Category: Declaration Of Independence

Introduction

The Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, transcends its role as a mere proclamation of America’s separation from British rule. It serves as a cornerstone of American history, embodying profound philosophical and ideological principles that have left an indelible mark on the global stage. Through a critical analytical lens, we embark on an exploration of the Declaration, aiming to unravel its underlying principles, rhetorical strategies, and enduring relevance.

At its core, the Declaration articulates the concept of natural rights – the inherent entitlements of individuals to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Drawing heavily from Enlightenment philosophy, particularly the ideas of John Locke, Jefferson asserts that governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed and are obliged to protect these fundamental rights. This foundational principle not only provided the moral justification for the American colonies’ revolt against British tyranny but also laid the groundwork for democratic governance based on the sovereignty of the people.

In this analytical examination, we delve into the depths of the Declaration of Independence, seeking to uncover its philosophical underpinnings and rhetorical nuances. By dissecting its language and historical context, we aim to gain insights into its enduring significance as a beacon of liberty and democracy, resonating across time and inspiring generations to pursue freedom and self-governance.

100 Words Essay about the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence, authored by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, is a seminal document embodying Enlightenment ideals. It transcends its role as a mere declaration of separation from British rule, articulating principles of natural rights and governmental legitimacy. Jefferson draws heavily from thinkers like John Locke, asserting that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed. Through strategic rhetoric, the Declaration justifies revolution and inspires global movements for freedom. Analyzing its language and historical context reveals its enduring significance as a beacon of liberty and democracy. The Declaration’s philosophical underpinnings continue to shape the trajectory of nations and inspire aspirations for self-governance worldwide.

250 Words Essay about the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence, authored by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, stands as a foundational document in American history, marking the country’s break from British rule. However, its significance extends beyond a simple declaration of independence; it embodies profound philosophical and ideological principles that continue to influence nations worldwide. Through critical analysis, we can uncover the underlying principles and enduring relevance of this historic document.

At its core, the Declaration articulates the concept of natural rights – the inherent entitlements of individuals to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Jefferson, drawing inspiration from Enlightenment philosophers like John Locke, asserts that governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed and are obliged to protect these fundamental rights. This principle provided both the moral justification for the American colonies’ rebellion and a blueprint for democratic governance based on popular sovereignty.

Moreover, the Declaration’s rhetorical strategies are carefully crafted to justify the colonists’ actions and garner support for their cause. Jefferson enumerates a list of grievances against King George III, appealing to universal principles of justice and human dignity. This strategic use of language and rhetoric transcends its historical context, inspiring movements for freedom and self-determination across the globe.

In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence serves as a timeless symbol of liberty and democracy. Through analysis of its language, historical context, and philosophical underpinnings, we gain insights into its enduring significance. It remains a guiding beacon for nations striving for self-governance and individual rights, a testament to the enduring human pursuit of freedom.

400 Words Essay about the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson and ratified by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, serves as a cornerstone document not only in American history but also in the global struggle for freedom and self-determination. In this analytical essay, we will delve into the multifaceted layers of this seminal text, exploring its language, historical context, and enduring implications.

At its heart, the Declaration of Independence is a revolutionary manifesto that boldly proclaims the inherent rights of individuals and the legitimacy of self-governance. Jefferson’s eloquent words, declaring that “all men are created equal” and endowed with “certain unalienable rights,” resonate as a powerful assertion of human dignity and agency. This language not only challenged the tyranny of British rule but also laid the groundwork for the emergence of democratic principles and the recognition of universal human rights.

Moreover, the Declaration serves as a strategic political instrument, aimed at garnering support for the American cause both domestically and internationally. By enumerating a litany of grievances against King George III and the British government, Jefferson sought to justify the colonies’ decision to break away and assert their independence. Through this meticulous articulation of grievances, the Declaration aimed to rally sympathy and support from other nations while solidifying unity among the American colonies.

However, a critical analysis reveals the inherent contradictions within the Declaration of Independence, particularly regarding the institution of slavery. Despite its lofty rhetoric of equality and liberty, the document was drafted in a society deeply entrenched in the practice of slavery. This dissonance between principle and practice underscores the complexities of historical context and the ongoing struggle to reconcile ideals with reality. It also highlights the imperative of confronting the legacy of slavery and striving towards a more just and equitable society.

Nevertheless, the Declaration of Independence endures as a beacon of hope and inspiration, inspiring movements for liberation and democracy worldwide. Its principles have served as a rallying cry for oppressed peoples and a guiding light for those fighting against tyranny and injustice. Through critical analysis and reflection, we can glean invaluable insights from this historic document, reaffirming our commitment to the principles of freedom, equality, and justice for all.

In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence remains a seminal text that continues to shape the course of human history. By dissecting its language, context, and implications, we gain a deeper understanding of its enduring significance and the ongoing struggle for liberty and justice.

500 Words Essay about the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence, authored by Thomas Jefferson and endorsed by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, stands as a seminal document in human history. Its significance transcends the founding of a nation; it encapsulates timeless principles that have shaped the course of modern societies globally. This analytical essay will delve into the essence of the Declaration of Independence, examining its historical context, philosophical foundations, and enduring impact.

At its essence, the Declaration of Independence embodies a profound political philosophy rooted in the concept of natural rights. Drawing upon the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, Jefferson asserts the inherent endowment of certain unalienable rights to every individual, notably including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. By proclaiming these rights as self-evident truths, the Declaration not only challenges the legitimacy of monarchical rule but also provides a moral rationale for revolutionary action.

Furthermore, the Declaration espouses the principle of popular sovereignty, contending that government derives its authority from the consent of the governed. This principle marks a departure from the prevailing notion of divine right monarchy, empowering ordinary citizens to engage in the political process and hold their leaders accountable. The assertion that governments exist to safeguard the rights of the people, with the implicit acknowledgment that they can be altered or abolished when they fail to do so, lays the groundwork for democratic governance.

Moreover, the Declaration serves as a resolute condemnation of tyranny and oppression in all their manifestations, resonating as a rallying cry for freedom-loving individuals worldwide. Through a meticulous catalog of grievances against King George III, Jefferson and his compatriots sought to justify their break from British rule. These grievances, spanning from unjust taxation to arbitrary detention, struck a chord with oppressed people globally, fueling aspirations for liberty and justice.

Yet, it is imperative to confront the contradictions inherent within the Declaration of Independence. While professing the equality of all men, the document remained silent on the institution of slavery, thereby betraying the very principles it espoused. This moral inconsistency would plague the nation for centuries, culminating in the Civil War and the protracted struggle for civil rights in the 20th century.

Despite its imperfections, the Declaration of Independence endures as an enduring symbol of human resilience and aspiration. Its principles have served as catalysts for numerous movements advocating for freedom and equality, from the abolitionist movement to the fight for women’s rights. Moreover, its emphasis on individual rights and limited government continues to inform contemporary debates on political theory and constitutional law.

In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence transcends its status as a historical artifact; it stands as a testament to the enduring power of ideals. By affirming the inherent dignity and rights of every individual, it laid the groundwork for a more just and equitable society. While its lofty ideals have not always been fully realized, the Declaration remains a guiding light for those who strive for a better world. As we reflect on its legacy, let us recommit to the principles of liberty, equality, and justice for all.

In this work, I will analyze the works of Martin Luther King Jr. and Thomas Jefferson and review the strategies used in their works.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’ is addressed to several Clergymen, explaining the actions that led him to the jail. Fellow Clergymen called King ‘unwise and untimely’ for his work and ideas of peaceful protest. Since King believed that they were ‘good men’, he felt he should explain and answer their statement. Birmingham was influenced by white power and it became a big burden for King as an outsider not to look away. King made it his duty to fight for injustice: “Negros have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation” (King, 2). King was the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference – an organization that operates in every southern state. Because of his moral conscience, he wanted unjust laws to be changed, saying, “Injustice anywhere was a threat to justice everywhere” (King, 2). He had organizational ties in Birmingham that led him from Atlanta to Birmingham to try and stop racial injustice.

Martin Luther King Jr. felt obligated to carry the gospel of freedom beyond his hometown and answer the call of aid. Anyone who lives in the United States should not be considered an ‘outsider’ anywhere within the country. King was disappointed by the statement his fellow clergymen made about the process that had taken place in Birmingham. The city’s white power structure had left the negro community with no alternative. King went to many steps to try to reason and negotiate with the city fathers, but sadly, they chose not to engage themselves with the negro community.

Martin Luther King Jr. had the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham’s economic community, and negotiations and certain promises were made to remove racial signs, but as months went by, King realized that they were victims of a broken promise: “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King). That led to them beginning a series of nonviolent marches. King knew that nonviolence creates a tension in which society rises from the depths of prejudice and racism and understands brotherhood. The whole purpose of nonviolence is to make people start talking about the issue of racism and open the door to negotiation. For 340 days negros have waited for their God-given rights, nations like Asia and Africa have moved on to gaining political independence, but America could not respect negros – instead of learning their name they would call them ‘boy’ or ‘nigger’ and humiliate them. King could not ignore a law that he felt was unjust and did not cover every person in the United States: “an unjust law is no law at all” (King). Negros great stumbling block is not white citizens, instead, it is white moderates who are devoted to keeping their order rather than justice. White moderates failed to understand that the law needs to change and that they are dangerous because they stop the flow of social progress. American negros yearn for freedom, eventually, they cannot remain oppressed forever. King explained his reasons for coming to the city, hoping that the white religious leadership of the community would understand the justice of their cause, but sadly, he was disappointed. King never feared the outcome of Birmingham; instead, he believed he will reach his goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence to declare why the colonies had to become independent from Britain. In this document, Jefferson wrote what many Americans believe about their rights. Jefferson believes that people have the right to live, the right to be free, and the right to have happiness. The Declaration of Independence goes into great detail about why they should not follow the rules of Britain and choose to take place as a separate nation. All men are created equally, and there are rights governments should not interfere with. If the government does not protect our rights, we the people have the right to overthrow our government and create our government that will protect our rights. The Declaration is important because it gives American citizens equal rights. The king of Great Britain refused to allow governors to pass laws that are important to people. He would leave troops around when the colonies were not fighting anyone, blocking trade and taxing people without it being necessary. Jefferson went into great detail about why the king’s actions have led to the document and why America should be a free independent nation and should not be a part of Britain.

Martin Luther King Jr. uses many strategies in his letter to get the attention of his audience. One of the strategies he is focusing on is the emotional pain of African American, and how racial inequality has caused them to start standing up for themselves. It can also cause them to start hating white people. As an example, when King is telling a short story of his daughter, he gives an example of the human side of the cause of the issue: “When you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television and see tears welling up in her eyes when she told that Fun town is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people” (King). King used emotional pain in his letter to allow the audience to imagine if this was them and what would they ever do? King was respectful throughout the letter. He was respectful towards the Clergymen, even when they were criticizing him for his nonviolent marches as “unwise and untimely” (Clergymen). He was careful to show respect towards his audience: “But since I feel that you are men of genuine goodwill and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth” (King). A strategy that King uses was building a common ground with his audience, as a Clergyman, he could not allow injustices to keep happening in America while other nations have moved on, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King). He is like the other Clergymen – a religious leader spreading his gospel of peace everywhere, but unlike them, he got arrested because of his action to fight for injustice everywhere.

The Declaration of Independence shows that one of Thomas Jefferson’s strategies was using emotion to persuade his audience. An example is when Jefferson was talking about the king of Britain and how he was an unfit ruler and doesn’t didn’t care for the citizens that don’t didn’t live in Britain, “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people” (Jefferson). Using an emotional letter, Jefferson convinces the citizens to agree. That the King doesn’t care for them and it was time for them to start thinking about themselves. This leads to the nation breaking ties with Britain and becoming a nation.

In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson is using the audience’s humanity. To allow the audience to feel sympathy for the colony, as humans they should have the right to be free and be happy, but they can’t because the king of Britain is holding the colony, on a tight leash. As an example, the document states: “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness” (Jefferson). Jefferson went into grate great details about human rights and if a government is not protecting our rights, then we the people should elect a new government.

In conclusion, the ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’ was a response from King to his fellow clergymen who criticized him for his nonviolent protest; they called him ‘unwise and untimely’. King was defending his methods and strategies of nonviolence and how it can start making people talk about the issue of racism. White moderates had devoted their cause to order; they didn’t want to change the law because they chose to stop the process of social progress. King started his nonviolent protest to create tension in society for people to rise and understand brotherhood. The Declaration of Independence documents were written by Thomas Jefferson to protect the citizens of America and their rights. Citizens believed that God created men with equal rights, and they should be allowed to live life, have liberty, and pursue happiness. The king of Great Britain was not allowing the colony to make their own choices, and the way he was treating the colony affected their beliefs in God’s rules of humankind. Jefferson’s argument was if the government did not respect their equal rights, then the people should overthrow the government and elect their own governmental boy, which would respect their human rights.

What would you have done if you’re where putting put in the same situation as colored people in 1963? Would you have fought for equal rights for everyone and change the laws that don’t justify your God-given rights? Would you agree that the colony should have broken off from Britain? Should people have the power to overthrown their government if they don’t respect the laws of creation? Thomas Jefferson’s documents were about getting equal rights for all mankind, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter is about changing the laws that are an injustice. White people have stopped the colored people from expressing their God-given equal rights. I believe it was the right thing for King to have done nonviolence marches because it allowed him to show the world that he was serious about the issue of racism in America. As an example, “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue” (King). And it has done that King’s nonviolent protests have shown awareness of racism in America. Thomas Jefferson’s document was to explain the purpose of the government; is to protect the values of human rights. The king of Great Britain was being unfair to the colony, which is why I believe that it was a good thing for the colony to separate from Britain. “When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security” (Jefferson). When our government is not respecting our rights, we have the power to change that.

Works Cited

1. Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers. A Writer’s Reference 8th ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2015. 101-109.
2. King, Martin Luther. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail: Martin Luther King, Jr.”. FEE Freeman Article, Foundation for Economic Education, 20 Jan. 2014, https://fee.org/articles/letter-from-a-birmingham-jail/#disqus_thread.
3. “The Declaration of Independence: Full Text”. Ushistory.org, Independence Hall Association, 4 July 1995, http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/

In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson seeks the separation of American colonies from oppressive and oppressive England. He made his position clear to the colonists and most importantly in the world through convincing complaints, syntax and a dictionary. Thomas Jefferson’s skillful use of persuasive rhetoric in the Declaration of Independence, conveyed through compelling arguments, sophisticated syntax, and carefully chosen language, transformed the document into an influential that solidified the American colonies’ resolve for separation from oppressive England, resonating not only with the colonists but also with the global audience.

In the first two sections of the Declaration, Jefferson not only builds the credibility of the reformers, but also sets out a logical argument that sets out the philosophical beliefs on which America was founded. In the first passage, he acknowledges the need to justify the powerful position the colonies have taken from their king. He says he sees the need to identify “the causes of such divisions”, showing that he is aware of his responsibility to define colonialism and to have a “respectful attitude toward human ideas”. The use of ethos helps Jefferson to present himself and the converts as rational, respectful and conscientious, although the steps they will take will be drastic and transformative. In the second section, Jefferson presents a logical argument against those acts. He uses a compelling concept in the form of syllogism to clearly present his argument. He asserted that all human beings have rights guaranteed by their Creator, that it is the duty of the state to protect those rights, and that if not, “it is their right, their duty”, to change or abolish that government. He also warned, using ethos, that “long-established governments should not be replaced for simple and short-term reasons, which means that the colonial grievances against the King’s persecution must be so great that action needs to be taken of injury and extinction”, and lead to a list of ‘facts’, that will convince his hearers of the truth of these grievances.

In lines 45 to 148 of the Declaration, Jefferson built his discourse on intelligible thinking, a glossary, and a glossary. Starting in line 45 Jefferson lays out his huge list of complaints the King of England has made against America. He says he is well aware that King George has “refused his legal approval, which is very good and necessary for the benefit of society”, showing that he understands that the colonies have indeed been wronged. The use of persuasive consultation helps Jefferson to present himself and his fellow translators as knowledgeable and sensible. Occurring in lines 45 to 91 the phrase, ‘You have it’, serves to strengthen Jefferson’s argument. With its similar structures and anaphora, it captures repeatedly the fact that King George has no doubt committed these specific acts against the colonies. Allowing Jefferson to rule with conviction that the king “is not fit to rule the free people”. In lines 137 to 148 Jefferson ends his argument with a powerful emotional appeal. He says King George has “delighted domestic violence among us”, and that King George has “tried to bring to the people living on our borders, merciless Savages Indians”, to kill them. In all, Thomas Jefferson in lines 45 to 148 of the Declaration of Independence, initiates a logical argument using reason, syntax and dictionary.

In the last two episodes Jefferson uses syntax and ethos to convey the extent to which he and the colonies are willing to sacrifice freely. From the first paragraph of the last two paragraphs, Jefferson uses the phrase, ‘We have it’. It is this same formal expression, ‘We Have’, which is repeated over and over again to show that they have appealed to their brethren, ‘the British brethren’, and that the British are not listening. So, after all these cries of the American people they came to the conclusion that their brethren were not called, ‘Enemies in the War, in the Peace Friends’. Chiasmus completely conveys the fact that Jefferson and the colonists are willing to go to war even with their families for the price of freedom. The chiasmus that completes Jefferson’s final second round also strengthens his credibility. It shows that he and his rebels will stand by their ‘immeasurable rights’, no matter how much it costs. In the last episode Jefferson also continues his loyalty when he called the other converts, ‘The good people of these Colonies’. This statement basically means that the colonies are not civilized beasts who just want to destroy the king, but are actually good people. Jefferson burns the last paragraph with the statement, “we both promise each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our Holy Honor”, a shocking statement that ends up painting his speaker and his teams as heroes determined to risk their lives for everything. Overall, the last two sections of the Declaration of Independence served as a last resort for syntax.

By writing the Declaration of Independence Jefferson, not only produced a historical document, but a satisfying work of art that fully convinced his audience of the great American importance that needed to be separated from Britain. Its powerful use of persuasive persuasion, syntax, and dictionary is what made it so appealing. Without this the world as we know it probably did not exist.

It is evident that all of mankind has been deceived into the pleasures of sin, and it is critical to keep in mind that the Founding Fathers were imperfect. However, what set their ideology apart from that of other establishments at the time was their belief in God. Though it is not clear they were all completely devout in their faith, it is overtly obvious they acknowledge God’s existence and instituted America’s most influential founding documents.

Contract Theory

Thomas Jefferson felt burdened to draft the Declaration of Independence after living under the corruption of the British monarchy. Along with contributions from his colleagues, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, Jefferson declared a list of grievances propounding his vision for America’s independence, and to disband from the British crown.

Jefferson was not the first to introduce the principles listed in the Declaration of Independence. He procured the design of the social contract from the philosophers: Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and John Locke. The social contract was the idea that, “citizens agree to surrender absolute freedom in exchange for the greater security and prosperity that come from living within an organized society”. This concept furthers to endorse the duty of the citizens to resist the government in the instance it ceases to protect the citizen. Jefferson implemented this idea into the structure of the Declaration of Independence, believing the role of government is to protect the people rather than control the people.

Religious Liberty

Arguably the greatest liberty in America is the freedom of religion. The idea of allowing citizens to openly worship God is absent in many cultures and countries around the world. Many people suffer severe punishment for praising God or even possessing a Bible.

The Founding Fathers understood religious freedom was an essential component to establish a flourishing society. Rather than enslaving man to government, the Framers desired to bestow great freedom to the individual to exercise responsibly. According to McClellan, most Americans were pleased with the sense of religious liberty, though some leaders feared the sectoring off of minorities.

Limited Government

Limited government was established indirectly in a sense. The Founders were so concentrated on individual liberties that in order to ensure these rights, they realized government in turn had to be limited in its powers. Therefore, limited government was the only way to guarantee the individual such freedom.

Analysis of Eidsmoe’s Assertion

According to his book, ‘Christianity and the Constitution: The Faith of Our Founding Fathers’, John Eidsmoe asserts, “Biblical teachings inspired concepts of civil government that are contained in our Declaration of Independence”. He furthers to explain the misunderstanding that the Declaration of Independence lacks relevance to modern day Americans. It is essentially because the document was predicated on Biblical principles that it has remained adaptable to every individual regardless of cultural changes. The Bible was composed for all of God’s children to withstand the test of time. By grounding our Declaration’s principles in Biblical truth, irrelevancy is out of the question. Rooting our faith first and foremost in the Lord is the only gateway for a peaceful and prosperous nation.

Analysis of McClellan’s Assertion

The Declaration on Independence, according to James McClellan, “did not mention political parties or acknowledge their existence”. This statement is critical to understand in order to truly gain clear thinking about the historical document. The Founding Fathers did not seek to divide the nation by the newfound independence from Great Britain, but instead they sought to unite Americans as one. The Framers knew people would have different ideas and opinions about political policies, but it was imperative to have a source for all Americans to coalesce and unite as one body. The Framers did not mention freedom of the press in the Declaration as it later came into view in the Constitution. Also rejecting the idea of legislative supremacy, the forefathers paved the way for a free nation. The Declaration of Independence served to embark change while bringing together the people of the newly formed nation.

Conclusion

The Declaration of Independence was the precursor for the American Constitution. It will never be an irrelevant document, and as a citizen of the United States, I understand I am tasked with the responsibility of preserving these defining documents that have shaped the success of America. If America falls, it will not be from the threats or wreckage of the outside enemies. Instead, it is those on the inside, the American citizens who hold the power to destroy a country built so beautifully in the name of the Lord. The only way to restore America’s wounds is through a sweeping revival. It is vital to turn the country back to God to avoid tyrannical destruction. 2nd Chronicles 7:14 instructs us, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land”.

The statement ‘All men are created equal’ only began to ring true hundreds of years after 1776. The promises of the Declaration of Independence fell short of what was guaranteed at the time and ‘all men’ were merely hypothetical. The words of Thomas Jefferson and his actions greatly contradict themselves, making him a hypocrite. In this free country, African Americans, women, and other marginalized groups were denied liberties they were supposed to have. The Declaration of Independence was a self-indulgent document for the founding fathers of the United States. On many occasions, Thomas Jefferson made many belittling and racist remarks. Ultimately, it made promises that weren’t followed through till centuries later.

The injustices in the United States were not corrected or changed by the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Declaration states: “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”. It’s thought that ‘all men’ would include all citizens of the United States, but this was far from the truth. Hundreds of thousands of black men and women were held as slaves up until 1865. Women were expected to care for their husbands’ homes and children and were denied the right to vote, they were treated as their husbands’ property. Thomas Jefferson has many sexist quotes, such as: “A lady who has been seen as a sloven or slut in the morning will never efface the impression she has made, with all dress and pageantry she can afterwards involve herself in…I hope therefore, the moment you rise from bed, your first work will be to dress yourself in such style as that you may be seen by any gentleman without his being able to discover a pin amiss” (Padover, 1956, p. 16). He regularly degraded women and had the opinion that they were not intelligent enough for politics. Even after women were allowed the right to vote, black women were still denied suffrage. The Declaration claimed we as people had natural-born rights, yet the law allowed marginalized groups to be treated less than human.

The Declaration of Independence only benefited people similar to Thomas Jefferson: property-owning white men. In fact, white men who owned land and were over the age of 21 were the only people allowed to vote for a certain amount of time. Slaves were considered property and they were important to the founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson had about 130 slaves who were forced to tend gardens and livestock, plow fields, and work at the on-site textile factory (‘Thomas Jefferson Biography’). Jefferson understood slavery at a systematic level and how it was so deeply incorporated into the southern economy. Despite his understanding, he didn’t need to rely on slave labor for income because he was born into a rich and powerful family. Thomas Jefferson never freed his slaves even though he easily could have. Jefferson made racist remarks which showed his disregard for African Americans. He believed in false sciences which promoted white supremacy, such as: “They secrete less by the kidneys, and more by the glands of the skin, which gives them a very strong and disagreeable odor. This greater degree of transpiration renders them more tolerant of heat, and less so of cold, than the whites” (‘Thomas Jefferson’s Racism’, 1788). Thomas Jefferson didn’t care about the harms of slavery and blatant misinformation because they worked in his favor.

In conclusion, Thomas Jefferson was hypocritical in numerous ways. He wrote the words ‘All men are created equal’, but allowed slavery to continue and freedoms to be taken away from marginalized groups. The Declaration of Independence only benefited people like the founding fathers at the time. Ultimately, Jefferson’s words of empowerment to the people greatly contradicted his actions and what he truly meant.

Throughout history, many ideas influenced many nations around the world. Whether it was big or small, civilizations everywhere were swayed by others in which they too wanted to be just as prosperous as their neighbors. One of the biggest influences across the world was that of the works of the Enlightenment ideology. The Enlightenment ideas were those surrounded by freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of religion practices, equality, the list goes on. Many countries used this proposal as a way of viewing their independence from their ruler. Among them were the Americans and the French, both having revolutions around the same time as each other, and both inspired by Enlightenment views. Throughout their countries process of being independent, there were many documents being recorded to show how the Americans and French people came about being free.

During the time of the United States of America’s fight for independence, many citizens had different views on what they wanted for the country in terms of the new government that was to be composed. Once it was established that America had fought and won the Revolutionary War in 1783, the founding fathers and the citizens of the new independent land had to come about what the new government was set to do. Coming from the rule of a king who was on the verge of being a dictator, the people of America had set proposed a government that the people could make the laws for. The Declaration of Independence and, later proposed, the Bill of Rights did just that.

The citizens of America wanted freedom more than anything, that is predominately why they came to the new land. In full hope and expectation of receiving what they sought out for, the two congressional documents made them proud. The article of the summary of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights from the National Archives website, archives.gov, suggest that the founding fathers and the people of America had set regulations on what the government was in control of. They also made it a point of what the government could not dictate to other states because of that state’s individual rights and along with that, what it could not dictate to its citizens because of the same reasoning. In the Declaration of Independence portion of the source, it was said: “That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government” (archives.gov). Along with the Bill of Rights, the people were given flat out freedom of their lives as it does not pertain to destroying another or committing a crime. The people in America were finally getting their sense of freedom they so dreamt of, and from across the Atlantic, the French wanted the same thing too.

The French Revolution was sought out by the commoners of France to eliminate the treatment of the third estate as being underclass when in fact they made of majority of the country’s population. The Enlightenment ideas traveled throughout France in a way that the citizens were willing to do whatever it took for them to have freedom from the hardships that their king and noblemen put upon them. From the summary of the documents the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen, written by the French National Assembly, and Maximilien Robespierre’s ‘On the Moral and Political Principles of Domestic Policy’, we can gather more information on the effects of the ideas of the Enlightenment.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen shows that the French people did believe that the French monarch were abusing their powers and sought to create a foundation of what the new government in France should be. This is because as stated from the source of a short portion of ‘Readings in European History’ by James Harvey Robinson: “The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, inalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties…” (Robinson, 409-11). The meaning of the document written but the French Assembly was to show the people and the political figures the right of freedom for the citizens of France. Throughout the document, there are many points made about the treatment of citizens and what the government is to be obliged by to follow.

At the same time, the French lawyer Maximilien Robespierre, who took over the French government during its country’s revolution made it a point to control France by the outlooks of the Enlightenment ideas but to also ‘eliminate’ those who stood in the way of destroying freedom within the country. From the summary of the ‘On the Moral and Political Principles of Domestic Policy’ suggest that Robespierre thought that the only way to total freedom of the French people were to kill those who were thought of against the goals of the revolution movement. This is because in his document it states, “This great purity of the French revolution’s basis, the very sublimity of its objective, is precisely what causes both our strength and our weakness. Our strength, because it gives to us truth’s ascendancy over imposture, and the rights of the public interest over private interests; our weakness, because it rallies all vicious men against us, all those who in their hearts contemplated despoiling the people and all those who intend to let it be despoiled with impunity, both those who have rejected freedom as a personal calamity and those who have embraced the revolution as a career and the Republic as prey” (Robespierre).

However, even though Robespierre ‘terror’ did frighten the citizens he was trying to protect, the viewpoints of all three documents did however claim and prove that they were all trying to behold the ideology of being an enlightened nation. Similarities would be between the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen both being in which they embodied set rules/ regulations for the government to follow in terms of freedom that created a society of all its people to live in harmony. The differences would be that of Robespierre view of how to essentially ‘make’ a government enlightened instead of the people how that view from themselves. The different areas of the worlds both being influenced by the ideas of one ideology soon spread to other regions as they too sought for independence and freedom.

References

1. ‘Declaration of Independence: A Transcription’. National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, http://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
2. Robespierre. On the Moral and Political Principles of Domestic Policy. 1794.
3. Robinson, James Harvey, and Charles A. Beard. Readings in Modern European History. Ginn & Co., 1909.

The Declaration of Independence was composed in 1776, by Thomas Jefferson. Its motivation was to announce that the 13 settlements in America were free and autonomous from Great Britain, get different pilgrims ready, and to urge different countries to support them. Jefferson not just composed how they were part from Britain, yet he additionally gave some careful thinking with respect to why they were to be permitted to do as such. So as to do that he utilized deductive rationale in this report. Many individuals wonder if the announcement had been created in an alternate configuration, for example, an arrangement or syllogistic contentions, how powerful it would be. From an artistic point of view, it would not have been as convincing as the first record. Another motivation behind why the announcement is so powerful is that Jefferson utilizes well disposed, loving language to demonstrate his solidarity to them.

The motivation behind why the Declaration of Independence is so powerful is that Jefferson utilizes deductive contentions, which incorporates instances of Britain’s off-base doings, which gives the individual perusing the report an opportunity to see precisely why they are parting from Great Britain. One of the most grounded deductive contentions in the announcement is, “that to verify these rights, Governments are organized among men”. This implies any authentic government is made to ensure people groups’ rights, for example, “Life, Liberty, and the quest for Happiness”. All through the announcement Jefferson indicates how Great Britain isn’t ensuring their rights, however meddling with them. For instance, he states how the lord continues sending over officers and anticipates that the general population should house and sustain them. How might you feel if the administration simply put an outsider in your home and disclosed to you, he could eat your well-deserved sustenance? These warriors were additionally permitted to ignore the laws in the settlements and not be rebuffed for them.

This isn’t what you call ensuring people groups’ rights; it is increasingly similar to attacking them. Another solid deductive contention in this archive is, “getting their simply control from the assent of the administered”. This implies any power or specialist that an administration has is given to them by the assent of the general population, yet this correct like numerous others was manhandled as well. For moments, Jefferson composed that they have ‘requested of for review’ over and again, which means they sent numerous petitions to the lord about numerous uncalled for issues in the settlements, needing to go to some sort of understanding. All things considered, the lord does not answer them but rather keeps on harming them. This demonstrates the lord did not think about the people groups’ assent; consequently, he isn’t ensnaring a fair government and they reserve the option to break free from Great Britain.

The primary concern other than rationale that aided the convince the pioneer they reserved the privilege to part from Great Britain, was the language where Jefferson composed the affirmation. He utilized words that inferred that they were all in this together. He even demonstrates to them how the provinces have attempted their best to maintain a strategic distance from rough clash with Great Britain however the lord would not settle. For moments, they had sent numerous petitions to Britain to go to some sort of understanding, however the lord kept on harming the provinces. Jefferson was contending that they have attempted to work with Great Britain yet they keep on sending hired fighters to slaughter individuals, torch towns, attack ships, and catch natives and cause them to do exceptionally improper things to their very own kin. No country ought to kick back and let these unpleasant things transpire, so by expressing these various situations it supports the kindred pilgrims that the time has come to battle for their rights.

All in all, the assertion of freedom is a record that kicked off the United States. It discloses why they had to one side to isolate from Great Britain, and numerous crooked activities they dispensed upon the provinces. The announcement is an intensive complex archive that would not have worked in some other organization or country at that time. If Jefferson would have composed this record in an alternate manner, would we be in the spot we are today?

Whether or not the attainment of independence is different from revolution it has long been contested, and has mostly been debated over the question of violence as legal means to gain sovereignty. In general, revolutions aim only to redistribute power with or without an element of emancipation, such as in democratization within a state, which as such may remain unaltered. However, some wars of independence have been described as revolutions, such as the ones in the United States and Indonesia, as some revolutions that were specifically about a change in the political structure have come up in breakaway states.

Mongolia and Finland, for example, came to get their independence during the revolutions occurring in China and Russia respectively. Causes for a country or province wishing to seek independence are very many, but most can be summed up as a feeling of inequality compared to the dominant power. The means can extend from peaceful demonstrations, to a violent war. The American Declaration of Independence has affected the foundation of the United States more than any other event or document in American history. The Declaration of Independence was the basis for what the country was established on.

The document was a way for the colonists to emancipate themselves from the cruelty of King George. This document had such an impacting effect because it was such a new way of bringing up concerns. It was the first of its kind in the history of America in the aspect of liberation of a group of people. Jefferson’s text was extremely taboo especially without the support of a reputable country. In the conflict between France, Britain incurred an enormous debt and looked to its American colonies to help pay for the war. Between 1756 and 1776, Parliament issued a series of taxes on the colonies, including the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Duties of 1766, and the Tea Act of 1773. Even when the taxes were relatively light, they met with stiff colonial resistance on principle, with colonists concerned that ‘taxation without representation’ was tyranny and political control of the colonies was increasingly being exercised from London.

Colonists felt that they were being treated as second-class citizens. But after initially compromising on the Stamp Act, Parliament supported increasingly oppressive measures to force colonists to obey the new laws. Eventually, tensions culminated in the shots fired between British troops and colonial militia at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. Despite the outbreak of violence, the majority of colonists wanted to remain British. Only when King George III failed to address colonists’ complaints against Parliament or entertain their appeals for compromise did colonists begin to consider independence as a last resort. Encouraged by Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, ‘Common Sense’, more and more colonists began to consider independence in the spring of 1776. At the same time, the continuing war and rumors of a large-scale invasion of British troops and German mercenaries diminished hopes for reconciliation.

While the issue had been discussed quietly in the corridors of the Continental Congress for some time, the first formal proposal for independence was not made in the Continental Congress until June 7, 1776. It came from the Virginian Richard Henry Lee, who offered a resolution insisting that “all political connection is, and ought to be, dissolved” between Great Britain and the American colonies. But this was not a unanimous sentiment. Many delegates wanted to defer a decision on independence or avoid it outright. Despite this disagreement, Congress did nominate a drafting committee of five to compose a declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson, known for his eloquent writing style and reserved manner, became the principal author.

As he sat at his desk in a Philadelphia boarding house, Jefferson drafted a ‘common sense’ treatise in terms so plain and firm, as to command the assent of mankind. Some of his language and many of his ideas drew from well-known political works, such as George Mason’s Declaration of Rights. But his ultimate goal was to express the unity of Americans what he called an ‘expression of the American mind against the tyranny of Britain’. Jefferson submitted his ‘rough draught’ of the Declaration on June 28. Congress eventually accepted the document, but not without debating the draft for two days and making extensive changes. Jefferson was unhappy with many of the revisions particularly the removal of the passage on the slave trade and the insertion of language less offensive to Britons and in later years would often provide his original draft to correspondents.

Benjamin Franklin tried to reassure Jefferson by telling him the now-famous tale of a merchant whose storefront sign bore the words: ‘John Thompson, Hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money’; after a circle of critical friends offered their critiques, the sign merely read, John Thompson’ above a picture of a hat. Pressured by the news that a fleet of British troops lay off the coast of New York, Congress adopted the Lee resolution of independence on July 2nd, and the day which John Adams always believed should be celebrated as American Independence Day, and adopted the Declaration of Independence explaining its action on July 4. The Declaration was promptly published, and the whole of July and August, it was spread by word of mouth, delivered on horseback and by ship, read aloud before troops in the Continental Army, published in newspapers from Vermont to Georgia, and dispatched to Europe. The Declaration roused support for the American Revolution and mobilized resistance against Britain at a time when the war effort was going poorly.

The Declaration provides clear and emphatic statements supporting self-government and individual rights, and it has become a model of such statements for several hundred years and around the world. The Declaration is still important because it says the American people believe in equal rights for all. Today we know that the words ‘all men are created equal’ include everyone: women, men, children, and every race, group, and ability. But in 1776, people’s ideas were different. Only white men who owned property had the right to vote. Laws that recognized equal rights of other groups were passed later.

References

1. Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt. Black Reconstruction in America: Toward a History of the Part Which Black Folk Played in the Attempt to Reconstruct Democracy in America, 1860-1880. Routledge, 2017.
2. Feagin, Joe R., and Kimberley Ducey. Racist America: Roots, Current Realities, and Future Reparations. Routledge, 2018.
3. Fullilove, Mindy Thompson. Root Shock: How Tearing Up City Neighborhoods Hurts America, and What We Can Do About It. New Village Press, 2016.
4. Hutto, Richard Jay. A Poisoned Life: Florence Chandler Maybrick, the First American Woman Sentenced to Death in England. McFarland, 2018.
5. Jongman, Albert J. Political Terrorism: A New Guide to Actors, Authors, Concepts, Data Bases, Theories, and Literature. Routledge, 2017.
6. Nussbaum, Martha C. ‘Capabilities, Entitlements, Rights: Supplementation and Critique’. Justice and the Capabilities Approach. Routledge, 2017. 173-187.
7. Wills, Garry. Inventing America: Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. Vintage, 2018.

Research assignment

Claim:

On the authority of the Declaration of Independence, it is a self-evident truth “that all men are created equal.” Yet we hear that biology has demonstrated conclusively that men are unequal. Does biology contradict what the Declaration of Independence holds to be a self-evident truth?

(Source: Dobzhansky T. (1966) Biological Evolution and Human Equality. In: Steinhardt J. (eds) Science and the Modern World. Springer, Boston, MA)

Research question:

How are the Bajau people genetically disparate from the average person in terms of the ability to deep sea dive over extended lengths of time?

Rationale: 300-350 words

Recently the claim, “Does biology contradict what the Declaration of Independence holds to be a self-evident truth?” was constructed. The claim discussed the link between inequality between humans and the Declaration of Independence. As biology disputes; all men are not equal as after initial research different races have been found to have a large disparity in genetics in terms of their abilities. This claim however did not provide a specific example of a scientific case study where cultural and biogenetic variances contradict the Declaration of Independence.

This then posed a second question “Is there a genetic difference between different races?”. No two people are genetically identical however, genetics does differ between different races. Homo sapiens is a relatively young species and has not had as much time to accumulate genetic variation compared to the vast majority of species on earth, most of which predate humans by enormous expanses of time. Nonetheless, there is considerable genetic variation in our species. The most notable cause of this is natural selection. Natural Selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to variances in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution affecting the change in the heritable traits and characteristics of a population over generations. A striking example of natural selection is the Bajau people of Southeast Asia, who generationally have developed larger spleens

To confirm this theory, additional scientific evidence and a more specific research question were necessary. In doing so this was further refined to specifically consider genetics and biological evolution. In consequence, a more relevant and detailed question was developed; “How are the Bajau people genetically disparate from the average person in terms of ability to deep sea dive over extended lengths of time?” The Bajau are a tribe of seafaring people, who have lived exclusively on the water for centuries. They reside in Southeast Asia, in the waters of the southwest Philippines. The Bajau “dive repeatedly for about eight hours a day, spending about 60% of their time underwater. So this could be anything from 30 seconds to several minutes, but they’re diving to depths of over 70m,’ quoted Dr Ilardo. These abilities aren’t merely the results of training, the Bajau population have lived their lives at sea for generations, so much so, that they’ve developed adaptions to their oceanic lifestyle.

Evidence:

Source 1:

An international team of researchers studied the Bajau extensively, and through a portable sonogram, were found to have significantly larger spleens than a neighboring village that primarily farmed as a source of food as opposed to fish. The scans showed that the spleens of the Bajau, whether they are divers or non-divers, are 50% larger than their close geographic neighbors, the Saluan, who have minimal interaction with the marine environment. This suggests that it is an inherited or genetic trait rather than simply a consequence of a lifestyle existing in diving. An increased spleen size is relatively significant as it is a reservoir in which red blood cells are stored. Ensuring that when diving, the spleen contracts and injects additional red blood cells into the circulating blood, increasing its capacity to carry oxygen.

As seen in Figure One, the boxplots are not closely related and it is clear that there is a vast difference between the sizes of the Saluan population’s spleen and the Bajau people’s spleens. The maximum size of the Bajau spleen is estimably 275 cm3 whilst the maximum Saluan spleen size was 175cm3. This is a significant dissimilarity in size.

Notably, this difference is not significant when comparing Bajau divers to Bajau non-divers, suggesting the difference between the Bajau and Saluan is not simply driven by the fact that more Bajau individuals are divers.

A DNA analysis revealed a gene variation frequent in the Bajau population assists their ability to deep-sea dive. This gene controls levels of a hormone called T4, which is produced by the thyroid gland. T4 causes an increase in metabolic rate which can help to combat low oxygen levels. Melissa A. Ilardo quotes “We believe that in the Bajau they have an adaptation that increases thyroid hormone levels and therefore, increases their spleen size”. It has been shown in mice that thyroid hormones and spleen size are connected. Tests have shown that if mice have an absence of the thyroid hormone T4, their spleen size is drastically reduced, however, the results are reversible with an injection of T4.

Genetic Variation is a gene thought to be associated with increased peripheral vasoconstriction which oxygenates important tissues like the brain, heart, and lungs, thereby potentially increasing the Bajau’s population ability to dive over an extended period.

Source 2: https://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/index.php/genetic-adaptations-diving-discovered-humans-first-time

The spleens play a vital role in extending the time to free dive as it is a form part of the human dive response. The human dive response is when the human body is submerged under water for any amount of time, this response is triggered as a method of assisting the boy to survive in an oxygen-deprived environment. When this happens the heart rate slows down, the spleen contracts, and blood vessels shrink to preserve blood for vital organs. This allows more oxygenated blood cells to be circulated in the bloodstream and has been found to provide a 9% increase in oxygen, thereby prolonging the time underwater.

An international research team consisting of academics from the University of Copenhagen, Cambridge, and Berkeley eliminated the possibility that larger spleens were just a response to routine diving and began to investigate their genetic data. It was discovered that the Bajau have a gene called PDE10A which was not found in the Saluan’s genetics. The PDE10A gene controls the levels of the thyroid hormone T4.

Source 3: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/04/20/why-these-extraordinary-sea-hunting-people-in-asia-can-dive-hundreds-of-feet-on-a-single-breath/?noredirect=on

An increased thyroid hormone PDE10A level in the Bajau population is believed to control their levels of the thyroid hormone, inevitably increasing their spleen size. Dr Racimo said “This gene existed before the Bajau because the Saluan have it too, but once they diverged from each other, at some point in history, it became advantageous for Bajau individuals to have this after the Bajau adapted to this particular lifestyle. Individuals who had it tended to survive more than others or they had more children. The fact that both Bajau divers and non-divers have the large spleen points to the fact that this is something they have from birth rather than something they acquired through experience over time.” This is a clear example of natural selection, where the PDE10A gene has been inherited and passed down ensuring only the fittest pass their genes onto future generations.

Dr Ilardo’s research team also discovered other genetic adaptations. One of these includes BDKRB2, which is the only gene that has been previously linked to diving in humans. It affects the constriction of blood vessels in extreme conditions and how much oxygen reaches the core organs like the brain, heart, and lungs. FAM178B was also found which affects the levels of carbon dioxide in the blood which is an important factor when holding one’s breath. This specific gene that is common in the Bajau seems to have originated from a group of ancient hominids who lived in Asia called the Denisovans. It is clear that when modern humans entered Asia they inherited some of the Denisovan DNA which was then passed down to the Bajau population.

Evaluation:

Source one:

The results of the population genetics analyses suggest that a selection scan comparing Bajau and Saluan would be appropriate to detect Bajau-specific positive selection as a lower number of Bajau would likely be unreliable. Furthermore, previous studies have shown that a larger selection across a range of surrounding populations is highly powerful in detecting local adaptation. Therefore, by merging the data from the Bajau and Saluan a more reliable and unbiased scan on detecting natural selection was performed.

The results of our population genetics analyses identified two seaside villages, Jaya Bakti and Koyoan, primarily inhabited by ethnic Bajau and Saluan populations. 59 Bajau individuals and 1 Saluan were found to be closely related through a genetic test, these individuals were excluded from further analyses. This demonstrates how meticulous the researchers were when collecting data to refrain from being biased. Additional factors were also taken into account, which included, gender, age, weight, height, and whether the individuals are divers as covariates. Two forms of measurements on different machines were taken to collect a range of valid data to corroborate a portable ultrasound was taken and measurements were able to calculate the volume of the spleens which was then correlated with the results using a computed tomography scan. Subsequently, the same tests were taken on the Saluan people and were then compared to the Bajau results which led to the conclusion that the Bajau have larger spleens than the Saluan which makes them more equipped for diving.

Source 2:

This source is from the University of Cambridge which is reliable since it is an educative and scholarly source. This article was published recently on the 20th of March 2018, further supporting the reliability of this source. In 2015, an international research team led by academics from the Universities of Copenhagen, Cambridge, and Berkeley, along with Melissa Ilardo a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular Medicine at the University of Utah collaboratively experimented on the Bajau population.

According to the University of Cambridge, there is a potential for further research on genetic adaptations to diving lifestyles such as the Thai Moken population and the Haenyeo diving women of Jeju in South Korea. Studying these similar populations will continue to shed more light on the connection between human physiology and natural selection.

Source 3:

This source is relatively recent as it was published on the 20th of April 2018. The same researchers are quoted in this source and the data is also from the same experiment. The team traveled to Indonesia three times to collect relevant data and information on the tribe before experimenting. The research was very thorough and strove for accuracy, precision, and unbiased data. They accounted for confounding factors like age, sex, and height as well as separate testing for any individuals who were related to the Saluan. Therefore, this source is very reliable.

Conclusion:

Based on the analysis of evidence and evaluation of sources detailed above, a clear conclusion in response to the research question “How are the Bajau people genetically disparate from the average person in terms of ability to deep sea dive over extended lengths of time?” has been confirmed that the Bajau in their ability to deep-sea dive are dissimilar because of their genetically enlarged spleens. This conclusion also confirms the claim provided, does biology contradict what the Declaration of Independence holds to be a self-evident truth? This conclusion contradicts the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal” as this specific example verifies that this population is biologically different from other populations. However, the evidence supporting this claim has varying limitations that may have affected the quality of this investigation. If more research had been done on this topic by scientists a larger understanding could have increased the reliability of data as well as a wider range of sources. In conclusion, the Bajau population in Indonesia has genetically larger spleens enabling them to deep-sea dive for a longer period.

Bibliography:

1. Australian Museum 2018, What is natural selection, Australian Museum, viewed 25 August 2019, < https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/species-identification/ask-an-expert/what-is-natural-selection/ >
2. BBC 2018, Bajau people ‘evolved bigger spleens’ for free-diving, BBC, viewed 11 August 2019, < https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43823885 >
3. Cell Press 2018, Physiological and Genetic Adaptations to Diving in Sea Nomads, Cell Press, viewed 7 August 2019, < https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(18)30386-6.pdf >
4. National Geographic 2018, ‘Sea Nomads’ Are First Known Humans Genetically Adapted to Diving, National Geographic, viewed 8 August 2019, < https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/04/bajau-sea-nomads-free-diving-spleen-science/ >
5. ScienceAlert 2018, These ‘Sea Nomads’ Are the First Known Humans to Have a Genetic Adaptation to Diving, ScienceAlert, viewed 7 August 2019, < https://www.sciencealert.com/indonesian-bajau-genetic-changes-adapt-them-to-aquatic-lifestyle-2 >
6. Sciencemag 2018, Did a study of Indonesian people who spend most of their days underwater violate ethical rules? ScienceMag, viewed 15 August 2019, < https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/did-study-indonesian-people-who-spend-their-days-under-water-violate-ethical-rules >
7. The Washington Post 2018, Why these extraordinary sea-hunting people in Asia can dive hundreds of feet on a single breath, The Washington Post, viewed 10 August 2019, < https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/04/20/why-these-extraordinary-sea-hunting-people-in-asia-can-dive-hundreds-of-feet-on-a-single-breath/?noredirect=on >
8. The Atlantic 2018, How Asia’s Super Divers Evolved for a Life at Sea, The Atlantic, viewed 13 August 2019, < https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/bajau-sea-nomads-diving-evolution-spleen/558359/ >
9. University of Cambridge 2018, Genetic adaptations to diving discovered in humans for the first time, University of Cambridge, viewed 7 August 2019, < https://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/index.php/genetic-adaptations-diving-discovered-humans-first-time >

Introduction

In the United States, the declaration of independence meant a lot to Thomas Jefferson, though his interest was to go back to Virginia so that he could assist in drafting the countries laws. According to Jefferson, the independence was to liberate the Americans from the oppression of the British government.

As someone keen on the people’s right and independence, he believed that all people should be free and not be deprived of opportunities, but ought to remain happy and enjoy life. Jefferson was an agent of change who maintained his professional documentaries, which depicted American Revolution that could only be spearheaded by the people of integrity.

In fact, he was analytical of the prospected changes in the systems of government, especially the one that would be responsible for enhancing equality. Therefore, this report focuses on the key ideas in the Declaration of Independence, including the concepts of natural rights and consent of the governed.

Declaration of Independence

Apparently, as several interest groups struggled for their natural rights such as sovereignty, equality and freedom, there was need to limit the activities of various factions against one another. Most of the groups relied on the laws of nature in controlling their affairs and did not believe that the powers from another geographic location could curtail other people’s activities.

This was really a struggle among the powers and an occurrence against the control that nature exerted on earthly phenomenon and people. The increase in such occurrence necessitated a declaration and proclamation that the various groups and individuals had to make for their freedom so that they could improve the condition of living in the region (Shelley & Ford, 2011). In addition, the compulsion of change that finally led to the declaration of independence based on the consent of the governed.

The Americans also believed that the natural rights of each individual were to be observed and the course of law could only be changed by the people themselves so that it could create decency in society. Moreover, the people needed respect despite the various demands that certain interest groups required. The factual things remained undeniable among the people on whether acting individually or as a group could help bring independence.

However, some people disregarded the reality and went further to exert influence on other groups to cause unnecessary fear and tension. Notably, such could not be condoned and the Americans were compelled to go to war with the colonial masters. There were several key indicators in the declaration of independence that included some of the following.

The Key Indicators

First, it was evident that in one’s righteous mind, all people were equal in terms of creation, thus deserved freedom. In this sense, no person had the power to claim superiority than the rest since the equality guaranteed all people a common sense of independence and they were to remain free from interference.

Since freedom improves one’s productivity and innovation, confinement or curtailing the freedom limits one’s achievement and the equal opportunity to express his/her own opinion regarding growth and aspiration. This could not be realized because the US people’s independence was curtailed (Shelley & Ford, 2011).

In fact, each person had his/her way of expressing the rights without intimidation. Besides, the rights could not be alienated from the person at will. Notably, the Americans knew that the human lifestyle could be compromised the moment his/her liberty was curtailed.

Basically, happiness is the only way a person can express his/her freedom, meaning that the degree of a group’s contentment determines the safety of its members, a situation that calls for independence. Jefferson and others understood that it might not be easy to compel someone to forgo happiness at the expense of another person.

The traditional society also discouraged abuses that a particular group could have on the other. This indicated the way in which the society valued freedom and fought for independence after their leaders sought the consent of the majority.

The second idea under this declaration was objectivity. Particularly, it aimed at ensuring that the subjective power existed, thus the formation of a government. This government was to serve the interest of the different groupings of people with an aim of reducing the persistent conflicts of interest among the citizens (Shelley & Ford, 2011). Moreover, the government was to serve all regardless of the interest and affiliation.

Therefore, the people were very optimistic that the government was to articulate its duty of ensuring security for the people who had suffered from the hands of the colonialists. After attaining sovereignty, the government was to address numerous constraints the people had gone through during colonialism; hence the declaration of independence meant a lot for the people of the US who had been held under dehumanizing leadership of the colonial master.

Third, in the US, the declaration meant that the new government was to take the political power and responsibility to protect all the citizens. Thomas Jefferson strongly believed in the establishment of the Government, which is founded on the principle of sovereignty finds its residence in the leaders, and not on the people.

However, the work could only be implemented easily if the people concede to it. He strongly believed that the sovereignty would be exercised by the new government on behalf of the people through their consent. In addition, he understood that the declaration had the goal of disabling, killing or imprisoning all rival political opponents or potential leaders who might threaten his political ambitions.

In doing this, he would make use of imprisonment, selecting repression, executions or torture to disable and cripple any opposing groups. Moreover, he would concentrate power, prestige and authority as objects of emulation.

The fourth idea included the need for the country to create, offer support to, and encourage the military movements and groups in the entire population. He also wanted to engage in the exportation of revolutionaries into the management of affairs.

Besides, he had an aim of increasing political contacts and economic ties with other developing nations, with the view of enhancing the people’s freedom. In the US, the declaration meant that the likes of Thomas had a goal of waging planetary control so as to enable the country take control over the conquer, and probably subdue the remaining infidel nations.

This aimed at bringing the latter under the rule and control of the people, thus a sense of sovereignty (Shelley & Ford, 2011). In this regard, the major aim of the declaration of independence was to rule the US by its leaders.

Essentially, the declaration of independence was more distinct in its analysis of the status quo than the situation that was in other countries since it carefully portrayed the intended system of government through the consent of the people.

It also challenged the expectations of the leaders with the tactical analysis of the past and presentation governments based on the issues, which the present one would be able to address. With its simple, clearly articulated and focused statements, the declaration of independence facilitated the understanding of the intentions of the new government.

Reference

Shelley, S. & Ford, B. (2011). American Government and Politics Today. California, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.