The United States was founded on a set of ideas and principles developed over many centuries. Those ideas helped give rise to a system of representative government based on the rule of law and a respect for individual rights and liberties.
Ideas on government. American colonists drew their ideas about government from various sources, including classical civilizations, English law, and Enlightenment philosophy. They combined those ideas with their experiences in colonial self-government.
Declaring independence. Accustomed to self-rule, colonists were quick to react to when Great Britain tried to impose taxes on the colonies. In 1776, the colonies declared themselves to be :Free and Independent States.”
Framing constitutions. While fighting for independence, Americans wrote state constitutions and a national plan called the Articles of Confederation. Weaknesses in the Articles led to the framing of a new constitution that gave more power to the national government.
Ratifying the Constitution, By 1788, enough states had ratified the Constitution to make it the law of the land. A new government, with George Washington as president, was installed in 1789.
Adding the Bill of Rights. To satisfy critics of the Constitution, James Madison drafted a series of amendments to protect individual rights. The Bill of Rights was ratified by the states in 1791 and became the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the students and speakers of our government classes and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of this website, institution, or organization. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.
After fighting broke out in Massachusetts, the Continental Congress met again and voted to form a Continental Army made up of volunteers from all the colonies. George Washington was chosen to be the new army’s commanding officer.
The Congress hesitated to call for a final break with Britain. Many delegates hoped that a peaceful resolution could be found. John Adams of Massachusetts was not among them and worked tirelessly to convince his fellow delegates that independence should be their goal.
The Declaration has three parts: the Preamble, a list of charges against King George III, and a conclusion.
The Preamble summarizes the fundamental principles of American self-government.
The list of charges against the king presents examples of the violation of those principles.
The conclusion calls for duty, action, and sacrifice.
Finally, in June 1776, the Congress formed a committee to draft a declaration of independence. This committee consisted of five men: Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert Livingston of New York. The task of crafting the first draft went to Jefferson. A gifted writer, he included the ideas from philosophers such as Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu in the Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson wrote,
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,
– Declaration of Independence, 1776
Jefferson set forth a vision of a new kind of nation. Unlike old nations based on blood ties or conquest, this new nation was born of two new key ideas. The first is that governments are formed to protect people’s unalienable rights. Jefferson defined those basic individual rights as the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The second key idea is that governments “derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
The Declaration goes on to say that if a government fails to protect people’s rights, the people should abolish it and form a new one. To bolster the case for doing just that, the Declaration details “a long train of abuses” that violated the colonists rights. The document concludes with the declaration that
That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
– Declaration of Independence, 1776
On July 4, 1776, the members of Congress formally approved the Declaration of Independence. By signing the Declaration, the delegates were making a formal declaration of war against what was then the most powerful nation.
The committee of leaders of the Continental Congress agreed on a statement that explained the need for attempted separation from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston included the ideas from philosophers such as Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu in the Declaration of Independence.
Looking at Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, you can’t help but notice the similarities between the language Locke used and the phrases used in the Declaration of Independence. Ideas such as natural rights as they relate to life, liberty, and property; the consent of the governed; and the concept of limited government were all borrowed by the authors of the Declaration of Independence. For instance, Locke describes natural rights as “the state of nature has a law to govern it, which obliges everyone.” The Declaration of Independence calls natural law “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.” On equality, Locke refers to people as “men being by nature all free, equal and independent,” whereas the Declaration of Independence announced that “all men are created equal.” In addition, the Declaration of Independence used many of the concepts from English Common Law related to the rights of the accused and the institutions such as representative colonial assemblies as the rationale why the colonists wanted to revolt against Great Britain.
The list of charges against King George III also had a significant effect on the goals of the Articles of Confederation and then on the Constitution itself. The Declaration of Independence lists many abuses brought about by bad leadership. Using the philosophical arguments of John Locke and others, this list is a blueprint of what government should not be allowed to do. It enumerates what freedoms government must provide for citizens and how citizens should control government.
Using Locke’s Second Treatise of Civil Government as a model, Jefferson emphasized how the government was a form of social contract between citizens and leaders. Jefferson wrote that government exists to provide liberties and freedoms for those who agree to the rules and limits. He also wrote that the phrase “life, liberty, and pursuit of property” to emphasize the fundamental goal of the country’s government structure. The Declaration of Independence remains a key guide to the rights maintained in a limited government.
Looking at the Declaration of Independence itself, you should be able to summarize these major parts of the document:
The Philosophical Basis Using Locke’s philosophy, the Declaration of Independence establishes “unalienable rights” as the cornerstone of natural rights. As a consequence of these rights, limited governments are formed receiving their powers from “the consent of the governed.”
The Grievances In a lawyerlike dissertation, the second part of the Declaration of Independence makes the case against Great Britain. Taxation without representation, unjust trials, quartering of British soldiers, abolition of colonial assemblies, and a policy of mercantilism created a logic for drastic change.
The Statement of Separation Announcing to the world that the colonists had no choice but to revolt, Jefferson stated that it is not only the right, but the duty of the colonists to change the government. You should understand how risky the revolution was for the colonists. Like David against Goliath, the outcome of the American Revolution was far from certain. England had superior power, a navy that was supreme, and resources that could support a war effort. The colonists resorting to guerrilla tactics and a knowledge of their land, had leadership and a desire for freedom
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the students and speakers of our government classes and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of this website, institution, or organization. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.
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