How did the Declaration of Independence justify rebellion?
When drafting the Declaration of Independence—and, it underwent major revisions before its final version was issued, the first draft having drawn comments from Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and others—Thomas Jefferson provided a list of grievances against the British Crown that collectively, he argued, justified revolution. Drawing from the writings of English philosopher John Locke and Virginia farmer/delegate to the Constitutional Convention George Mason, Jefferson prefaced his list of grievances with an affirmation of general principles that should inform government, such as “that all men are created equal [and] that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” It was when such “rights” were revoked or restricted by government that grounds for rebellion existed:
“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...
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Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
It is immediately following these historic words that Jefferson listed the grievances the colonies had against the king, including among that list the accusation that he, the king, had “excited domestic insurrections amongst us.” Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, and others were learned individuals well-read in theories of governance. They understood that a “declaration of independence” had to be justified by a clear recitation of the reasons for this momentous action.
The first section of the Declaration of Independence essentially stated the purpose of government. Borrowing heavily from John Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government (1689), the document laid out what is often called the "social contract" theory of government. Men are created equal, the Declaration says, and are endowed with "certain unalienable rights." These rights include "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and the purpose of government is to protect and preserve these rights. When governments fail to do so, or become "destructive" of these rights, then it is the right of the people to "alter or abolish it." The Declaration went on to give a host of examples of the ways in which King George III had, in fact, acted in violation of these rights, a "long train of abuses," that, according to the revolutionaries, justified revolution and colonial independence from Great Britain. In short, the British government had violated the rights of the colonists, and this gave them the right to rebel, declare independence, and create a government that would protect their rights.
What is the Declaration of Independence and how does it justify the actions of the revolutionaries?
The Declaration of Independence is a statement about the role of government and a list of grievances against Britain. It stated that Britain had repeatedly violated the proper role of government and had trampled on the people's inalienable rights; therefore, the people had a right and a responsibility to overthrow this government.
Jefferson, borrowing heavily from the political philosopher John Locke, stated that everyone had a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Jefferson also stated that these rights could not be taken away since they were not bestowed by the government, but by God. Jefferson states that the people have a right to alter or abolish the government should it trample on the rights of the people; however, in the next paragraph he mentions that this action should not be taken lightly since the people have to establish a new government that will defend their rights.
Most of the document lists the American people's complaints against Parliament. These complaints include trials with juries and taxation without representation. Jefferson also states that the colonists had repeatedly asked Parliament to stop and acknowledge the people's basic rights. Since their voice went unheard, Jefferson says that the people have a right to declare their own right to self-govern.
Jefferson makes a clear argument. He says what government should be in its relationship with the governed. He says that Parliament has violated its end of the bargain repeatedly. Jefferson closes by stating that the colonists' ultimate goal is self-governance.
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