The leaders of America wrote the Declaration because they were being oppressed greatly by their British rulers.
They taxed a ridiculous amount of items for various reasons that revolve around British greed. At first, foreign items such as sugar were taxed so that America could trade with no one but Britain which, in turn, would give them more money.
Over the years, this notorious act was consistently repealed and then essentially replaced in a far worse form by a different act. Though they all had different names, they were basically the previous “repealed” act exacerbated even further than said previous act. As you would expect, discontent spread like wildfire through the colonies.
Three years later, the notorious Boston Massacre occurred which resulted in the deaths of five colonists. Tensions rose, but nothing much came of it until tensions rose once more three years later.
The Tea Acts were instated which lowered the cost of tea but taxed it as well. Though the tea was now cheaper than any other tea on the market, it was still taxed tea in the eyes of the Americans. The Americans were angered that the British thought they could tax them unfairly like that, so they threw the tea into the Boston Harbor during the famous Boston Tea Party. In response, Britain closed the Boston Harbor and placed Massachusetts under British control.
This was the last straw for the leaders of America and they soon began meeting in secret. This “Continental Congress” agreed to send a letter indicating what Britain could do to fix their relationship with America; the Olive Branch Petition. By this time, the actual war had already begun in earnest and King George had already labeled every colonist a traitor. When the Petition did happen to arrive, George chose not to end the war and prevent further loss of life; instead, he completely ignored the Petition.
Since George branded them as traitors and ignored their valid complaints, the Congress finally decided to draft the Declaration of Independence to declare their newfound longing for freedom to the world.
School
They taxed a ridiculous amount of items for various reasons that revolve around British greed. At first, foreign items such as sugar were taxed so that America could trade with no one but Britain which, in turn, would give them more money.
Over the years, this notorious act was consistently repealed and then essentially replaced in a far worse form by a different act. Though they all had different names, they were basically the previous “repealed” act exacerbated even further than said previous act. As you would expect, discontent spread like wildfire through the colonies.
Three years later, the notorious Boston Massacre occurred which resulted in the deaths of five colonists. Tensions rose, but nothing much came of it until tensions rose once more three years later.
The Tea Acts were instated which lowered the cost of tea but taxed it as well. Though the tea was now cheaper than any other tea on the market, it was still taxed tea in the eyes of the Americans. The Americans were angered that the British thought they could tax them unfairly like that, so they threw the tea into the Boston Harbor during the famous Boston Tea Party. In response, Britain closed the Boston Harbor and placed Massachusetts under British control.
This was the last straw for the leaders of America and they soon began meeting in secret. This “Continental Congress” agreed to send a letter indicating what Britain could do to fix their relationship with America; the Olive Branch Petition. By this time, the actual war had already begun in earnest and King George had already labeled every colonist a traitor. When the Petition did happen to arrive, George chose not to end the war and prevent further loss of life; instead, he completely ignored the Petition.
Since George branded them as traitors and ignored their valid complaints, the Congress finally decided to draft the Declaration of Independence to declare their newfound longing for freedom to the world.
School
The Declaration states that “all men are created equal.” The committee wrote it, but they didn’t follow it as they should have.
“Men” means mankind as a whole, not just men, and women were denied the rights this Declaration promises. Women were forced to “equally” marry at an early age and could do nothing without the consent of their husband. They were not allowed to serve in the army or serve in any other “male” occupations unless it was absolutely necessary. They had little rights but, well, at least they were given a modicum of respect while African Americans and Native Americans were given none at all.
African Americans were forced to “equally” work in brutal conditions under their white masters while Native Americans were “equally” driven out of their lands that they’ve lived in for centuries and “equally” murdered indiscreetly.
A second principle is that “everyone is endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Neither women, African Americans nor Native Americans were given these rights. They were killed for trying to secure liberty and were controlled tyrannically so that they could not be free or pursue happiness.
“That to secure these rights, governments is instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
The government did not secure these rights for any of the discussed people, and they certainly did not have consent to govern them with the exception of (perhaps) the women. No African American or Native American said that they wanted to be controlled by the American government and they were not even given their just rights. Now, as for women, I suppose it depends. If they’re rich, they probably wouldn’t want the government to change and risk losing their wealth and power; if they’re poor, they would want things to change, aside from a few people thinking outside of the social norm. I presume it’s just the same as it is today.
“That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it”.
This particular principle wouldn’t even apply to white men in terms of being accepted by the government. If President Jefferson and all of his subordinates turned tyrannical, I’m sure he would try to erase the principle he himself wrote from everyone’s minds. It applies even less to women, African Americans, and Native Americans.
The Native Americans were not technically ruled by the government, but they were. The colonists frequently threw them out of their homes and the reservations they created for them after they threw them out of their homes. Even though the government was destructive to the Native Americans, they did not receive the right to abolish it. Same with the African Americans.
They were being shipped as property from their home continent to another, were enslaved and generally treated poorly even if they were not enslaved. They did not get the right either. As for women, they were controlled by men and were ruled by male leaders, and they were not given any right either.
“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.”
The white colonists undermined long-established African governments because they were too lazy to do their own work and didn’t want to pay people to do it. They basically destroyed long-established Native American governments for such petty objectives as land.
As you now know, the noble Founding Fathers were not so noble after all. They were hypocritical and did not let African Americans, Native Americans, nor women receive the rights they deserved even though they themselves were complaining about their “lack of rights” under British rule. If only the Founding Fathers expanded their outlook to more people than just the rich white men… things might have been different in this country centuries ago.
http://www.heritage.org/initiatives/first-principles/primary-sources/the-declaration-of-independence (All of the Principles of the Declaration)
School
My own thoughts
“Men” means mankind as a whole, not just men, and women were denied the rights this Declaration promises. Women were forced to “equally” marry at an early age and could do nothing without the consent of their husband. They were not allowed to serve in the army or serve in any other “male” occupations unless it was absolutely necessary. They had little rights but, well, at least they were given a modicum of respect while African Americans and Native Americans were given none at all.
African Americans were forced to “equally” work in brutal conditions under their white masters while Native Americans were “equally” driven out of their lands that they’ve lived in for centuries and “equally” murdered indiscreetly.
A second principle is that “everyone is endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Neither women, African Americans nor Native Americans were given these rights. They were killed for trying to secure liberty and were controlled tyrannically so that they could not be free or pursue happiness.
“That to secure these rights, governments is instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
The government did not secure these rights for any of the discussed people, and they certainly did not have consent to govern them with the exception of (perhaps) the women. No African American or Native American said that they wanted to be controlled by the American government and they were not even given their just rights. Now, as for women, I suppose it depends. If they’re rich, they probably wouldn’t want the government to change and risk losing their wealth and power; if they’re poor, they would want things to change, aside from a few people thinking outside of the social norm. I presume it’s just the same as it is today.
“That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it”.
This particular principle wouldn’t even apply to white men in terms of being accepted by the government. If President Jefferson and all of his subordinates turned tyrannical, I’m sure he would try to erase the principle he himself wrote from everyone’s minds. It applies even less to women, African Americans, and Native Americans.
The Native Americans were not technically ruled by the government, but they were. The colonists frequently threw them out of their homes and the reservations they created for them after they threw them out of their homes. Even though the government was destructive to the Native Americans, they did not receive the right to abolish it. Same with the African Americans.
They were being shipped as property from their home continent to another, were enslaved and generally treated poorly even if they were not enslaved. They did not get the right either. As for women, they were controlled by men and were ruled by male leaders, and they were not given any right either.
“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.”
The white colonists undermined long-established African governments because they were too lazy to do their own work and didn’t want to pay people to do it. They basically destroyed long-established Native American governments for such petty objectives as land.
As you now know, the noble Founding Fathers were not so noble after all. They were hypocritical and did not let African Americans, Native Americans, nor women receive the rights they deserved even though they themselves were complaining about their “lack of rights” under British rule. If only the Founding Fathers expanded their outlook to more people than just the rich white men… things might have been different in this country centuries ago.
http://www.heritage.org/initiatives/first-principles/primary-sources/the-declaration-of-independence (All of the Principles of the Declaration)
School
My own thoughts