Happy Independence Day…er, Week!

american-flag-us-flag-united-states-301167Happy Independence Day, my fellow Americans! While I am a general history buff, I especially have an interest in the Enlightenment era, and of early United States history in particular. In view of this, I have devised a week of festivities surrounding the founding documents of the United States, beginning today with a post of the complete text of the Declaration of Independence.

It is a relatively short read, I think, and I encourage EVERY citizen of this country to read it. While I’m sure most of us were told in school how important this document is, I feel, as do these people, that to truly appreciate it and its modern relevance, as with any text you have to engage with it. Read it slowly, and keep a dictionary handy for when you run across a word you don’t understand.

It’s incredible when you consider that this small document, and the Republic it founded, left a lasting legacy on world-wide politics. The idea that a government rules by “consent of the governed” was expressed in an early form in Thomas Hobbes’ 1651 book Leviathan, which outlined a form of social contract theory. But the idea that governments, their laws, and in fact their very legitimacy are actually rooted in the consent of the people, as opposed to a single ruler or group of rulers who derive their legitimacy from an unquestionable divine right, was first expressed in the practical form we understand today in the Declaration of Independence.

It’s interesting to note that during this time in the 17th century there were other revolutions taking place around the Atlantic region, one of which actually preceded the American Revolution (the Corsican Revolution, which ended French rule there). The influence continued to be felt from these revolutions down through the decades, with similar uprisings taking place in 1820, 1830, and 1848.

While not all were successful in achieving their aims (particularly the 1848 revolutions), they all played a part in making governments around the world acknowledge the will of the people as the basis of their rule. Throughout history, absolute monarchies had been the most common form of government.

Today, there are 7.


If you’re interested, here are some questions, which I recommend copying to a separate document or printing out, to focus on as you read the text. Note that some of these questions use terms that have meanings specific to philosophy and law. More information about these terms can be found at the related hyperlinks:

  • Why does the opening paragraph invoke the idea of a God of Nature, and declare that both this “God” and the “Laws of Nature” entitle the people of the then-colonies “separate and equal station” among the “powers [I read this as “nations” -WFC] of the earth”?
    • What if there are no unchanging natural laws, and morals are relative to the society and time period in which they were created and followed? Does this undermine the legitimacy of the Declaration of Independence? Why or why not?
    • Is there an identifiable God of Nature? If one does not recognize the existence of any higher power, supernatural or otherwise, does this weaken the argument the Declaration makes for independence? Why or why not?
  • The writer of the Declaration was Thomas Jefferson, a statesman and lawyer from Virginia who would become the 3rd president of the United States. Are there specific passages that especially sound like an attorney arguing for or against something?
    • Do you think Jefferson was chosen to write the document because he was versed in legal matters?
  • What do you think the terms “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” meant to the colonists in the context of independence from Britain?
    • What do these things mean to us as Americans today?
    • Have they changed meaning, and if so, in what ways?
    • What do these terms mean to you, specifically?
  • One passage near the end of the Declaration addresses the conflict that would no doubt arise from declaring independence from Britain: “We have warned [” our Brittish (sic) brethren”] from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us…They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. 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.” [Emphasis mine]
    • Why do you think that the colonists make it clear that they wish to remain friends with the British after naming so many accusations against them?
    • Does the concept of Natural Law have anything to do with this decision? Why or why not?


Sensitivity Note: Near the end of the list of accusations against the British, the Declaration uses offensive language (“…merciless Indian Savages…”) to refer to Native Americans who had apparently been involved in massacres of colonists on the frontier. Though doing little to soften its derogatory impact today, it should be noted that at the time of the Declaration’s writing, the term “savage” meant something more neutral than it does now, though influential statesman Benjamin Franklin in fact deplored the term because he felt that it was applied to Native Americans simply because they were “different” and not a part of what would have been considered polite society or “civilization” at the time by the average colonist.

While some would probably prefer not to have to engage with this particular part of the Declaration (“wrestle with” might be a better term), I am nevertheless an advocate of understanding and engaging with historical writings on their own terms, as the product of imperfect people with a view of the world informed by particular cultural norms and biases. Rather than an indictment against the ideals embodied by a particular text, I see it rather as an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made, often on the shoulders of a given document and the broad ideals it encourages, and the work we still have to do in recognizing and overcoming the biases inherent in one’s culture, and oneself.

John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence (1819)

And now, finally and without further ado, on this July 4th, may I present the Declaration of Independence in its entirety (well, minus the signatures 😉 ):


IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,



For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences




[Signatures removed for space]


Have a great 4th of July everyone!

K R Parkinson Monogram
– K R Parkinson

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