The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is one of the founding documents of the United States of America. The text was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson in June of 1776 after the Second Continental Congress appointed him the chair of the Committee of Five (the others were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman), a group designated to draft a statement declaring the American colonies independent from Great Britain. Jefferson based his draft on existing documents such as George Mason’s draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and Enlightenment-era texts by authors such as John Locke. Jefferson would later say he was not striving for originality but to express the American mind. The Continental Congress edited Jefferson’s draft and signed the Declaration on July 4, 1776. John Dunlap printed copies of the Declaration that same night. Today, the original document is among the most important in American history and is on display in the rotunda of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC.

This study guide makes use of the transcription of that version produced by the National Archives.

The Declaration opens with a preamble explaining why the document was created: It is necessary to provide reasons when one nation severs its political ties to another. Jefferson argues that all men are created equal and possess rights that should not be denied by any government. These rights include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When a government fails to secure or defend these rights, the people are justified in overthrowing that government and replacing it with one that they believe will do so. While a people ought not to overthrow a government for minor reasons, the British government has committed a long list of abuses against the colonists who, as a consequence, now declare their independence.

The Declaration identifies 27 abuses committed by King George III. For example, he has not allowed the colonists to be represented in Parliament. He has eliminated created new offices designed to harass colonists. He has made the military independent of, and more powerful than, civilian governments. He also imposed, along with Parliament, policies to which the colonists could not and did not consent, including legislation that imposed taxes on the colonists and required them to house British soldiers. Additionally, he abridged the colonists’ rights to trial by jury and free trade. Finally, he has not defended the borders of the colonies but instead has used the British military to seize American ships and made it clear that he intends to pay foreign mercenaries, if necessary, to suppress insurrection in the colonies.

Because of these grievances, the colonial governments have tried to petition the British government peacefully to resolve the tensions. The king has ignored these petitions. Individual colonists who appealed to individual British citizens about their concerns have also been ignored. Even appeals to shared customs and heritage have fallen on deaf ears. After these repeated diplomatic efforts, the colonists are left with no choice but to declare independence.

The resulting nation will be called the United States of America and will claim the rights granted to all nations, including the right to make war and peace, ally with other nations, trade freely, and do anything else that nations are allowed to do. The signers pledge their lives, fortunes, and honor to the cause and believe they are protected by a higher power.