AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
TCP-2 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
J. Lauer – 1302 – 207 # 13622
PHILIP ROBINSON
10/14/2012

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As you are by now well aware, the purpose of this project is to discuss the merits or flaws in the decision to keep a particular piece of art in the time capsule. My opinion is that the pieces we collect will provide an understanding and appreciation of the past. For this paper my intent is to enlighten those that may not already know or agree that the Declaration of Independence should have a place in the capsule, so that future generations will be mindful of our mistakes, and inspired by our greatness.<!--more-->

Penned By Thomas Jefferson in 1776, and signed by 55 others gentlemen on the fourth day of July that same year was influenced by present and not so present men. (web)After the printing press came to be Thomas Paine’s, “Common Sense” sells 150,000 copies in the first few weeks after publishing argues that Independence is the true course of free people, and a “natural right.” (“history.com”) There is another work that I believe to be similar that may have had an impact on Jefferson as he was writing the Declaration of Independence, and that work is the “The Second Treatise on Civil Government” by John Locke. “Most agree that the natural rights philosophy of English philosopher JOHN LOCKE greatly influenced Jefferson’s composition of the Declaration. In particular, Locke advanced the ideas that a just government derives its legitimacy and power from the consent of the governed, that people possess inalienable rights Page 390 that no legitimate government may take away, and that the people have the right and duty to overthrow a government that violates their rights. Jefferson also paralleled Locke in his identification of three major rights—the rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”—though the last of his three is a change from Locke’s right to “property.”(“Declaration of Independence”)(“Locke”)

“<em> In March 1776, North Carolina's revolutionary convention became the first to vote in favor of independence; seven other colonies had followed suit by mid-May. On June 7, the Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for the colonies' independence before the Continental Congress when it met at the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia. Amid heated debate, Congress postponed the vote on Lee's resolution and called a recess for several weeks. Before departing, however, the delegates also appointed a five-man committee--including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York--to draft a formal statement justifying the break with Great Britain. That document would become known as the Declaration of Independence.</em>”(“history.com”)

The part that I find unusual is that almost never happened, as at this time in the colonies most of the populace was focused on subject’s rights under the crown. The revolution was at full tilt by the following summer when resistance had grown to the point of forcing a Continental Congress to vote. In mid-June 1776, a five-man committee including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin was tasked with drafting a formal statement of the colonies' intentions. The Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence--written largely by Jefferson--in Philadelphia on July 4, a date now celebrated as the birth of American independence.

When looking at how this work was received in the past, we must first declare the audience. If the audience is King George III, then one can pretty much say that he was infuriated by these upstarts. If one is referring to the educated populace of the colonies, then separating from British control was thought radical in thought or action until the King attempted to crush the rebellion. If one is referring to the simple folk that are struggling enough just to live, then all you want is for life to be better. However when push comes to shove and the King orders the enlargement of the Army and navy, even the conservative’s abandons hope of reconciliation. (history.com) Apparently there were some members of the colonies that doubted this well crafted document was original, and some years afterward Jefferson responded with the following.

<em>[n]ot to find out new principles or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion.</em>(history.com)

When looking at how the Declaration of Independence is viewed today, once again we must clarify who the audience is to accurately relay how the Declaration of Independence is received. If one is part of the elite and part of the military industrial corporate governmental conglomerate that is running the country, you would be doing your best to distract and dumb down your populace enough to not understand the Declaration. If you are part of this great nation that believes in the Declaration, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights; then you are looking closely at the form and procedure of the Declaration. As an enlightened individual, I am horrified by what I see as the shredding of the founding documents of this nation by those that we placed as guides for our populace. If you are an ignorant sheep that blindly follows what you are told, then all you want is for life to be better.

In my opinion the Declaration of Independence is the quintessential piece that defines by demonstration the path a society should take in severing itself from its tyrannical leadership. One can easily follow the rhetorical elements that are artfully expressed throughout this document. The path from having valid issues, to citing their grievances, and finally to stating their ultimatum are well penned. I believe that the most important reason for this Document to be in the time capsule for future generations is this is one of the strongest examples of how a populace regains its freedom from the people that were put in power by the populace after they run amuck. This document also serves as a reminder for our populace that there is a duty in citizenship.

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Works Cited

"Declaration of Independence." Gale Encyclopedia of American Law. Ed. Donna Batten. 3rd ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2010. 388-390. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX1337701301&amp;v=2.1&amp;u=txshracd2487&amp;it=r&amp;p=GVRL&amp;sw=w

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"Declaration of Independence." History.com. A&amp;E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 15 Oct 2012. .

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Locke, John. "Second Treatise of Civil Government." Essay Concerning the true original, extend, and end of Civil Government n.pag. James. Web. 15 Oct 2012. .

http://jim.com/2ndtreat.htm – Database I found of works converted to html.