Declaration Of Independence #16968

About The Declaration Of Independence Delegates to the Continental Congress knew that during the spring of 1776, they faced a momentous decision. The armed rebellion against England begun the year before continued and colonial troops occupied fortified camps around Boston. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense, published in January 1776, argued convincingly for bold action. Could independence be denied much longer? On June 7, 1776, Congressman Richard Henry Lee stood and changed the direction of the revolution. The time had arrived, he argued, to declare that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.” Congress appointed a committee, including John Adam, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, to write a justification for independence. The committee chose Jefferson as its author. Only 33 years old, Jefferson had already earned a reputation as an outstanding writer. Drawing on existing ideas, he defined his purpose – “to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so firm and plain as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take.” Events now moved rapidly. On July 1, Congress discussed Lee’s resolution, and approved it the next day. The debate then shifted to Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration. While Jefferson suffered in silence, Congress spent two days editing his wording. They deleted Jefferson’s condemnation of the slave trade and rewrote other controversial, divisive sections. With final changes made, Congress approved the Declaration on July 4 and ordered it to be printed and distributed. Philadelphian Timothy Matlack prepared a copy in his finest handwriting, and 56 delegates began to sign this “engrossed” copy on August 2, 1776. This original copy is now enshrined in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Although short, the Declaration is in four parts: (1) the Preamble explains the purpose of the document – to “declare the causes” that led to revolution; (2) the most familiar section (We hold these truths to be self-evident”) outlines the philosophical basis for independence; (3) the third segment lists abuses by King George III; (4) the actual declaration repeats Lee’s resolution and pledges “to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our scared Honor.” Congress hoped the Declaration would rally support around the world. What they could not know is the impact that it would continue to have centuries later. Abraham Lincoln said that he “never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence.” Martin Luther King, Jr. often spoke of the Declaration in his passionate cries against racial discrimination. Jefferson, said historian Dumas Malone, imparted a “quality of timelessness and universality to what might have been merely a national document.” 24X29 Framed in solid wood "Cherry" Reproduced on antiqued parchment paper that looks and feels old. Details   Price: $450.00 Options   Quantity 1 2 3 4 5  Add to cart

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