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How Does The Declaration Of Independence Fit As An 'Enlightened' Document And Why?

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The Declaration of Independence Study Questions 1.) How does the Declaration fit as an “enlightened” document and why? The Declaration of Independence is an enlightened document due to its emphasis on the guaranteed rights of citizens and the role of government in protecting those rights. 18th Century Enlightenment would be a period in which citizens of both Europe and the American Colonies would indulge in readings that would ultimately cause rationale and intellect to spread all throughout. Ideals of freedom would become evident throughout this period, leading towards the wanting of equality and true rights for all. The colonies at this time were being abused and battered by King George III, ultimately leading to the creation of the Declaration …show more content…

Now, with this newly enlightened stance on government, the Declaration would take its turn to batter its former ruler, not only outlining unalienable rights, but the freedom to pursue one’s own happiness. While equality would be an important ideal for many, having the freedom to follow one’s dreams would be a fond idea of enlightenment, as the freedom of people always came first. This is found in the Declaration when Jefferson states, “…that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…” This line in the Preamble not only points out the want of true life within the colonies, but the need for one’s own endeavors to be met. All in all, while the Declaration emphasizes a plethora of real abuses the colonies …show more content…

The number of violated rights endured by the American colonies is almost imaginable, as a self-destructing empire ruled over them for almost two centuries. By the 1760s, things would begin to fall apart between America and Britain, as an incompetent king would take the throne. Going from a place of representation to the complete dissolve of all self-representation, followed by the complete pillaging of rights, all the way to the complete rule of the king. Each of these pillars of tyranny would come into place one by one, following the deterioration of King George III’s mind. While a complete takeover would happen, the devastated colonies would come together to create the Declaration, which would highlight the King’s tyrannical rule in the grievances. One line by Jefferson stated that, “He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.” This grievance is specifically targeted towards King George III, as his irrational thinking left the American people without any representation at all. Along with this grievance, 26 more would complement each other, never letting go of the idea of cruel government rule. As expressed in the beginning, the clear outline of violated rights stood between King George III and the American people, never leaving a

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A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people” (Doc7). This excerpt from “The Declaration of Independence” describes King George III as an unfit ruler of the people and tells of the colonists’ petitions that have been read and thrown back at them with repeated hatefulness. It also tells of the King’s history of repeating injury and usurpations while having the ability to establish oppressive rule over all of the states. Another view of this situation includes the view of the British. In their eyes the colonists are being immature and are complaining more than needed towards the King George III’s decisions and ways of ruling.

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According to the Declaration of Independence, King George III was responsible for the American rebellion against the British Empire. The colonists listed 27 abuses committed by the king in the document. These repeated maltreatments established a tyrannical government in North America, which eventually led to the colonist’s revolt. The first 12 abuses established King George III’s authority as despotic instead of allowing a representative government for the colonists. For example: abuses 8 and 9 explains how King George III would further tighten his control through the judiciary.

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In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson writes, “ But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism” (par 1.) Thomas Jefferson is saying how Britain has abused them relentlessly hoping they could gain complete tyranny over the colonists. How the civilians of the colonies were victims to senseless violence and they had no way to escape from it. Another critical piece of the Declaration of Independence was the clause discussing how the colonists were going to stand up to “the Crown” and fight. The Declaration of Independence reads “We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation...

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Finally, the Declaration of Independence changed America by announcing the country's separation from other countries and also outlining its desired government. This had an impact on the ways the American government developed as well as the concepts behind efforts for justice and equality. The American colony’s struggle for independence and their grievances against King George III’s rule are highlighted in the Declaration of Independence through the use of a rhetorical device, in this case, anaphora. “He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.” (5) Additionally, this statement, “He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good,” is remarkable.

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it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government”. This is no plea like in Henry’s speech; the right of Americans to overthrow their repressive government is stated as absolute fact. The bulk of the Declaration’s straightforward, logical appeal is contained in the list of specific grievances against the king. Some of the many complaints listed include that “He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers” and “has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.” Past examples of oppression under British rule are mentioned in Henry’s speech a few times as well.

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Although the Declaration of Independence is now viewed as the official document that wholly released the United States from the political grasp of Great Britain, this was not the initial intended purpose of this document. In fact, at the time the first draft was written, the Colonists merely desired better treatment from the then supreme political power. Yet certain events inspired the American colonists to rethink their proposal for negotiation- events that led to revisions present in the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. As a means to ridicule Britain on its unjust principles, the Colonists imitated the British Declaration to expose Britain on its hypocritical views of equality. Therefore, it is easy to conclude that the American

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The Declaration of Colonial Rights and Grievances was written to show why the Americans had begun to oppose of their King. One of their grievances was that they were not being entitled to life, liberty, and property when they had done nothing to ceded to any sovereign power at all. Their ancestors, who came from Britain, had all the rights, liberties, and immunities that they were given when they were born. They are wondering why they are given less and less rights when they were also people of Britain, all that was different was that they didn't live on the mother country. The document also stated “That by such emigration they by no means forfeited, surrendered, or lost any of those rights, but that they were and their descendants now are, entitled to the exercise and enjoyment of all such of them, as their local and the other circumstances enable them to exercise and enjoy.”

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Thomas Jefferson is one of the founding fathers and the third president of the United States of America. Although, many people remember him as the author of the “Declaration of Independence”. In this document, Jefferson states that a government who doesn’t protect its people right should be changed. King George of England had imposed many unjust laws in the colonies. He had taken away the colonies rights.

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The Declaration painted a vivid picture of the self made man, who has freedom, and has a variety of choices. After much deliberation, Jefferson wanted to emancipate not only himself but intercede on behalf of all colonial settlers with the same freedoms that he dreamt of. Jefferson exposed the tyrannical acts of England so that he could create the image of the self-sustained man through the writing of the Declaration of Independence. This self-sustained man shows how growing his own food provides more than just sustenance, it provides freedom.

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The Declaration of Independence is the founding element of this country, and would not have the stability it has today without it. The argument is how each part of the Declaration is used to benefit and serve the people. There are documents provided, and this essay will relate each document to the part of the Declaration that it supports. The Declaration was constructed in order to relieve the colonies of Great Britain’s grasp, but is still incredibly useful in today’s living. The idea of the Declaration was introduced around June 1776, and was finally finished by Thomas Jefferson on July 4th, 1776.

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In 1774, the First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, home to Thomas Paine, to achieve two objectives: list American grievances and plan for resistance against British rule, thus creating the Declarations of Rights and Grievances (Norton, 2012). From 1774 to 1775 resistance movements were gaining momentum against Britain, however a statement of total separation from the monarch had not been explicitly declared. A year later, in 1776, when Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was published, American independence gained support. Paine’s Common Sense, which argues against the corruption of a ruling monarchy, condemns British treatment of Americans, and advocates America’s “natural right” to institute a new government presents compelling arguments for an American declaration of independence. This pamphlet held its popularity because it plainly presented arguments towards independence in “a formula anyone could understand” (Oliphant,

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In some ways, reading the American Declaration of Independence can feel like a “John Locke’s Greatest Hits” essay, with many of it’s key points directly borrowed from the Second Treatise of Government. It might even have been appropriate for Thomas Jefferson to have included a Works Cited or Bibliography page, given how much of the Declaration is the accumulation of the works of the era’s foremost philosophers and thinkers. The Declaration of Independence premises itself on the notions of the legitimacy of governments and the consent of the governed, both of which are central tenants of the political philosophy of John Locke. The parallels between the Declaration and the works of John Locke can best be seen in this statement from paragraph two: “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.--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

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Rebellion is the voice of the unsatisfied, the oppressed, and the messengers of change. The people of the United States want to separate from the British monarchy that controls them. In the Declaration of independence, Thomas Jefferson encourages the rebellion against King George and the pursuit of what the colonists have been denied for so many years. Jefferson believes that a rebellion is justifiable when an oppressive figure inhibits one from exercising one’s natural rights. Jefferson uses suffering-related diction and logical appeal to justify the defiance of restrictive government.

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During the writing of “The Declaration of Independence”, Thomas Jefferson go to great lengths to describe why the colonies were choosing to separate themselves from Great Britain. This is done not only so readers will have a detailed description of what the American people were facing while being ruled by the King. The vivid depiction of all the cruelty he has shown towards the people. Furthermore, the lengthy, highly descriptive examination of all the wrongs and showing that the colonists made many appeals to the King but also the people of Britain that the reader now feels as if it is wrong for the Colonies to be under Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson begins by detailing the ethical standings of all people that live within the colonies.

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