What is the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
2 Answers
Secede from the British Empire
Explanation:
The 1776 Declaration of Independence aimed at declaring independence from the British Crown. The Declaration was written by Jefferson with some help from Franklin and Adams. The unfair taxes imposed by the British monarch is what triggered the conflict.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. "
The Declaration of Independence justified secession from the British Empire to defend the principles of "Life, Liberty and pursuit of happiness" and rebellion was clearly vindicated.
The declaration of independence was written to justify the American Revolution and establish a system of government based on God given natural rights.
Explanation:
King George claiming the power of government based on the divine right of Kings, had suspended the local legislative assemblies of the colonies, and installed royal governors in place of locally elected rulers.
After the British conquered Canada in the 7 years of global war with France ( also called the French and Indian wars) King George regarded all of North America as Royal lands and the occupants as tenants. As tenants the colonies only had the rights that were given to them by the King and the government.
In the original charters the colonists had been granted the "basic rights of Englishmen # King George suspended the Charters revoking those rights. The King felt that he had the right to impose new taxes without the consent of the colonist based on the colonist being his tenants and the divine right of kings.
The declaration of independence drawing on the writings of John Locke declared that the people had the right to determine their own form of government, and that there was no biblical support for the divine right of kings. Furthermore people's basic rights of life liberty and pursuit of happiness ( property according to John Locke) came from God not the government.
The declaration of independence declared that the American colonists had the right to establish their own form of government independent from England, and that this right came from God and was a natural right of all people.
