America won its fight for independence, and the Declaration of Independence earned its place in American History.
Since its signing, the Declaration has served as one of the most important founding documents in our history.
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. The culmination of months of debate and revisions. The formal adoption of the document was the official beginning of America’s fight for independence from Great Britain.
Before this date, independence had been a radical idea that was slow in gaining support. However, when King George III began enlarging the British troop presence in the colonies and Parliament began increasing taxes, the idea of revolution grew.
We all know the story of our country’s beginnings.
At least I hope we do. We know that Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin served on the committee tasked with drafting it as well.
Likewise, we’re familiar with the words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
Part of the dichotomy surrounding the Declaration of Independence is the fact that its principal author, Jefferson, owned slaves. Yet, it should also be noted that in his original draft, Jefferson included a long passage that condemned King George for allowing the slave trade to flourish. This passage, however, was deleted by a vote of the Continental Congress before the delegates signed the Declaration.
ushistory.org
Facing the Challenge
The ideal of full human equality has been a major legacy and ongoing challenge of the Declaration. But, as with all of history, it must be taken in context to be understood.
In the case of the Declaration, these words are specific. Because they refer to the right of the colonies to throw off the mantle of British control and form their own government.
In 1776, the focus was on colonial independence. And although the possibility of sweeping social changes was likely discussed, the passage of the document was the goal. Without it, garnering needed support from within the colonies and foreign aid for the revolution would diminish.
The Founding Fathers understood the necessity for compromise.
I believe they also understood the prophetic, transformational, and lasting importance of the language they chose to use.
More importantly, they understood that they were not simply writing a document for their lifetimes. They were authoring a document that would serve as the foundation for the successful building of a new nation. One that would progress with the ages. Allowing America to become the haven for freedom and human rights they envisioned it could be.
And they were correct in their goals.
WE Hold These Truths
Since its adoption, the Declaration’s most famous sentence has become the foundation of our nation’s commitment to human equality. Moreover, the idea inspired movements that have transformed our nation, bringing us ever closer to that ideal.
In 1848, early women’s rights activists in Seneca Falls modeled their Declaration of Sentiments after the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” they said, “that all men and women are created equal.” Similarly, in 1829, African-American anti-slavery activists challenged white Americans to “See your Declaration!!!”
It’s not surprising that Abraham Lincoln began the Gettysburg Address by referencing the Declaration. “Fourscore and seven years ago our founding fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Lincoln understood that the Civil War was a fight to preserve the Union. As well as a fight to “bring forth a new birth of freedom for all.”
The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King
Almost 100 years later, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his most famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”
King understood that the legacy of the Declaration, rather than the reality in which it was written, was the true ideal. To him, the Declaration was a looking glass. It exposed the past, but that also served as a conduit for true and lasting change.
“The issues in the Declaration are not merely American, but rather universal, and that is precisely what makes the United States exceptional. Not its reality at any given time, which may be worse or better than that of other states. The United States, rather, is exceptional in the universality of its argument, the ideals that inspire and shame succeeding generations, and that offer the characteristically American promise of improvement, change, growth, and hope for the future.”
Eliot A. Cohen | The Atlantic | July 4, 2019
America won its fight for independence, and the Declaration of Independence earned its place in American History. Over the course of the 240 years since its signing, the Declaration has served as one of the most important founding documents in our history.
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JN Fenwick is a Florida-based former American history teacher and writer. She is the author/editor of In the Eye of the Storm.
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