Declaration Of Independence Essay Example

Dear Thomas Jefferson, 

It’s been a while since we have last seen each other and I have been wanting to share my thoughts on this “Declaration of Independence” you dropped off on my doorstep. I think this is an interesting work of art as you make many claims that I believe should be a part of this new “free” nation, but there are also some things in it I find to be contradictory of the real United States. This will not come as a surprise as you asked for my opinion and I will be giving my full opinion on this document so here goes…

I find there to be a problem when you state “all “men” are created equal” because I’m unsure if you simply are referring to men as in males or men as in the entire human species. I believe that being clear about this would be better for the fact that there are still lots of people in the United States that get treated differently like women and races outside of the white community. I’m sure you couldn’t have forgotten about slavery. You state that “they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This line isn’t true because although people are born with these rights they have been stripped of them by others. I’m confused as to how you will write about men or mankind and then forget about slavery. Happiness can’t be achieved while being beaten and made inferior. Liberty is something that a slave has never felt because they are locked up and restricted everywhere they go. Not only slaves, but Black people all over free or not they are still oppressed and subject to beatings, which can end their Life. I feel as if this part in the declaration is hard to truly believe as many people are having these unalienable rights given to them by their Creator taken away by other men. In the United States, people may be created equal, but they are treated equally and life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are taken away from them by others. 

I feel as if you need to revise the section in which you speak of men and life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness because these ideas don’t truly reflect the situation in the United States. You should bring in slavery and internal conflicts in the states that are relevant because this is beneficial to get rid of any contradictions and incorrect statements that will make many people feel as if they aren’t welcomed or acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence. These people are humans that have naturally born rights and live in these states. The declaration would be better if you addressed multiple groups of people and also included in which ways the people would be free and be able to achieve life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I’m very interested in your opinion of slavery and how do slaves and slavery play in part with this newly earned freedom from Great Britain. 

I believe that your opinion on popular sovereignty is great as people can go against the government and the government works to better the peoples. People vote in the official they want and also if the government isn’t working in favor of the people, they can elect that official to be removed. “That whenever any Form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers” This line you have written is excellent for the United States as it seems you have laid the foundation of what will make a successful government and free state as the power is within the people. People have the right to abolish toxic governments and bring in a new government, which is very beneficial and crucial for the country. Your opinion and how you told in the Declaration of Independence that we have been freed of Britain’s hold. “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.” This part of the declaration is key as it shows how the British government had hold of the American colonies and didn’t give them the right to govern themselves. This shows growth and how after we obtained freedom, we began to govern ourselves and show our power as an individual country. I know we would enjoy taking a bit of a shot at Great Britain because we will be so much better without them. I think that you should speak on it a little more and let the declaration say what we have truly been let go of and how it may affect the states now. 

The grievances are very good additions to the Declaration of Independence, but there are also so many. I feel as if you could simplify many into one short paragraph and use that paragraph to expand. The grievances do help with the point I previously made about the British government and how this affects the states. They tend to go into depth about many things that King George III has done to the states. These grievances help get the point across as to why the British government and the King are a horrid part of American history because they did nothing, but destroy us. The most important grievances would be that the British Government would unfairly judge in court cases. The British government restricted the colonies from trading unless it went through the first. The colonists had no say in their own government decisions. The taxes the British put on the colonies were never agreed upon as the colonists had no say. The King ordered soldiers to stay in the colonies and settle there. This was not to protect them as the colonies could protect themselves, but more so for the King to keep a closer eye on the colonists.    

As previously stated slavery seems to have been forgotten in the declaration’s beginning and middle, but I saw that you have a part in here you are unsure of that is primarily based on slavery. You speak of how these actions committed by the colonist on black people and how slavery is cruel and strips people of their rights. I’m wondering why you are unsure if you should put this passage in here. I believe that it would be a good addition to the declaration, but you should also say that these actions are not allowed as everyone is free. You went on to throw some blame onto the King of Britain and state that he kept the slave trade because he wanted to restrain these people from the liberties and life they are born with. This paragraph is contradictory to the entire declaration as people are not obtaining the life liberty and the pursuit of happiness they are born with. I feel you should keep this paragraph and continue to expand on it. You should go on to say the part that the King of Britain is to blame, but also try to give some of the blame to the American colonists themselves and say how the country goes against this ideology that the King of Britain had. This would help the Declaration Of Independence show that the colonies are growing and becoming better as one. Slavery can show how the country is growing if you put it in the declaration that it is of some economic value to the colonies, but also take the blame for some of the actions and show the countries overall growth because it’s very beneficial to the declarations meaning of independence and tell how the colonies will be different from that point on.  

In conclusion, this piece you have written is very well written and illustrates great ways in which the colonies have become freed from British rule and I’m very excited to meet up and speak with you about this document some more at the pub or in the comfort of one of our homes. 

Sincerely, M.A.