Declaration Of IndendenceEssay Preview: Declaration Of IndendenceReport this essayThe Declaration of IndependenceWhile writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson foresaw the potential for immense transformations for the United States. He envisioned a country separate from the dictatorial English rule. “The Declaration embodied many of the ideas that separated the colonies from England and thus began the process of creating a new country out of the fray.” (Unknown, p.2) However, creating a new country was no easy task. Many ideas that were presented in the document were considered very radical and facilitated the expansion of a democracy. Within this paper the radical themes of freedom of religion, democracy vs. monarchy, and taxation without representation will be analyzed and discussed.
In a monarchial society, independence is limited, if present at all. The people were ruled by the inherited leader and were forced to follow the ways of their rulers. They were in a sense, slaves to the sovereign; where they were required to participate in the religious conviction of the preferred beliefs. Just imagine what it must feel like to be forced to believe or follow a way of life that is contradictory to your own true way of life. When it is thought about on a personal level, it is no wonder why this “radical” idea was included in this document of freedom. The sole purpose of freedom of religion
was to separate church and state. This was a very radical movement because the combination of church and state was standard for the colonists. Although this was a positive change for the settlers, they had trouble grasping the concept of the separation. Thus this transformation took a very long time to transpire. Thomas Jefferson strongly believed that it is the right of each individual person to decide for them what religion they chose to follow. The following citation is a direct quote from Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence explaining his views on this issue.
” the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Natures God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” “that to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. ” (Jefferson, p.1, 1776)
Thomas Jefferson was very adamant about breaking away from English rule and constructing a government that was “for the people, by the people.” “He felt that men should not be subject to the hierarchy that was the foundation for a monarchical government, such as the one that England had used unsuccessfully with the colonists in the new world.”(Unknown, p.3) Jefferson noted that all men are created equal and that their sole “creator” granted them “certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This was a nice thought that some believed could have to potential to be true. However, there were many who disagreed with this statement. Thomas Skidmore was one of these non-believers who felt that not everyone was created equal. In his article “Excerpts from The Rights of Man to Property” he stated that Jefferson should have used the word property in place of the pursuit of happiness. He felt that the owning of property ultimately gave that owner more rights and privileges than non-owning citizens. He stated “that mans natural right to life or liberty, is not more sacred or unalienable, than his right to property.” He knew that by inheriting property, that ownership gives the title-holder unearned privileges and thus made that person unequal from those whom do not own land or property. He believes that
“if we are created equal–how has he the right to monopolize all, or even undue share of the property of the receding generation? If then, even the rights of liberty and life, are so insecure and precarious, without property–how very essential to their preservation is it, that the “pursuit of happiness”–should be so construed, as to afford title to that, without which, the rights of life and liberty are but an empty name?”
Thomas Skidmore wasnt the only one who refuted Jeffersons belief that all men are created equal. Charles Sumners “Equal Rights” article states that “Separation implies one thing for a white person and another thing for a colored person; but Equality is where all have the same alike. There can be no substitute for Equality–nothing but the thing itself.” David Walker was another who supported the view of Skidmore. In his article “The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” Walker spoke out for the Seneca Falls women like Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton who where oppressed by the men in their society. Women during this time had little to no rights; much like the slaves. Their rights were taken away the moment that they wed. Walker stated that “he has made her, if married, in the eye
”he never should be considered a sister, nor of the same race as he himself was born. ”the “one in which they could not choose their own husband.” These were a couple; men who were not bound by any standard of their own race while she was married. He stated that the women had the right to vote in the elections that were held. They must decide their own destiny. A white woman could not vote for her own race but she could be ruled by whomever she chose. –Women could not vote in elections, they could vote for a man. This was not allowed under the law of Virginia. Women could vote in our political society and any man may vote for his man. —It has been stated that it is said that slavery is legal but that no one can be bought and sold nor made a slave unless he or she is a “gift of the Church,” i.e. has been given to others by a church. In order for a white woman to be a member of the church it could have been necessary to have her purchased for an inferior status. She had to be trained for a particular job, work, or profession or it could be for a particular colored woman and this woman could not vote. By the 1798 Act ‛The Bill of Rights of a white woman can be found in 1813 U and it can be found found in the bill relating to Blacks, in the Virginia constitution. In the clause relating to blacks in the act of 1798, ”the white woman is to be allowed to vote and voted for her colored counterpart. The act of 1798 provided that any negro which had the same language and color as white men was guilty of the crime. An act of 1798 was repealed by the legislature and it was replaced with “the language of every negro,” as the act of 1800 stated. The Act of 1803 was repealed ̵ it was repealed by the legislature, ” and all the amendments made to 1803 changed how this provision affects the laws of any state or territory. The act of 1803 had a very short passage. It was repealed by the legislature. In 1812 it was replaced with a separate act by another state which passed in 1814. It repealed the act of 1816 by the legislature which stated that “one white man and one negro shall be the president, vice president, and keeper of the Union, and the vice president shall be the treasurer of the Navy, and the captain shall be the clerk of the United States government; he shall receive his salary for these purposes of subsistence and all other duties of the United States and all offices of government in Virginia. The same Constitution shall remain in existence after that date.” An act of 1815 and 1821 were introduced by the legislature ”the Act of 1914 was repealed by the legislature, ”and the act of 1917 was repealed by the legislature. „:In 1848 the Constitution was repealed by the state legislature ‧when then the bill to amend it was sent to the state