Individualism In The Declaration Of Independence

In modern-day, the Founding Fathers' interpretations of freedoms are viewed as restrictive because they only applied their ideals to white land-owning men. However, these ideals were progressive for their time. The colonists gained a sense of individualism while Britain was busy at war, which later helped form their four truths. The first two ideals were that all men are equal and god gave them the right to life, liberty, and property. The last ideals claimed that it is the government's job to protect those rights through the consent of the people, and the people secured the right to change the government if they violated said rights. These concepts were then incorporated throughout the Constitution and Bill of Rights to establish a new form

This is not to say the colonies did not levy taxes. The colonists were angry because the taxes from Britain were administered without their consent. The Declaration of Independence claims “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.” The colonists viewed actions such as taxation without representation to be tyrannical. The forced taxation infringed upon the colonist’s right to property. This translated into the establishment of the House of Representatives and direct election within the Constitution. Article I Section 2 of the Constitution states “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States.” This section created the branch of legislature known as the House of Representatives. It was decided that they were to be re-elected every 2 years through direct elections. This means that the people have the power to change the government every couple of years, and that remains

The First Amendment protects the ideals that all men are created equal and people reserve the right to change the government. This is because it does not allow the government to make laws “...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” or those that prohibit freedom of religion. This Amendment is important because it creates a basis for modern-day equality. Although originally the freedoms were interpreted differently, this amendment allows a diverse nation such as ours to function. Similarly, Amendments four through eight protect those who have been accused of a crime in order to preserve their rights to the four truths. These Amendments prevent unwarranted search and seizures, self-incrimination, excessive bail or punishment, and give a person the right to a speedy trial and jury. For instance,
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” This connects back to the treatment the colonists received from the British before the American revolution which led to the creation of these amendments. Amendments four through eight continue to protect Americans from wrongful imprisonment and seizure to this