The Declaration of Independence, elaborating upon the following topics relevant and related topics: -Purpose -Committee that drafted the document -Structure of the document -Jefferson's influences -Themes of the document -Free State Theory -Misconceptions

1. An Unknown History

2. Committee of Five

 Committee headed by John Adams,
other members include Robert
Livingston, Roger Sherman,
Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas
Jefferson
 Written in two weeks by Jefferson
in Philadelphia
 Reasons for Jefferson’s authorship:
 He was Virginian
 He was popular unlike John Adams
 He had a great skill for writing

3. Structure

 First Paragraph – Preamble
 Second Paragraph – Philosophical
Section
 Third Paragraph – Charges
against George III
 Fourth Paragraph – Explanation
on how separation transpired
 Fifth Paragraph – Announced
State Sovereignty

4. Purpose
Great Britain
 A declaration of secession from
 Listed the causes that “impel them to the separation” and “dissolve
the political bands”
 Notified populace about reasons which the Richard Henry Lee
Resolution was adopted by the Continental Congress
 Affirmed natural law in a Lockean fashion – “life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness”
 Affirmed the natural right to overthrow one’s government if
it becomes tyrannical – “whenever any form of government
becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter
or abolish it”
 Announced that the states were “Free and Independent,” and had all
the powers that free states do

5. Other Themes

 Noted that the colonies had made attempts to redress
grievances without avail
 Olive Branch Petititon, written by Jefferson and John Dickinson
in 1775
 Many among the colonies believed George III would intervene
and stop Parliament’s actions
 Explicitly mentioned the true purpose of government
 Protect individual rights

6. Influences


7. Charges Listed

 Reminiscent of Grand Remonstrance of 1641 – charges against
King Charles Stuart
 Charges
 Dissolution of legislatures – “He has dissolved Representative Houses
repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of
the people.”
 Controlled judiciary – “He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone,
for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.”
 Invasion of privacy/property – “He has erected a multitude of New
Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out
their substance.”
 Abridging Constitution – “For taking away our Charters, abolishing our
most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our
Governments:”
 Incendiary indictment on the British slave trade – he has “waged war
on human nature itself”- later removed in proceedings

8. Grand Remonstrance of 1641


9. Free State Powers

“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.”

10. Misconceptions

 Did not create a national union
 States were “Free an Independent,” not part of a consolidated
mass
 States always referred to in the plural in the document
 Jefferson was not widely known as the author until the 1790s
Not a “founding document”
 Not the basis of United States Constitution
 States operated essentially as independent republics
 Written through common cause of the states, not a nationalist
sentiment

11. Contact

 Website: www.davebenner.com
 Twitter: @crushitson