Be sure not to use the same line as another student.
You rock!!!!
Mrs. Demmel
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Post #6-Declaration of Independence
Be sure not to use the same line as another student.
You rock!!!!
Mrs. Demmel
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The line, "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" is one of the most famous lines of the Declaration of Independence. It means that each individual is born with certain rights and privileges that cannot be taken away from them, and among those are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It also states that each person is created equally. I believe that it was added to the Declaration to emphasize the values upon which this nation is constructed. Equality is a value that comes up in multiple points in the history of the United States, and the Founding Fathers wanted to emphasize it to make peace in the country.
ReplyDeleteHe has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
ReplyDeleteThis line was one of the several points stated to prove the unjust tyranny of the King of Britain. This line was added to the Declaration of Independence because it largely sums up what the monarchy did, in the order they did it, and the big picture of the reason why the colonists were infuriated with the King. And these unsatisfactory and outraged colonial sentiments had sparked the need of independence.
A line in the Declaration of Independence reads, “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.” This passage means that when a government is no longer run with the safety and happiness of the people in mind, the people have the right to overthrow it try to form a fitter one. It also implies that countries should be governed for the benefit of the people and that every citizen has the duty to ensure they are governed properly. This line was included in the Declaration of Independence to justify the American Revolution. It is implicit that the British government was, in the eyes of the American colonists, destructive to the well being of its citizens. It also stipulates that the new American government will contrive to benefit the people and ensure them contentment and security.
ReplyDeleteSources:
Delete"Declaration of Independence - Text Transcript." Declaration of Independence - Text Transcript. National Archives, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" is a crucial line in the Declaration of Independence because it clearly emphasizes that a government's duty is to protect the citizens' rights. The people that a government governs are the sole source of power for the government; when it fails to protect and support its people, the government does not have power. This line was added to the Declaration of Independence to show that the British Parliament failed to protect the rights of the colonists, and therefore held no power over the people. It provides the reason and justification for the colonist revolt.
ReplyDelete"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" This is an important line because this is where the declaring occurs. Thomas Jefferson writes, "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States." This line declares the freedom for the colonies from Britain. It also says that everyone in these colonies is 'up' for this declaration, to make it sound more official. This is part of the Declaration because it is used to declare independence, why the document was written in the first place.
ReplyDeleteWhen, 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.
ReplyDeleteBasically this segment is saying that in the course of human events, it becomes necessary to dissolve the government and have the law of natutre and and natures god becomes the ruling of the land
"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." This is a very important line in the Declaration of Independence. It says that to show their support for the Declaration of Independence, all the men would pledge everything they had to it including their life, fortunes and honor. Still, they would also have to rely on the protection of God and his actions.
ReplyDeleteThe sentence,"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." gives the colonists motivation for declaring their independence. Here it it stated that King George III repeatedly acted unjustly towards to the states who were done with suffering under the rule of tyranny. This sentence highlights why the colonists declared their independence. While it was a series of events that led to these feelings it was no specific event as stated here, but a series of past injuries.
ReplyDelete"He has kept among us, in time of piece, standing armies, without the consent of our legislature."
ReplyDeleteThis line comes from a long list of grievances composed in the Declaration of Independence toward British King George III. This specific item refers to what the colonists considered unlawful quartering of British soldiers in the colonies following the French and Indian War and in particular, the Quartering Act (part of the Intolerable Acts) of 1774. The Quartering Act legalized and required the colonies to house troops and provide supplies to the soldiers at the public's expense. While the British viewed the stationing of troops in the colonies as an act of protection for the colonies from Native American attacks, the colonists saw the remainder of troops to be unnecessary and unwanted, leading to dissent between soldiers and civilians.
"For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent" in the middle of the Declaration of Independence is one of the reasons for their rebellion. The Colonists choose to rebel because of the British and their Taxation with out Representation. From the Sugar and Stamp acts, to the Intolerable and Tea acts, taxes on the colonists were outrageous. This sentence adds to the Declaration of Independence because it shows their frustration with the British taxes and explains to the British why there was a Revolution. This is a major important fact in the declaration that contributes to the great historical document.
ReplyDelete"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."
ReplyDeleteThis line in the Declaration of Independence is stating that the colonists have tried to reconcile with the British over all the wrongs done to the colonists, but these reconciliations have only been met with more wrongs. It was added to the document because it emphasized the point that the colonists are right in breaking away from a government that ignores reconciliations, and shows that they have tried to ask for remedies to the problems that caused revolt.
"We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us."
ReplyDeleteThis means that the colonies has warned the British that they were angry about the way they were being treated. They are justifying the revolution and giving a reason for their need for Independence. This was included because the colonies needed justification for the revolt..
“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” This line states that the actions of King George which make him a tyrant and a tyrant is not fit to rule the American people. This line was added to show to name King George a tyrant and the American people as free people. Naming King George a tyrant gives them the right as free people to rebel. Free people may also have been added due to slavers wanting to keep their slaves. Slaves have always been an issue in American history and I think the reason the words “free people” is included is so there wouldn't be controversy and delegates wouldn't refuse to sign it from fear of inadvertently agreeing to free their slaves.
ReplyDelete“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.” In this line from the Declaration of Independence, the creators of the document are saying that, because Britain had been abusing and punishing them in order to gain their full control and authority, the American colonists had a right and duty to create a new government that will guard them from these type of acts. It was an essential statement for them to add, as it summarizes and legitimizes the colonies’ main reasons for the Revolutionary War and dissolves any argument against it. This line essentially lays down the fact that the Americans’ reasons were just and fair enough to legitimize creating a new government and removing the old one.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
DeleteJefferson, Thomas. The Declaration of Independence. 1776. MS. The National Archives, Washington D.C. The Charters of Freedom. Web. 2 Oct. 2013.
"For cutting off trade with all parts of the world"
ReplyDeleteThis grievance was added because the British only let the Colonies trade with Britain no matter if the colonists could make more money trading with other countries. It was added in the Declaration to show the Americans' want of free trade.
"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."
ReplyDeleteThis line means that the representatives thought it was completely necessary for the colonies to declare independence from Great Britain. Also, this line states that this new independent country that is being created will not treat Great Britain differently than any other country. This line was placed in the Declaration of Independence to show Britain that the colonists had no choice other than to revolt and that the new country would have no ill will toward Britain once it became independent.
The Declaration of Independence includes the lines, "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."
ReplyDeleteThese lines speak of the way the British monarchy overturned the decisions of elected governments and often disbanded those who ruled against policies the British favored. Throughout the Revolutionary War era, the right of people to control their own government was a significant driving factor for much of the conflict between the imperial nation Britain and the American colonies. The way in which Britain overruled many of the popular decisions of the people was among the many ways they minimized the colonists' voice in government, and these repeated occurrences were why Thomas Jefferson included this grievance in the Declaration. The colonists' belief in their right to self-government was a primary motivating factor for the war, and Jefferson included a summary of these beliefs to emphasize their importance and to encourage the development of democratic ideals in the American people even before their own democracy was established.
Source:
Delete"Declaration of Independence - Text Transcript." Declaration of Independence - Text Transcript. National Archives, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.
"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."
ReplyDeleteThis line was included because of the Royal Proclamation of 1763. This prevented the colonists from expanding westward.This angered the colonists because they believed that it was their right to expand. This was one of the more major things that angered the colonists, so it earned a spot in the Declaration of Independence as a grievance caused by King George.
"...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." This is arguably the most important line in the declaration of independence. It's completely straight forward and defines independence for the United States. Independence can have many meanings and by explicitly stating it, there is no room for confusion. This line was added to the constitution to bring all the ideas together and make a strong final ending point.
ReplyDeleteThe Declaration of Independence includes the line, "He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."
ReplyDeleteThis line reflects upon the manner in which the King Of Britain overturned and unacknowledged suggested laws which would grant specific rights that benefited the well-being of individuals living within the colonies. This statement emphasizes how the intentions of the British government never embodied or accommodated the welfare of the colonists. With the monarchy unwilling to establish policies that took the prosperity of the colonies into account, the colonists felt they had the justification to revolt, for they felt as if their security, ideas, and values were merely being neglected by the King of Britain.
“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,” is a line following an explanation of when a government needs to be thrown off. This line explicitly states that the States believe that Britain has abused them to the point of them having no choice but to abolish them as a government, and form a new one. It is significant because it neatly gives the reason the States think they need to separate, as well as the fact that they have decided to separate.
ReplyDeleteThe conclusion states 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.” This line is just stating that since the British were defeated, the colonists had the right to become there own free country without any ties to the British crown. This line also literally meant that the colonists were stating their intent to become a free country.
ReplyDeleteThomas Jefferson states "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it." What I believe this means is that the Colonists wanted to create a form of government for the people by the Declaration of Independence, and that everyone deserved a voice when something seemed out of place. The founders of the Declaration of Independence didn't want to treat anyone unfairly, and believed that if any problems arouse, the people can speak out against it, and helpful changes can be made. The reason why this was added was because the founders of the Declaration of Independence didn't want a repeat of the King George/British lead government where the people had no say in it's problems and couldn't make changes to ways the government wronged them. This line shows they wanted to stray away from their previous issues with how their government led them.
ReplyDelete"He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures." I would assume this line was added to the Declaration of Independence as a part of a list stating the wrongs suffered by the American Colonists. This is important because everything the colonists cited in the Declaration of Independence have become a guideline for not what to do in our current government, and contributed to the laws and guidelines in the constitution .
ReplyDelete“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.”
ReplyDeleteThis quote is basically re stating americas independence. It summarizes the document request and some what puts its foot down to any other ways. Its the statement that finalizes it all and it pulls together the dream of the nation. Its important to have this line because they could say for hours all the complicated things that they needed for this new nation but it wouldn't be as justifying if you didn't finish it off with an over all push to show that the Declaration of Independence was in fact a declaration and not a request.