Declaration of Independece
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
The
Declaration of Independence was a document declaring the US to be independent
of the British Crown. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4,
1776, by the congressional representatives of the Thirteen Colonies.
While the majority of the members of the Second Continental Congress
were native-born Americans, eight of the men voting for independence from
Britain were born there.
The Declaration of
Independence states that the authority to govern belongs to the people, rather
than to kings, that all people are created equal and have rights to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The Declaration of Independence is without a doubt one of the most important documents ever to be written in American history. It was signed by fifty-six different men, all representatives from different states.
Why was the Declaration written?
During the 1700s, the British Parliament passed several laws that limited the freedoms of many English colonists in America. Theses limitations resulted in the forming of the first Continental Congress in 1774. A list of complaints was sent to King George III but was ignored and after the second meeting of the Continental Congress and another ignored letter, the colonists felt that they needed something to declare their independence. Rebellion was the only choice the colonists felt they had left due to the King ignoring their letters.
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
The committee included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was then given the task of writing a draft for the Declaration of Independence, which from June 11 to June 28 he worked on.
Where is the original Declaration?
The original Declaration is now exhibited in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in Washington, DC. It has faded badly, largely because of poor preservation techniques during the 19th century. The document measures 29-3/4 inches by 24-1/2 inches.
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