Comparing The Declaration Of Independence - 877 Words

Comparison Paper In comparing the Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists, The Declaration of Independence, and U.S. Constitution, it is evident that the basis of all three documents is the idea that all human beings possess God given fundamental rights and that government is created to protect those rights. The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, is the first of the three documents penned. This is of great importance because it defined the rights of liberty and equality of all American citizens as outlined in John Locke’s natural law thesis (Martin, page 113). In addition to providing an itemized account of the grievances colonist’s held against King George III of England, it served to justify the colonist’s quest for independence and separation from British rule. The Declaration of Independence conveyed to the crown that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, which among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Founders’ of the New World understood that their pursuit of liberties and autonomy specified in the Declaration of Independence could not come to fruition without instituting decrees. In 1787, the U.S. Constitution, was written to replace the Articles of Confederation with a better defined series of stringent laws that would legally uphold the freedoms and privileges established in the Declaration of Independence. The First Amendment of the BillShow MoreRelatedComparing The Declaration Of Independence926 Words   |  4 Pages 2 The US Constitution, The Declaration of Independence as well as the Letter to the Danbury Baptist are not just historical documents, but are some of if not the most important documents of the history of our nation. Although, similar in many facets the intentions and the goal pursued by each highlight their individuality. The fact that the Declaration of Independence was the first to be implemented and signed is of significant importance as it setRead MoreComparing The Declaration Of Independence, And U.s. Constitution885 Words   |  4 PagesComparison Paper In comparing Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists, The Declaration of Independence, and U.S. Constitution, it is evident that the basis of all three documents is the idea that all human beings possess God-given fundamental rights and that government is created to protect those rights. The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, is the first of the three documents penned. This is important because it defined the rights of liberty and equalityRead MoreWomen s Oppression During The Land Of The Free1336 Words   |  6 PagesWomen’s Oppression in the Supposedly Land of the Free The Declaration of Independence represents justice, equality, and natural human rights. Written to liberate American citizens from British control, the document stood for the colonists to live as freely as they wished. As grand as this document is, the pronouns and terminology used throughout this document is in the eye of controversy when the rights and status of women become involved. Mary Wollstonecraft, writer of A Vindication of the RightsRead MoreThe Life Of Frederick Douglass Context1479 Words   |  6 Pagesin the Declaration of Independence that â€Å"all men were created equal† and should have â€Å"equal entitlements to the right of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness† (Vile). Ironically, these civil rights were not given to slaves, but only to rich white men. This context shapes Douglass’ speech because the founding fathers did not only separate slaves from white Americans, but considered slaves as low class. By addressing the Declaration Indepe ndence as hypocritical, Douglas finds the declaration unjustRead MoreThe Life Of Frederick Douglass Context1480 Words   |  6 Pagesin the Declaration of Independence that â€Å"all men were created equal† and should have â€Å"equal entitlements to the right of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness† (Vile). Ironically, these civil rights were not given to slaves, but only to rich white men. This context shapes Douglass’ speech because the founding fathers did not only separate slaves from white Americans, but considered slaves as low class. By addressing the Declaration Independence as hypocritical, Douglas finds the declaration unjustRead MoreThe Declaration Of Independence, By Thomas Jefferson, And Martin Luther King Jr.1138 Words   |  5 Pagesfree. The â€Å"Declaration of Independence,† written by Thomas Jefferson, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech both address the problem of not being free. Even though T homas and Luther were alive 150 years apart and had very different lives, they both faced the same issue of human equality that drove them to write some of the most influential works in American history. Although they bear some superficial similarities, the difference between the Declaration of Independence and â€Å"I HaveRead MoreHow Americans Understand The Equality Of 1840, By Alexis De Toquevilles1276 Words   |  6 Pagesto tend to their homely duties, Woman   had no rights and nor did any other human who was not a white male. While reading and interpreting Alexis de Toquevilles â€Å"How Americans Understand the Quality of Sexes 1840s† and Elizabeth Caddy Santon The Declaration of Sentiments we are able to see the similarities of the style, perspective and content while also gaining insight to the struggle women had to go through in order to reach sexist equality. In the excerpt from The American Yawp â€Å" How Americans UnderstandRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of King s King 1558 Words   |  7 Pages B. King states, â€Å"Isn’t this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?(King 5). C. King starts his argument by comparing the demonstration to the robbed man, which is a strong way to classify the victim. Based on the Clergymen s assertion, the robbed man is the criminal because of his possession of money precipitate crime. D. King aligns victim of the robbery withRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Benjamin Banneker821 Words   |  4 Pagesto Thomas Jefferson, framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state to President George Washington, arguing against slavery. Banneker constructs an argument in his letter to persuade Jefferson of the cruelty and inhumanity that slavery entails. Motivated by the desire to convince Jefferson to abolish slavery, Banneker appeals to pathos by comparing slavery to the American Revolution, appeals to logos by referencing the Declaration of Independence, and establishes ethos by making aRead MoreEssay John Lockes Theories in The Declaration of Independence779 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Lockes Theories in The Declaration of Independence When looking at the Declaration of Independence and the justifications which Jefferson used in order to encourage the dissolve of the ties between the United Colonies and Great Britain, it becomes apparent how much of the theories of John Locke that Jefferson used as the basis for his argument. Focusing particularly on the second paragraph of the Declaration, the arguments for the equality of each man and the formation and destruction