The declaration of independence was written for multiple audiences when it was drafted.

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The Declaration of Independence is one of the founding and most fundamental documents of the United States. On July 4, 1776, during the American Revolution, the Second Continental Congress adopted the famed document drafted by Thomas Jefferson that pronounced the independence of the thirteen states, previously the Thirteen Colonies. The Declaration was adopted at a point in time when Congress had determined that their grievances against Great Britain were irreconcilable and the majority in Congress agreed that independence was the best solution. The Declaration of Independence was a reaction to years of injustices waged by Great Britain that served to unify the Thirteen Colonies together under mutual frustrations. With Congress’ adoption of the Declaration, unity was felt throughout the colonies, and the Thirteen Colonies took an important step toward becoming the United States of America.

By the time the Declaration was adopted by Congress, the American Revolution had already been going on for over a year. Even after the war broke out, there was no immediate movement toward independence; the war was more so a reaction to years of negative relations between the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain. A decade before the war began, colonists were already at odds with the British Parliament in reaction to unfair taxation and oppressive regulations on the colonies. British measures such as the Stamp Act and the Townshend Act imposed strict taxes on the colonists as a way for Great Britain to make up for the money lost from the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War in North America). One of the colonists’ main grievances waged against Parliament and these taxes was that there was no representation in Parliament on behalf of the colonies. As time went on, more colonists began to question the legality of Parliament’s jurisdiction over the colonies at all, with some arguing that Parliament had no jurisdiction in the colonies because the colonies had their own legislatures.

Prior to the outbreak of the American Revolution, an important ruling body within the Thirteen Colonies was the Continental Congress, which had been formed as a reactionary measure to Great Britain’s unjust measures. The Continental Congress consisted of a meeting of delegates from each colony to discuss actions that should be taken in response to Great Britain before, and later, during the war. At the Second Continental Congress in May 1775, while some delegates believed that independence was the best course of action, most delegates were not yet adamantly calling for independence.

The movement towards independence was jumpstarted by soldier and author, Thomas Paine, who published his pamphlet, “Common Sense” in January 1776, a powerful message that advocated for independence from Great Britain. “Common Sense” was widely published and accepted among colonists, igniting, or further fueling colonists’ desire for independence. While some colonists still held out hope for reconciliation with Great Britain, punitive actions of King George and Parliament towards the colonies convinced many colonists that there could be no peace with the mother country.

In 1776, colonies began authorizing their delegates to vote for independence in documents such as the Halifax Resolves in North Carolina. Other colonies including Rhode Island and South Carolina denounced their allegiance to Great Britain and declared that the British Parliament and King no longer had jurisdiction in their colony. While some delegates, such as John Adams, spoke adamantly about the need for independence, other colonies held back, not yet willing to join the movement. On May 15, 1776, John Adams wrote a preamble calling for all colonies to suppress the rule of Great Britain and establish new governments within their individual colonies. Despite multiple colonies disagreeing with Adams’ preamble and voting against it, Congress passed the preamble. On June 7 of that same year, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia presented a resolution, “The Lee Resolution,” calling on Congress to declare independence. Congress postponed the adoption of Lee’s Resolution for a few weeks and established the “Committee of Five” to draft a document announcing independence if Lee’s Resolution should pass. The Committee of Five consisted of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. The men in the Committee consulted about the outline of the declaration and determined that Thomas Jefferson should write the first draft.

On June 11, 1776, Jefferson began to write his version of the Declaration of Independence, drawing on previous documents of significance, such as the Virginia Declaration of Rights and ideas from the enlightenment and John Locke to express his sentiments. On June 28, after making some changes as a group, the Committee of Five presented Jefferson’s version of the declaration to Congress. Congress took the draft and made some significant changes to it, rearranging sentence structures, shortening the length, and significantly, removing a clause the blamed King George III for the slave trade in the colonies. The powerful ideas echoing throughout the Declaration were intended for a wide audience. The Declaration was not only meant to reach Americans and the King, but the general world as well. The document was meant to reach foreign allies and announce to the world that the colonies were now a new country.

The Declaration was structurally divided into three sections. The preamble outlined the rights of man and the right for the colonists to fight for their cause. The words of the preamble were meant to unite Americans under a realization that the future could be brighter if they continued to fight. The second section of the Declaration outlined the grievances against King George III to remind everyone of the tyranny that the King exercised over the colonists and thereby justify their fighting. The third section was the actual declaration of the independence of the thirteen colonies as free and independent states.

After some deliberation over a few days, Congress eventually voted to adopt the resolution of independence, and 56 men signed the Declaration. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved for printing and publication. The founding document continues to be a pillar of American rights and principles and a foundation of freedom.

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 On July 4, Americans celebrate Independence Day to remember the day our nation was born. In 1776, American colonists declared independence from their imperial oppressors. The Declaration of Independence is part of the foundation of American patriotism and is synonymous with this American holiday. Americans must remember the Declaration of Independence and understand the need for its creation. It is a document that established a new free country and points to the freedoms we enjoy today.

What does the Declaration of Independence say?

The Declaration of Independence contains three overarching themes. Historical writers summarize, “(1) God made all men equal and gave them the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; (2) the main business of government is to protect these rights; (3) if a government tries to withhold these rights, the people are free to revolt and to set up a new government.”

The document also lists the 27 cases of abuse of the British crown against the colonies. Most importantly, it declares the colonies are free and independent states.

Why was the Declaration of Independence written?

According to the National Archives, “The Declaration of Independence was designed for multiple audiences: the King, the colonists, and the world. It was also designed to multitask. Its goals were to rally the troops, win foreign allies, and to announce the creation of a new country.”

Some colonists did not appreciate the idea of disconnecting from their ancestral land. However, the Declaration of Independence encouraged many to risk their lives in a revolution and break free from Great Britain. The introductory statements in the Declaration of Independence, the preamble, were written to galvanize and unify the people. The preamble statements are among the most well-known phrases from the document. You might have memorized the following portion in elementary school. “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.”

If the Declaration of Independence was designed to win foreign allies, it succeeded tremendously. Several foreign countries played roles in helping the American colonists. France’s role in the fight for American independence is perhaps the most impactful. Decades earlier, French politicians’ ideological influence on American founding fathers ignited the colonists’ fiery drive for independence. Notably, before the 1777 Battle of Saratoga, the French secretly provided monetary funds and military support to the colonist rebels. When the battle ended in a surprising and decisive American victory, the French monarch and his advisors were inclined to aid the Americans further. France and the American government signed the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce on Feb. 6, 1778. By 1781, the pivotal alliance helped end the American revolutionary war when the French navy obtained British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia.

Spain also provided covert funding to the American side. The Spaniards officially joined the revolution in 1779, hoping to get back the land they lost to Great Britain. Their naval support together with the Dutch and French forced the British to spread thin their naval forces that would lead to Britain’s surrender. Holland had its skirmish with Great Britain yet provided financial support to the Americans in their cause and was the second nation to recognize American independence.

What are some rarely known facts surrounding this historic document?

When you remember the Declaration of Independence, you should consider Thomas Jefferson. The future president drafted the initial statements now known as the Declaration of Independence. English Philosopher John Locke influenced Jefferson’s writings. Locke theorized that a government’s power should come from the consent of the people, and such a notion is the basis of the American government. Jefferson also based the declaration on his writings of a preamble to the Virginia Constitution and George Mason’s draft of Virginia’s Declaration of Rights. 

On July 1, 1776, the Second Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia to discuss declaring independence from Great Britain. On July 2, voters approved the motion for independence by President of the Continental Congress Richard Henry Lee. For two days, delegates from the colonies debated about and wrote revisions concerning the document. 

Most people believe the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, but that is not true. Instead, July 4, 1776, was the day the Second Continental Congress officially agreed upon the final revision and adopted the Declaration of Independence. It was not until August 2, 1776, that 56 delegates signed the document. 

A somber coincidence occurred on July 4, 1826, when President Thomas Jefferson and President John Adams succumbed to illnesses and died on the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Both men were instrumental in the creation of the Declaration of Independence and signers of the document. Additionally, five years later fellow founding father President James Monroe also passed away on July 4.

Why is remembering the Declaration of Independence so important?

The Declaration of Independence was a uniquely written document that helped enable American colonists to free themselves from British rule. To remember the Declaration of Independence and its purpose is to consider how blessed we are as a nation today to have freedoms that many other countries do not have. The freedoms we enjoy today are a result of the boldness and resolve of the crafters of this historic document, the colonists who fought on the battlefields, and the people who refused to give in to tyranny.

If you would like to learn more about American history, then please read about the history of Flag Day.

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Joey Hinojosa graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and graduated from Texas Tech University with a master’s degree in mass communications. He joined the Empower Brokerage team in 2022 as a marketing specialist – editor.