The Meaning of the Declaration of Independence
Library of Congress
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them…
As the 250th year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence takes us farther away from that early summer day in Philadelphia in 1776, the significance of that document and what it meant for those who signed it are less clear. As schools rarely teach the beginnings of our nation these days, the essence of that document gets murkier with the passage of time.
A declaration is, by definition, a formal, official statement – usually written; and when written and signed, this public proclamation of intent, or state of affairs, is legally binding. It stands in a court of law, and is as important as a sworn statement.
When a war starts, usually the instigator of the conflict makes a formal declaration of war to those attacked. In our nation, Congress is tasked with that duty – usually in response to another country creating an act of war against us.
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress did just that. They knew that affixing their signatures to the official break with Great Britain amounted to treason; they realized that they could be tried and executed for their agreement to the Declaration.
One of the most common reasons people give today, when asked about why the Declaration of Independence was written and signed, is that the colonists resented taxation without representation. They were subject to the laws of the king, yet they had no voice in any matter relating to how they should be governed. While this is true, it is only one of many reasons. In The Declaration of Independence, the fifty-six signers from the thirteen colonies aired many grievances – and they were grievous indeed.
When the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in June of 1776, battles between the colonists and the British forces had already been going on for nearly two years. The delegates agreed that a formal declaration was needed to exert their independence from England and its oppressive King George III. Five men were placed on a committee to create it, and Thomas Jefferson was elected to write it. There were apparently “repeated injuries and usurpations” that resulted in “absolute tyranny” precipitated by the king. Here are some of them:
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance…until his Assent should be obtained. This caused great problems within the colonies, as it took sometimes months to get the king’s approval. George III was the quintessential micromanager – and the colonies suffered greatly because of it.
He has refused for a long time, after…dissolutions, to cause others to be elected… the State remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without and convulsions within. The French and Indian War (or the Seven Years War), although ended, still had repercussions with the former combatants, especially in outlying areas. The former combatants still did not conform to English laws, attacking colonists at will. The colonists were continuously exposed to dangerous situations. On the seas, piracy was common. Moreover, there were citizens within causing havoc – all without redress.
He has refused to pass laws to encourage…migrations. Georgia was the newest colony, founded in 1734. Many of the outlying areas of the colonies were desirable for migration. The king refused to allow this.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. This military presence often brought about discord. The Boston Massacre in 1770 is a good example. The public in general was not allowed to interfere with the military – and the British soldiers, who were aware of this, often took advantage.
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us…protecting them by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States. Soldiers were permitted to confiscate any food or materials they deemed necessary for themselves and took these from the colonists. They were permitted, if they wished, to simply enter a home and live in it, forcing the occupants to leave or to put up with their presence. And, they could kill civilians if they wanted to, often without arrest and almost always without conviction. It appears the king allowed diplomatic immunity on steroids.
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world. The colonies could only trade with Great Britain, at a price only the king approved. It kept many American colonists incapable of rising beyond the poverty level. He also forced the colonists to buy only from Great Britain, also at a cost fixed by him. It was the reason for the Boston Tea Party in 1773, as colonists refused to accept the tea brought from England.
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our Governments. Enraged by the Boston Tea Party, King George III punished the colony of Massachusetts by abolishing their local charters, and forcing heavy taxation on them and all of the other colonies – lest they get any ideas from Massachusetts to do the same. These actions were known as The Intolerable Acts.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. Before the Revolution was official, George III ordered three towns burned to the ground: Charlestown, Massachusetts (near Bunker Hill), Falmouth, Massachusetts (now a part of Maine), and Norfolk, Virginia.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their County, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. This was a big grievance. King George III captured many colonists while on the seas – as many colonies bordered the Atlantic Ocean and made their livings as fishermen. The king had his Navy capture them and force them into the British Navy – their only other option was death. It is not surprising that these constituents, after they “Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms” to no avail, that they finally realized the king was “unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
The document begins with the reasons for their dissolution with this key phrase: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The declaration had been finished before July 4, and would have been signed a day earlier – except that a clause Jefferson had included against slavery and to declare slaves free caused a rupture among the statesmen. Two colonies, Georgia and South Carolina, refused to sign the document if it contained that sentence. After a day of deliberation, it was removed. It would be many decades later, after a war was fought between the states, that truly all within the borders of the United States would be free from slavery. The sentence, however, was still true then – that every human being in the world is born with those inalienable rights.
The declaration ends with determination to “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
John Hancock from Massachusetts was the first signer – his bold signature was deliberately large so that the king could easily read it. The rest followed suit – some on July 4, 1776, and others a bit later on August 2.
Today, the original document is housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Its writing has faded, but its meaning is still clear. Governments exist to help its citizens, not harm them, to serve them, not to be served by them. Only the consent of the governed can keep a government intact.
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, otherwise known as the Bill of Rights, are a direct result of the resolve of the signers of the declaration – some of whom also signed the Constitution in 1787 – to prevent any form of government from keeping its citizens from their rights to freedom of religion, speech, the press, the right to peacefully assemble, the right to protect themselves with weaponry, the right to a speedy trial by an unprejudiced jury of our peers, protection from unlawful search and seizure of our homes and property, no cruel and unusual punishment, and equal rights promised for all. These are things we take for granted today – the colonists did not have those luxuries then.
Two hundred and fifty years later, our government of the people is still the great experiment – and since that day in 1776, many other nations have followed our example.
This is the essence of The Declaration of Independence.
Pass the word.
