On June 11, Congress put aside one of Lee’s votes on his resolution. It was appointed to a five-member committee to draft a public statement that would explain the reasons for declaring the Declaration of Independence. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were on that committee, along with Robert R. Livingston as well with Roger Sherman. The Fifth member was Thomas Jefferson, which Thomas has been chosen to be the document’s principal drafter.

After changes had been made by Adams and Franklin, the committee submitted their draft of the Declaration to Congress on June 28. Congress has debated that the nine colonies should prepare to vote in favor of Lee’s resolution on Monday, July 1. The South Carolina and Pennsylvania delegates were eager to prevent the vote for Lee’s resolution. The two Delaware delegates were deadlocked, and the New York delegates were not able to vote. The king, however, has permitted their instructions only to pursue reconciliation. Overnight that has changed.

On July 2nd, Caesar Rodney rode from Denver to Philadelphia. Announcing a tie-breaking vote for Delaware in favor of the Declaration of Independence. South Carolina shifted their position in its favor, and the Pennsylvania opponents chose to stand back. Then the vote was called on July 2nd, and Lee’s resolution passed the vote from 12 to zero. After the historical decision had been made, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigal Adams. Predicting that the future Americans would celebrate their independence every second of July.

On that same day the New York harbor, British troops were under Admiral William Howe at Staten Island. The British troops were preparing for an imminent battle along with Washington’s forces. Congress then began to debate the Declaration, making substantial editorial revisions but leaving Jefferson’s opening paragraphs.

Declaration’s Document Journey: Approval to Signatures

On July 4th is when they finally approved the final draft of the Declaration. In the evening, the printer John Dunlap prepared a huge broadside with a complete text of “a Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled.” There are around 200 copies of the Dunlap Broadside that were published on July 5th. Today in 2022, there are 26 that are still known to the world. At the bottom of the Dunlap broadside printed on the bottom, it states, “Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Congress, John Hancock, President. Attest, Charles Thomson, Secretary.”

It was then read out loud right in front of the statehouse of Philadelphia on July 8th. Over the next few weeks, it was then in the newspaper. On July 9th, New York earlier returned their instructions to the delegates. Permitting them to join the other colonies from a formal break from Britain. A few days later, the news reached Philadelphia about the Declaration of Independence. On July 19th, Congress declared that the Declaration of Independence should be in larger printing.

This was Timothy Matlack’s job. On August 2, 1776, Congress signed their names on the Declaration of Independence inside the Pennsylvania State House. The first and the largest name on the Declaration was John Hancock, the president of Congress. The mood in the mood was not the best. All the people in the room thought they were undertaken.

Recalling August 2nd, Pennsylvania’s Benjamin Rush wrote of the “pensive and awful silence which pervaded the house when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress” to sign “what was believed by many at that time to be our death warrants.” Not every man who was there at the signing of the Declaration of Independence was on it. Historians believe seven of the 56 signatures on the document were placed there later. Two delegates had passed their chances up for signing it, John Dickinson and Robert Livingston. The names of the signers were made public in January of 1777 when they were printed on another broadside edition of the Declaration published in Baltimore, Maryland.

References:

1. United States. (1776). Declaration of Independence. National Archives and Records Administration.
2. Maier, P. (1997). American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence. Vintage Books.
3. Middlekauff, R. (2005). The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789. Oxford University Press.
4. Ellis, J. J. (2002). Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. Vintage Books.
5. Chernow, R. (2010). Washington: A Life. Penguin Books.
6. Ferling, J. (2010). A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic. Oxford University Press.
7. Becker, C. L. (1922). The Declaration of Independence: A Study on the History of Political Ideas. Harcourt, Brace, and Company.
8. Ellis, J. J. (2008). American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic. Vintage Books.
9. Gutzman, K. R. C. (2007). Virginia’s American Revolution: From Dominion to Republic, 1776-1840. University Press of Virginia.

David Walker’s Appeal is a religious and political text that called upon slaves to rebel to acquire “[freedom], equality, learning, and boundless opportunity” than just solely relying upon God to save them from their oppression (xxxi). Due to the lack of change or opportunities, the whites did not want to relinquish to the slaves, slavery continued to persist even though Thomas Jefferson created the Declaration of Independence, which passed in 1776. In addition, the whites back then perceived slaves as “inherent inferiorities [that affect white republican America]” (xxviii). Thus, slaves were still faced with injustices such as being unable to vote, being separated by their color of skin in terms of “housing, schooling, and justice,” and being affected by the new laws created to decrease their literacy to a further extent” (xxix-xl). For us to understand David Walker’s Appeal, his text should be understood as a historical document that initiated the end to slavery by incorporating religion, especially Christianity, and helped future abolitionist movements from Nat Turner, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr, and most importantly underscored a common cause for action to abolish slavery to gain the values that are stated in the Declaration of Independence (xli).

Before we further delve into David’s Walker Appeal, we should further focus on David Walker’s background and why he wanted to bring change within the African-American community. According to Rogers, even though he was born to an unknown father who was a slave and his unknown mother who was a freed slave, David Walker was born as a free slave in Wilmington, North Carolina (211). Throughout his childhood in Wilmington, North Carolina, he witnessed the oppression first-hand from thousands of African-Americans who were forced into slavery and performed hard, laboring tasks regardless of their competency. Some of these hard-laboring jobs included being “carpenters, contractors, or rivermen” (xv). Despite the physical toll the slaves endured, the slaves relied on their motivation stemming from their faith in Methodism. Thus, due to the strong nature of religious influence in his hometown, Walker wanted to continue this religious influence, especially Christianity, in Charleston, South Carolina, where African Americans gave credence to the same principles as those slaves in North Carolina. As Walker was continuing to explore the world from its continual support of racism and inequality in the African-American community, he eventually stayed in Boston to resolve this oppression in the African-American community (211). To mitigate the oppression, he first started by becoming a “community activist,” and this trajectory of activism throughout his life commenced with his work in the first African-American newspaper industry (Freedom’s Journal) (xxiv). With his great research and writing skills gained from working in the newspaper industry, he was able to establish and lead his own “[African-American] political organization [called the Massachusetts General Colored Association], which focused on “promoting aggressively and publicly for the abolition of slavery and the intellectual and moral improvement of [African-Americans through] not only just the embodiment of the African-Americans of Massachusetts but the Africans Americans of the entire nation (Walker xxiv).” Thus, David Walker even stated the purpose of the organization was “to unite the color population, so far, [that] the United States…and not withhold anything which may have the least tendency to meliorate our miserable condition” (xxiv). Even though this quote was found at the beginning of the book, the quote bolstered Walker’s intentions of pointing out the absurdity of the white political officials, such as Thomas Jefferson, of not abiding by the values of the Declaration of Independence that they championed for.

The Declaration of Independence, which was signed on July 4th, 1776, was a huge historical document that became a pivotal component in highlighting Walker’s views on how there were inconsistencies between Thomas Jefferson’s declaration and what he was trying to preach or advocate of the Declaration of Independence that he has signed. The first quote that immediately shocked Walker was the paradoxical manifestation of the work of Thomas Jefferson, who was one of the three Founding Fathers that signed the Declaration of Independence, which purportedly promoted equality than the racist rhetoric that Thomas Jefferson spewed. This racist rhetoric was when Thomas Jefferson described African-Americans to be “physically less attractive than whites, full of sexual impulsiveness detached from love, prone to lethargy when not employed, and dull, tasteless, and anomalous in their imagination, and far below the whites in the capacity to reason” (xxvi). On the other hand, the Declaration of Independence stated that “we hold truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal [and] that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights: that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men” (78). From the two quotes alone, David Walker wanted to highlight that Thomas Jefferson is living in a single-minded world. The world in which Thomas Jefferson is living is a utopian society since Thomas Jefferson was not empathetic towards African Americans. To compound the offense of the racist rhetoric that he proclaimed, he believed that African-Americans were also “a threat to democracy, [thus must be removed beyond the reach of mixture” (xxvii) due to being inferior in [both the endowments of our bodies and minds” (Walker 12). On the other hand, David Walker highlighted that a religious undertone prevailed when he was describing equality, not just with African-Americans but humanity as a whole. His journey throughout the nation served as the foundation for the development of his perception of other races, other than blacks, as deserving and warranted of freedom because of the adverse effects slavery imposed on an individual level. (Walker 3). In trying to decrease freedom, Walker underscored that when a “person has stripped away from his or her freedom based on his or her natural right” this should not happen since “God has given [people two eyes, two hands, two feet, and some sense in their heads as well]” (14). This quote or translation of the meaning came from footnotes that can be found on the last page of 14. This quote supported the notion that if people display the same physical features and biological construct, despite the variation of their skin color, it is contentious to determine this as a gauge for whether they are treated less equally or not. The consequences of racist rhetoric towards African-Americans during the 18th century have established further restrictions from African-Americans thriving in society for years to come.

Despite David Walker shouldering the blame on whites for oppressing slaves, he noticed that “America is more of the slaves’ country than it is the whites – we have enriched it with our blood and tears” (75). Walker underscored that African-Americans constructed the foundation of what America was at that time. Walker stated that while slaves are laboriously tending to the fields in the scorching sun, the white political officials are doing the least amount of work to change African-American slaves’ lives, in contrast to improving and enhancing each day of non-African-American slaves’ lives. Due to the nature of the prejudice enacted on African Americans, David Walker is infuriated that he believed that African-Americans should also be shouldered the blame for getting themselves incapacitated for perpetuation. David Walker conjectured that the African-American’s heart is full of ignorance in “the African-Americans’ belief is so dark and [like an] impenetrable abyss that the fathers have caused this” (22). He underscored that if slaves do not hold any trust in white political officials to bring about the change they desperately needed, then what makes the God that they believe in for a very long time can wield the means to enact the change they seek or desire? Thus, this has made slaves more proactive in starting a rebellion, with the motivation of change or mistrust from the government than laying idly with motivation by the words from the Gods, slaveholders, and most importantly white political officials.

As mentioned, David Walker was portrayed as someone who emphasized and wanted to spread Christian values due to how Christianity has affected his life. As a result, he believed that Christianity can also affect slaves in a positive aspect. He believed that African Americans must continue to have faith in God since their belief in God is their motivational factor since the dawn of slavery. This belief in God is possible since there was a rise of religious beliefs due to the Second Great Awakening, which was the inauguration of the dissemination of various types of religion, women’s movements, and, most importantly, eradicating the institution of slavery. Thus, David Walker wanted African slaves to have faith in their God, but Walker noted that only having faith in God (horizontal politics) will not get any results since the slaves will remain in the same situation as they were before. On the other hand, white political officials and white abolitionists were cautioned that if they do not concoct a method to end slavery before the slaves rebel for a common cause that “[if] the God Almighty commences his battle on the continent of America, for the oppression of his people, [that] tyrants will wish they were never born” (51). This quote is saying that the whites that supported the continued existence of slavery will be noticed by God and that God will “separate the innocent from the guilty”, so that the whites will suffer as much or as more than the slaves endured. (51).

As much as Walker wanted to bring significant change to the African American community, there was a bigger obstacle obstructing him from attaining his goal. The first towering obstacle is that a high proportion of the African-Americans or slaves at that time were illiterate. This illiteracy is attributed to little to no access to books and the lack of recreational time allotted for reading books. Moreover, some states or most Southern states completely banned books so that the slaves would not have extra knowledge and would not be able to bring change to the state or the nation that still supported slavery. With the lack of reading books, slaves were not able to write as well. As a result, due to the fear of getting caught reading books, the majority of the slaves were apprehensive that their lives could be at risk and did not want to exacerbate their lives even more which could also impact the lives of slaves from other nations. With the consequences kept in mind, Walker, who took a higher risk and higher reward approach, did not care about these consequences as long as he could endure them until his end goal was able to bring peace, hope, freedom, and equality to all African-Americans. Ironically, he did not seem to care about the slaves’ lives if his goal to send his book to the South went sideways, but ultimately he believed that change is not brought by the values that a person lives out but an immediate change is brought through action. Walker continued to underscore that the Appeal should be a universal book in every African American household, whether the African-America were educated or uneducated, just as a Bible is unwaveringly found in churches. Thus, through his connections from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Boston, he was able to send a limited amount of books to the South and hope that the change could be started.

However, other writers such as Rogers believed that the Appeal expressed “a militant form of black nationalism with its emphasis on violent resistance, ” while others viewed this as a “hierarchical and an elite based vision of leadership” (209). Rodgers was correct to connect black nationalism with the Appeal since David Walker did want slaves to express and embrace their “blackness” since slaves laid the foundations of what America became at that time or more specifically today (209). But besides the book expressing black nationalism, Rogers wanted to focus and parse on the word appeal, since the word appeal is not vernacular in people’s everyday conversation besides possibly being used in law or politics. However, Rogers did not believe Walker’s intentions for the word appeal were to be used in terms of legality or politically but wanted to “capture a way of thinking about one’s political standing that is not itself dependent on constitutional recognition” (209). Rogers believed that African Americans did not require another “savior” but needed “practices of domination, capable of responding to their grievances, and susceptible to transcending America’s narrow ethical and political horizon” (209). Roger’s notion of African-Americans not needing a savior is not entirely correct or incorrect. For example, the slave’s savior before David Walker arrived was God who they believed through faith and fidelity that God was going to save them from their oppression. When David Walker arrived and implored the slaves to make change through action, slaves took his word full-heartedly, which then created rebellions and prominent African-American abolitionists.

Thus, essentially as Walker continues from Article I to Article of the Appeal, the appeal is describing the “calling into existence a political status otherwise denied to African Americans, and how that status affirms the equality between claimant and recipient apart from legal recognition”, while Part 4 focuses on that “appealing to” is described as “resisting the subtle alignment between prophecy as a hierarchical rule and custodial black politics” (209-210).

Rogers disagreed that the audience was not only for African Americans but also for the “white Christians” since “African Americans ironically reinforced Walker’s thought that African Americans readily make judgments about their political world” (210). In addition, Rogers felt fearful that white people would be vexed, inducing an uprising against his words that challenged the conventional perception of the racial hierarchy. Rogers, just similar to Walker, believed that even though slaves have to complete the majority of the work to abolish slavery despite enduring the oppression of slavery that white Christians, who value equality and kindness, should join forces with slaves to abolish slavery than that supporting their white political officials who justified that their religion supports slavery. Thus, he wanted to “move white readers to a position of moral rectitude, [which is] a form of fiery protestation that marks a transformation in the black pamphleteering tradition” (Rogers 210). Despite this position, Rogers believed that the Appeal is a “rhetorical performance—seeking to call out and honor the demotic capacity of his black fellows, [which relies on the audience’s judgment of the [offered] content” (211-213).

In the Appeal, Walker emphasized that his goal was to abolish slavery by gathering all the slaves for rebelling for common causes such as freedom and equality. Walker was not able to accomplish this since it is an enormous task for one person to burden. However, his consistent saying of how we cannot trust the white political officials or white abolitionists was, in fact, true and that taking a step-by-step resolvent to slavery would or will lead us nowhere. Thus, telling the African-Americans to rebel together for a common cause, has shown that the slaves are not as afraid of the whites anymore. In addition, Walker also persuaded slaves to continue believing in their religion as a source of motivation for getting through the rebellion. However, in a similar term, Walker noted that slaves should believe less in horizontal politics than in vertical politics because through vertical politics that a group of people joined together and fight for a common cause while in horizontal politics that you are worshipping or maintaining your fidelity or faith towards God. Despite not making a significant change to slavery, Walker did leave an indelible mark on the road to the abolishment of slavery whether it was creating more African-American revolutions or even creating or birthing new African-American leaders to continue on his mantle.

How the Declaration of Independence Reflected Enlightenment Values and Ideas

Even though there is no consensus concerning the exact period corresponding to the American enlightenment, it is okay to state that it took place during the eighteenth century. Enlightenment in the declaration of independence aims at giving a better understanding of human values, rights, and ideas through exercising justice, equality, and equity. The entire enlightenment idea gained inspiration from French and British enlightenments, and it was an idea based on the metaphor of shading some light to the Dark Ages (Gutzman par 1). In the American context, liberal thinkers such as Thomas Jefferson came up with ideas that pointed at revolution ideas in religious tolerance, scientific rationality, and political organizations’ political sense. These ideas would, later on, have extended effects on the fledging nations’ development. Jefferson’s basis for the infamous democratic faith was human psychology (Gutzman par 2). Jefferson revealed every bit of the enlightenment myth of polymath by cleaving to the latest discoveries in science, math, and even literature. Understanding the declaration’s principles concerning enlightenment is essential in preventing not only America but the world at large from falling back into oppression and tyranny.

Deism was a notion that some used to couple religion and science while to some of the thinkers, the natural rights of a person in the liberalism doctrine of anti-authoritarian were the preferred notion (Thompson 201). Similarly, to some thinkers, the touted importance of enlightened leadership and cultivating virtue in early republican thoughts was the notion of enlightenment. In the declaration of independence, however, the primary values and ideals used include the idea that everyone is created equal and is entitled to certain human rights. It was also based on the idea that the legitimacy of the government comes from the consent of the ones being governed. The other idea is that the primary purpose of the government is to ensure the protection of these rights that people possess (Gutzman par 8). In the declaration of independence, the unalienable rights ideas are similar to the natural rights ideas by John Locke. The declaration was inclusive of John Locke’s principles, the revolution against unjust governance like the states of social contracts.

The declaration of independence begins by stating that when in the course of human activities and events, it becomes vital for people to get rid of political bands which have linked them together. It also calls for assuming among the powers of the earth which are the equal and separate stations to which the natural laws. It calls for the respect of mankind’s opinions which require the declaration of the causes which lead them to the separation. Based on Locke

In John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, civil society, from what it is, ought to do, and where it comes from, is all adequately fleshed out and outlined in nineteen distinct chapters. Unlike other political thinkers of his and before his time, Locke does not see political society as an absolute and a necessary part of mankind but rather Locke speaks about how all of mankind is born into what is referred to as the “state of nature” and from there they give up certain rights in order to engage and be a part of civil and political society. In the following essay, I will highlight Locke’s significant points of how to enter into political society from this origin of the “state of nature.”

In order to discuss how one may enter political society, we must first look at how mankind operates outside of the rule of government. Locke begins his Second Treatise with a reference to the first biblical story and argues that it is impossible to determine who Adam’s heirs are and therefore every person and family has an equal claim to the world as any other. This view vastly contrasts the view held by those who believed in the divine right of kings and instead places all of God’s children in an equal “state of nature. Locke describes this apparent state of nature as “a state of perfect freedom of acting and disposing of their own possessions and persons as they think fit within the bounds of the law of nature.” Everyone in this state is equal with no person inherently above any other and “all power and jurisdiction is reciprocal and no one has more than another.” Locke puts this equality bluntly in his statement that “It is evident that all human beings—as creatures belonging to the same species and rank and born indiscriminately with all the same natural advantages and faculties—are equal amongst themselves.”

In this state of nature, where no man stands higher than any other, everything is governed by the law of reason. This law states that no man may disrupt another’s health, freedom, or property. This idea of the preservation of life, liberty, and property acts as a major theme throughout the entire treatise and has inspired many political thinkers, most notably Thomas Jefferson and his Declaration of Independence. This law governs everyone in this state of nature as it stands to act in the interest of the preservation of mankind. In the absence of government, not only is every man bound to uphold it, but it is also the duty of man to punish those who choose to break the law of reason:

“For the law of nature would, as all other laws that concern men in this world, be in vain, if there were nobody that in the state of nature had the power to execute that law, and thereby preserve the innocent and restrain offenders, and if anyone in the state of nature may punish another for any evil he has done, everyone may do so. For in that state of perfect equality, where naturally there is no superiority or jurisdiction of one over another, what any may do in prosecution of that law, everyone must need to have a right to do.”

Locke does raise one concern about this law which highlighted the fact of the impartialness and ill nature of man leading to the execution of punishments that do not fit the crimes done. Despite saying that living under absolute monarchs is a worse situation for mankind, Locke does concede that proper civil government acts as a “remedy” for many of the problems associated with this state of nature but man must willingly consent to be a part of it.

The Enlightenment was a period of time from 1715-1789 that was an intellectual and philosophical movement that spread throughout Europe. It brought many ideas that we could not live good lives without, like freedom of speech, natural rights, and freedom of religion, which was one of the main reasons the Enlightenment started in the first place. It brought economic change, religious change, and governmental change that impacted our world so deeply to the point that it changed entirely. This was a good thing.

The Enlightenment brought a lot of economic change. Like free trade. Before Adam Smith brought up the idea of free trade, we used mercantilism. Nobody wanted to trade with other countries because they thought that it would be bad for their own country. They thought that the government of the country should own the production of the product. The products that a country would make would be sold directly from that country and would be very expensive due to it being only available to that country. Tariffs were extremely high. Free trade was the complete opposite. If a country had an abundance of one product that another country needed and the other country had an abundance of something that the other country needed they would be able to trade one for the other at no cost. With free trade, the demand for a product would determine its price.

Another part of the economic change of the Enlightenment was the increased innovation that brought a lot of new products to the world. Manufacturing was improved, along with an increase in entrepreneurship. The main reason that manufacturing was improved was the separation of labor. People that specialized in specific things would do the job that they were successful in, making products more reliable and well-built. Huge innovations in temperature and time were made by Daniel Fahrenheit, who invented the mercury thermometer, which is still used today, and Galileo Galilei, who invented the pendulum. The pendulum paved the way for much better, more elegant, and grander clocks for years to come. Transportation was improved with more canals and roads being built. This caused information and ideas to be spread around the world much faster.

Among all of the other changes brought about by the Enlightenment, there was a lot of governmental change. Two people that brought a bit of this governmental change were John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Although Hobbes did argue his point of wanting a strong government to keep you from committing evil, his ideas were not very impactful. John Locke’s argument of every human has the natural rights of life, liberty, and the right to own property. Locke believed that the government existed to protect the rights of every human being. He also believed that the government could be overthrown by the people if it failed to protect these natural rights. It was a perfect relationship, as written in a contract, between the government and the people: The people would grant the power to the government and the government would protect the rights of the people in return, or vice versa.

At the time, absolute monarchies were the dominant government around the world. The monarch held absolute power and would grant few rights to the people. During the Enlightenment, some monarchs began to implement these ideologies into their government power. They were known as enlightened absolutists. One of these enlightened monarchs was Joseph II of Austria. He abolished serfdom, which is a form of slavery. Joseph II also granted freedom of the press and enacted religious reform.

Catholics had believed for years that the Earth was in the center of the universe and nobody went against it for years, knowing the power that the catholic church had, or they just didn’t question it for the reason that they believed what the church said. In the early years of the Enlightenment, one of the first people to question the church was Copernicus. He believed that the solar system was heliocentric, or the sun was in the center of the solar system, instead of the geocentric solar system that the followers of the catholic church believed for years. Copernicus also said that the planets revolved around the sun in perfect circles, a theory that would later be debunked. The person that debunked his theory of perfect circle orbiting was Kepler. He said that planets revolved around the sun in elliptical orbits, or ovals, instead of circular orbits. The next philosopher to hop on the heliocentric bus was Galileo Galilei. He built a gigantic telescope 30x the size of any other at the time. This helped him get good views of other planets and prove that the sun was in the center of the universe. The catholic church, feeling defeated, decided to put Galileo on house arrest for going against the catholic church. Soon after, Issac Newton discovered the law of gravity and gave a reason why the planets orbit around each other and what holds them in place. This just kept adding to the heliocentric argument. These philosophers helped bring religious change because they proved that some things that the catholic church is preaching to people are not true. This caused more people to use reason over religion to justify their thinking.

Voltaire was known as the most famous philosopher of the Enlightenment because of how he preached religious freedom and created a religion, Deism, that went directly against the teachings of the catholic church. The teachings of Deism go as follows: God created the universe and every human but stepped back right after. He has no say in anything that happens in our life and does not control the world as the Catholics think. This, along with the proving of the heliocentric solar system caused more people to question the church and go against it.

Without the Enlightenment, The United States of America would have never gotten the idea to declare its independence from England, as its declaration of independence contains a few Enlightenment ideas. The Enlightenment would prove to be the most influential time in history, as it was proved by the medical, scientific, mechanical, religious, and transportation innovations brought by this point in time.