If there ever was a source document for a holiday, “The Declaration of Independence” is (without a doubt) the source document Independence Day – oddly enough, some of the most critical predispositions of its original purposes are often misquoted, misrepresented, and even ignored even while we continue to celebrate Independence Day.
For clarity and transparency, a copy of the original text of “The Declaration of Independence” has been inserted at the bottom of this article – Note: spelling and punctuation reflects the original document.
How could a document that is so clearly written be so grossly misinterpreted? Let’s consider some of the original conditions and motives the document illustrates.
The Declaration of Independence was intended for many audiences: a king, the colonists, and all the known world – it was meant to rally troops, persuade foreign allies, and to announce the creation of a new country – to explain the colonists’ right to revolution, “to declare the causes which impel them to the separation” – this new nation needed to prove the legitimacy of its cause, while defying the most powerful nation on earth – it needed to clarify, synchronize and motivate colonists, solicit allies, and justify its intent for independence in one document.
Most of us know familiar the components of the declaration, like the preamble – “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.”
This attention seeking introduction was designed to convince Americans (then and now) to put our lives on the line for the cause of equality, basic human rights, life, liberty, and happiness – which meant separation from a mother country who threatened our sense of security, economic stability, and identity – the preamble sought to inspire, unite, and illustrate a vision of a better life.
The declaration then rolls right into a series of conditional statements that define the abuses/faults that created situations demanding independence:
-If the king did not derive his just powers from the consent of the governed…
-If the Government becomes destructive…
-If there are repeated abuses and violations, perpetually pursuing the same evidence designed to reduce us to oppression/tyranny…
-If those condition persisted…
-It is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government.
-It is the right and duty of the people to throw off such a government, and to provide a new one for future security.
-There must be a foundation of principles and organize powers to provide safety and happiness.
Next the document presses it’s point with a written declaration that in spite extreme patience/tolerance of the colonies, the wrongs, abuses, and errors under the King of Great Britain had gone too far for too long – to which these thirteen colonies listed twenty-seven grievances to illustrate a case for independence.
Note: In fairness and warning to the reader, these twenty-seven grievances have many redundant features, and share similar points – we’ve paraphrased them for quick reading here:
-The king refused to approve new laws meant for the necessary and wholesome public good.
-The king refused to allow for local law and legislative representation.
-The king set up legislative bodies too unusual, uncomfortable, and distant for the sole purpose of fatiguing the colonies into compliance.
-The king repeatedly dissolved any attempt to establish representation and continued to erode the rights of the colonies.
-The king interfered with processes which allowed local representation – leaving the colonies powerless, exposed and subject to danger.
-The king obstructed local efforts for naturalization, migrations and appropriations of new lands.
-The king obstructs the administration of justice and impedes local judiciary powers.
-The king made judges dependent on his will alone.
-The king created new offices and officers sent to harass the colonies, while requiring the locals to house and sustain the harasser’s existence.
-The king kept armies in the colonies without consent of the colonies.
-The king insisted his armies be independent and superior of local powers.
-The king joined forces with other powers to keep the colonies subject to his jurisdiction without legislation and subverting local powers or laws.
-The king required his armies to be housed among the locals.
-The king protected his troops from accusation, trial, or punishment for crimes committed in the colonies.
-The king cut off the colonies’ trade with other parts of the world.
-The king imposed taxes without consent or representation.
-The king regularly deprived locals of fair trials by jury and insisted on trials in overseas locations for pretend offences.
-The king abolished local systems of law, replacing it with arbitrary government heads rendering the colonies victims of absolute foreign rule.
-The king removed local charters, critical local laws which altered the fundamentals of the colonies governance.
-The king suspended local legislatives declaring his law had power over all locals – he abdicated local governance.
-The king plundered local seas, ravaged the coasts, burnt out towns, and destroyed the lives of the locals in a war-like fashion.
-The king continued to send larger armies to cruelly enforce his tyranny and deceit unparalleled in known history.
-The king forced those taken captive to bear arms against the new nation.
-The king incited local insurrections and endeavored to bring indigenous inhabitants against the colonies.
Now, having listed the twenty-seven grievances, the declaration points out many efforts the colonies attempted to reach agreements with the king, only to be met with more injury and tyranny – the declaration further reminds the king of the many warning and attempts to legislate agreements, only to be met with deaf ears and bloodshed – so, the colonies had no other choice except to push back in most extreme measures.
Finally, the document crescendos with a written official declaration (from the newly formed United States of America) of independence from Great Britain – and that these colonies have rights, are free and independent – they are also absolved from allegiance to the crown and all political connections – they declared full power to wage war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and act in ways independent states act – these rights protected by divine providence – by this they pledge their lives, fortunes, and their sacred honor.
It was done – independence had been declared at great risk to all involved – there must have been inordinate amounts of fear, exuberance, and baited anticipation by all the signers right down to every citizen of the new nation – the road ahead would be balanced with risk and reward, both at great costs – a new nation was formed.
Its important to reflect on this portion of our history each Independence Day – because if we look closely, we can see where we maybe jeopardizing our own rights and freedoms (again) – that’s why its critical that we don’t lose sight of this history – even today, 248 years later, our nation finds herself tinkering with the same basics rights and freedoms this declaration proclaimed were divine providence.
Take care America – if we lean into positions and postures that restrict basic human rights and freedoms from some of us, they are no good for any of us – that is, unless we plan to declare independence from our independence for a narrower and more restricted America – sounds crazy, but there’s talk of it.
Again, take care America – Happy Independence Day!
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Below you will find actual text of the Declaration Of Independence – spelling and punctuation reflects the original document:
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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 becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. 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. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
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.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. 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.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, 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.
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