Declaration Of Independence Dbq Analysis

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At no point in the history of humankind has there been something about which everyone can agree. Everyone has different opinions, and the founding era in America was no exception to this rule. People felt very strongly about their views on things like the separation from England, the amount of power the federal government should have, and the idea of a national bank. One of the first decisions to be made in the struggle for America's independence was whether or not they should seek independence in the first place. Those loyal to England believed that rebelling against England would lead only to "devastation and ruin" (Charles Inglis). Some even believed that the success of the colonies was "the result of Great Britain" (anonymous letter) and that anyone who opposed Britain must be insane. The rebels--or patriots depending on who one asks--believed that Britain was a tyrant and had already begun waging war against them and that it was their responsibility to fight back. This debate eventually led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence as those resisting England's control outvoted those who were content with their situation. …show more content…

One of these things was the amount of power the federal government should have. Federalists argued for a stronger national government, with the rich having most of the power because they were "less wicked and sinful" (Alexander Hamilton). Antifederalists wanted stronger state governments and wanted all people to be represented, not just the rich elites. They wanted the government to be "a true picture of the people" (Melancton Smith). This debate doesn't have as clear-cut of an ending as the one above; instead, it led to the division of two political parties and is still a major debate