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The Declaration of Independence is perhaps one of the most significant events in the

nations history for multiple reasons, one of them being the sheer audacity of the United States to
move forward as its own nation that would remove itself from the felt oppression of a distant
tyrannical rule and into a unified system that was rooted in liberty, equality, and justice. The
political state of the nation was controlled by Britain, but socially, patriots were rising up in order
to fight for freedom, and individual acts of rebellion were a societal norm by this point. The
Declaration was the first instance where the Unites States gave themselves that title and
established principles under it. Perhaps the most important piece of context for the reader to be
aware of is the fact that years of tyrannical rule were no longer enough for a people that were
united under acts like the Declaration and the physical acts against Great Britain which spoke to
the freedom the nation desired and the individualism it valued but had not realized, yet. In
previous works, I have analyzed the Declaration of Independence and come to conclusions that
dont necessarily smile upon the nation with the greatest admiration, and I stand by the fact that
the Declaration is not perfect, or rather, how the framers and the public decided to interpret its
message wasnt perfect, but it is significant in the nations historythat is indisputable.
The Declaration of Independence is significant in this nation because it was a step
towards the founding of a country that could stand on its own after control from a distant power.
In establishing the principles which the country was supposed to keep in mind whenever making
any decisions, Samuel Eliot Morison supports this position in the Oxford History of the
American People when he asserts that the Declaration is essentially a document that expresses
the fundamental freedoms the nation was fighting for in the American Revolution, and an
amalgamation of timeless ideas because it served as a declaration for the present, but also a
reminder for the future Americans about the real values the nation ought to adhere to (McClellan,
2014, p.170). This was the truth for manythat the Declaration was the manifestation of the
Revolution and a unifying document created by those who represented America in its
intelligence and push for freedom.
Behind the construction of this document, major contributors could be seen in the
selected Committee of Five of the Second Continental Congress, which included John Adams,
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman (Kindig, 2014).
The most involved figure, was of course, Jeffersonwhose writing makes up the majority of this
document. His written works were a large part of his political participation in many respects, and
the presidents last wishes were that he was remembered first, as the Author of the Declaration,
the statue of Virginia for religious freedom, and the Father of the University of Virginia (Kindig,
2014). The majority of the words that are still cited today came from Jefferson, but there was
also participation from Benjamin Franklin, who worked to edit the document, and this writer
believes that in editing the work composed largely by Jefferson, that perhaps Franklin who was
one of the earliest abolitionists saw a deeper meaning in the words closer to what the nation
associates today in the case of all men created equal (Kindig, 2014).
John Adams, as well as Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston worked with Franklin
during the editing process before they delivered it to Congress for review. Roger Sherman was a
key figure in not only the signing of the Declaration, but the signing of Continental Association,
Articles of Confederation, and Constitution (Kindig, 2014). His impressive background includes

a few years as a Senator, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a Delegate to the
Continental Congress, and the first mayor of New Haven, Connecticut (Kindig, 2014). Robert
Livingston was also an impressive figure, the lawyer and politician serving as a United States
Minister to France, the first U.S. Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and the first Chancellor of New
York. Another key figure in the signing which made the Declaration official was the first signer,
John Hancock. His famously large and clear signature is said to be a clear statement towards the
British ministry as a confident and proud supporter of the beliefs that the Declaration outlined
(Kindig, 2014).
David Armitage of The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History attests to the large
significance of the Declaration, claiming that No American document has had a greater global
impact than the declaration of Independence. It has been fundamental to American history longer
than any other text because it was the first to use the name the United States of America
(Armitage, 2010). The author continues to note that the composition of the Declaration was a sort
of birth certificate for the nation for these reasons and captured the foundational ideals of the
Revolution. Similarly, Robert Duvall agrees in the lasting impact of the document, arguing that
the principles and grievances that are expressed are still as important today as they were at the
time of their articulation, and maintain enduring principles: Honesty is good and lying is bad
Integrity is good and deceit is bad. The Declaration outlines enduring truths that if ignored or
forgotten will lead to chaos (Duvall, 2014). It seems to be agreed that for the most part, the
ideas that are expressed in the Declaration make it a significant piece of history that has shaped
our country in what it continues to strive for and how it operates with these ideals in place.
Boston Globe writer, Eric Slauter, illustrates this by stating that the famous opening sentences of
the second paragraph are still valued by Americans today. Specifically, perhaps no sentence in
American history is better known or has had a greater impact than these powerful words about
equality and rightsadults consider it the founding creed of Americas civil religion... (Slauter,
2011). The significance of this document is still strong in the current state of the nation because
the ideas have evolved with the people.
The most important points of the Declaration of Independence are expressed in the very
beginnings of the document: first, all men are created equal, and each of those men possess
rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, (US, 1776). Second, if the
nations government does not fulfill its responsibility of protecting these rights, the people have
the right to overthrow it and establish a better form of government (US, 1776). The Declaration
also asserts that the nation would stand on its own without connection to Great Britain. This is
still true todaythe country and its leaders work constantly to reassert this independence and
make decisions on its own in considering what is best for its people, rather than following orders
from another countrys governmental powers. In previous work Ive explained my struggles with
the Declaration, as it professed freedom and justice but the nation continued to exercise slavery,
silence women, and attempt to expel all Natives for a time. Still, although there was hypocrisy in
the ideas stated and the actions performed, and although the view of all men was much
narrower than the nation perceives it today, the Declaration has come a long way in its
interpretation, progressing with the changing of the times and the evolution of understanding
what is truly right and just with an increasingly less biased lens that attempts to reach beyond the

selected elite that originally created the document. The selective nature that was masked by
inspirational language has been peeled back in an effort to truly make this country all-inclusive
in the values it prides itself on, and seeks to include the entire human race.

Reflection:
The signing of the Declaration of Independence is relevant today because it speaks to the
barriers between what we declare and what we practice. In a government that claims to hold true
to these sentiments, allowing its citizens to pursue the unalienable rights with which they are
endowed, and to acknowledge the fact that all men are created equally, there are a lot of issues
facing the country which contradict these proclamations everyone seems to agree with on paper.
John Lind questioned the preamble and the entirety of the document itself for this same reason.
Lind asks, If the right of pursuing happiness be unalienable, how is it that so many others of
their fellow-citizens are by the same injustice and violence made miserable, their fortunes ruined,
their persons banished, and driven from their friends and families? (McClellan, 2014, p.165).
The Declaration is relevant because its a sort of enshrinement of the goals the nation strives for.
However, it seems irrelevant in certain issues because people are treating it as such.
In the accounts of racism, for example, violence, harassment, and employment
discrimination are a few illustrations of how the declaration is not being exercised. The
Declaration should be relevant to all people, but many choose to ignore it although it blatantly
lays out the principles that will arguably create not only a successful government, but a
successful social climate where individualism is valued and prevalent, but unification is also
strong because people realize the similarities between them. The signing of the Declaration is
also relevant today because we are still battling the elite exercising power over others due to their
ascribed statuses. The straight white male is the dominant force in this country, even with a black
president. Latinos, blacks, women, people with disabilities, all of these groups are fighting the
white patriarchal rule that was a force even stronger during the time of the declarations signing.
The phrase, all men are created equal is still relevant because the fight for its true meaning is
still being pursued by these groups. I believe that the Declaration of Independence, in the words
all men are created equal, was intended to allude only to the people of the united States, to men
of European birth or descent, being white men, that they were created equal (McClellan,
2014, p. 167). The relevancy lies in the fact that we are fighting for the same things, but with
issues unique to our time, and with a state of mind that has a broader sense of all men.
Throughout my general education courses, the concept of race and gender roles has been
a constant underlying idea. Ive seen fight in the name of the phrase all men are created equal,
in the misrepresentation of women in the mediahow what is largely produced and controlling
our culture is dictated by those who achieved their status in part because of the fact they were
straight white men that obviously didnt have as many restrictions and limitations to face as
women do in this industry, but across the board, as well. Ive seen the phrase all men are created
equal a strong support for black Americans seeking job opportunities and being rejected
because of stereotypes the public has created which defy this sentiment, and also black students
being segregated through the use of tracking in schools, which separates students based on

ability, and perpetuates the notion through the color of the classes that black kids just arent as
intelligent. In works of the humanities, the struggle for those who dont fit the majority is
translated through the poetry of Maya Angelou, and the oppression of women that shouldnt have
happened due to the unalienable rights that they are endowed with have created relatable short
stories and persuasive essays about the reluctance to accept these principles of the Declaration,
as well as the slow-moving progress that is not enough to create this nation that is expressive of
its equality and diversity appreciation. In Why We Cant Wait, I reviewed the ideas of Dr. King,
and one of his most simple and just arguments was that those protesting in Birmingham were not
fighting for anything more than the rights that should have been theirs since the time of the
Declarations signing. The Declaration will forever be relevant because of the importance of
human rights and the equality it expresses which is still not nationally practiced in the everyday
interactions of our society.

References
Armitage, D. (2010). The Declaration of Independence in Global Perspective. Retrieved
December 13, 2015, from https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/roadrevolution/essays/declaration-independence-global-perspective
Duvall, R. (2014, July 3). Does the Declaration of Independence Still Matter? - Life Through
The Lens Of History. Retrieved December 13, 2015, from
http://lensofhistory.com/2014/07/03/declaration-of-independence/
Kindig, T. (2014). Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Retrieved December 13, 2015,
from http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/index.htm
McClellan, J. (2014). The Declaration of Independence. In Historical Moments: Changing
Interpretations of America's Past (p. 429). Guilford, Connecticut: Dushkin Pub. Group.
Slauter, E. (2011, July 3). Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Retrieved December 13,
2015, from
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/07/03/life_liberty_and_the_purs
uit_of_happiness/

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