Declaration Of Independence Essay

Prior to the founding of the United States in 1776, the 13 colonies were governed by Great Britain. They imposed acts and parties against the colonies and restricted rights. America obtained no representation. They believed that conflict with Britain was inevitable due to all the tyranny and corruption, so they demanded independence. The Declaration of Independence advocated freedom for the colonies under the oppression of British rule and established a government to uphold equality, freedom, and human rights. The declaration furthers people’s consciousness of their Inalienable Rights today. Parties, Acts, and Common Sense laid the foundation for the rise of liberty. The British imposed taxes, parties, and acts on colonies. The Stamp Act,

(Eisenhuth) The colonists became outraged by these various and harsh laws under British rule. The Coercive Act, which also refers to the Intolerable Act, passed four laws to punish the Boston Tea Party. This suggested the complete arousal of the indignation of colonists. In response, the British established tougher acts to bash America, which enhanced the discontent. (Zinn 59) Other motivating words influenced the movement toward independence. One of the pivotal figures in history, Thomas Paine, published a pamphlet in 1776 called Common Sense to inspire independence. He stated, “Why is it that we hesitate? From Britain we can expect nothing but ruin. If she is admitted to the government of America again, this continent will not be worth living in.” (Paine 22) Paine adopted rhetoric to persuade people to join the patriot cause for American independence by questioning if there was a reason to stay under British rule. Because of the suffrage beforehand, people felt empathy from his pamphlet, wanting to further promote the idea of independence. These affairs later stimulated America’s rebellion and ultimate freedom from

It not only impacted the constitution itself but also brought awareness to future generations with freedom, equality, and individual responsibility. However, it seems dissimilar from what the document stated nowadays. As Zinn stated in his book, “By its own language, the Declaration of Independence limited life, liberty and happiness to white males.” (Zinn 69) Indeed, the document called for people to govern their government, but there is a lack of evidence indicating that people are born equal. Especially groups besides white males are treated unequally without a doubt. Thus, the validity of the Declaration of Independence is