declaration of independence analytical essay

The Declaration of Independence

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Analysis: “The Declaration of Independence”

The Declaration of Independence is both a legal document and a philosophical treatise. It has the structure of a government document but uses philosophy to underpin its political purpose. It is organized around two premises: that a government derives its power from the people and that the people can, therefore, dissolve the government and form a new one if it fails to protect the people’s rights. Jefferson first argues the undeniability of the first premise and then goes into extensive detail to prove the second. With both premises proven, the document reaches its conclusion: The people of the colonies are forming a new government. The three sections of the text (preamble, list of grievances, and conclusion) each use slightly different devices and ideas that are worth looking at closely.

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Background Essay: Applying the Ideals of the Declaration of Independence

Guiding Questions: Why have Americans consistently appealed to the Declaration of Independence throughout U.S. history? How have the ideals in the Declaration of Independence affected the struggle for equality throughout U.S. history?

• I can explain how the ideals of the Declaration of Independence have inspired individuals and groups to make the United States a more equal and just society.

Essential Vocabulary

In an 1857 speech criticizing the Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857), Abraham Lincoln commented that the principle of equality in the Declaration of Independence was “meant to set up a standard maxim [fundamental principle] for a free society.” Indeed, throughout American history, many Americans appealed to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence to make liberty and equality a reality for all.

A constitutional democracy requires vigorous deliberation and debate by citizens and their representatives. Therefore, it should not be surprising that the meanings and implications of the Declaration of Independence and its principles have been debated and contested throughout history. This civil and political dialogue helps Americans understand the principles and ideas upon which their country was founded and the means of working to achieve them.

Applying the Declaration of Independence from the Founding through the Civil War

Individuals appealed [pointed to as evidence] to the principles of the Declaration of Independence soon after it was signed. In the 1770s and 1780s, enslaved people in New England appealed to the natural rights principles of the Declaration and state constitutions as they petitioned legislatures and courts for freedom and the abolition of slavery. A group of enslaved people in New Hampshire stated, “That the God of Nature, gave them, Life, and Freedom, upon the Terms of the most perfect Equality with other men; That Freedom is an inherent [of a permanent quality] Right of the human Species, not to be surrendered, but by Consent.” While some of these petitions were unsuccessful, others led to freedom for the petitioner.

The women and men who assembled at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention , the first women’s rights conference held in the United States, adopted the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions , a list of injustices committed against women. The document was modeled after the Declaration of Independence, but the language was changed to read, “We hold these truths to be self-evident : [clear without having to be stated] that all men and women are created equal.” It then listed several grievances regarding the inequalities that women faced. The document served as a guiding star in the long struggle for women’s suffrage.

The Declaration of Independence was one of the centerpieces of the national debate over slavery. Abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Abby Kelley all invoked the Declaration of Independence in denouncing slavery. On the other hand, Senators Stephen Douglas and John Calhoun, Justice Roger Taney, and Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens all denied that the Declaration of Independence was meant to apply to Black people.

Abraham Lincoln was president during the crisis of the Civil War, which was brought about by this national debate over slavery. He consistently held that the Declaration of Independence had universal natural rights principles that were “applicable to all men and all time.” In his Gettysburg Address, Lincoln stated that the nation was “conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

The Declaration at Home and Abroad: The Twentieth Century and Beyond

The case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) revealed a split over the meaning of the equality principle even in the Supreme Court. The majority in the 7–1 decision thought that distinctions and inequalities based upon race did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment and did not imply inferiority, and therefore, segregation was constitutional. Dissenting Justice John Marshall Harlan argued for equality when he famously wrote, “In the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here. Our constitution is colorblind.”

The expansion of American world power in the wake of the Spanish-American War of 1898 triggered another debate inspired by the Declaration of Independence. The war brought the United States into more involvement in world affairs. Echoing earlier debates over Manifest Destiny during nineteenth-century westward expansion, supporters of American global expansion argued that the country would bring the ideals of liberty and self-government to those people who had not previously enjoyed them. On the other hand, anti-imperialists countered that creating an American empire violated the Declaration of Independence by taking away the liberty of self-determination , or freedom of government without foreign interference, and consent from Filipinos and Cubans.

Politicians of differing perspectives viewed the Declaration in opposing ways during the early twentieth century. Progressives [a political and social reform group that began in the late 19th century] such as Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson argued that the principles of the Declaration of Independence were important for an earlier period in American history, to gain independence from Great Britain and to set up the new nation. They argued that the modern United States faced new challenges introduced by an industrial economy and needed a new set of ideas that required a more active government and more powerful national executive. They were less concerned with preserving an ideal of liberty and equality and more concerned with regulating society and the economy for the public interest. Wilson in particular rejected the views of the Founding, criticizing both the Declaration and the Constitution as irrelevant for facing the problems of his time.

President Calvin Coolidge disagreed and adopted a conservative position when he argued that the ideals of the Declaration of Independence should be preserved and respected. On the 150th anniversary of the Declaration, Coolidge stated that the principles formed the American belief system and were still the basis of American republican institutions. They were still applicable regardless of how much society had changed.

During World War II, Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan threatened the free nations of the world with aggressive expansion and domination. The United States and the coalition of Allied powers fought for several years to reverse their conquests. President Franklin Roosevelt and other free-world leaders proclaimed the principles of liberty and self-government from the Declaration of Independence in documents such as the Atlantic Charter , the Four Freedoms speech, and the United Nations Charter.

After World War II, American social movements for justice and equality called upon the Declaration of Independence and its principles. For example, in his “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King, Jr., referred to the Declaration as the “sacred heritage” of the nation but said that it had not lived up to its ideals for Black Americans. King demanded that the United States live up to its “sacred obligation” of liberty and equality for all.

The natural rights republican ideals of the Declaration of Independence influenced the creation of American constitutional government founded upon liberty and equality. They also shaped the expectation that a free people would live in a just society. Indeed, the Declaration states that to secure natural rights is the fundamental duty of government. Achieving those ideals has always been part of a robust and dynamic debate among the sovereign people and their representatives.

Inspired by the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, many social movements, politicians, and individuals helped make the United States a more equal and just society. The Emancipation Proclamation ; the Thirteenth , Fourteenth , and Fifteenth Amendments ; the Nineteenth Amendment ; the 1964 Civil Rights Act ; and the 1965 Voting Rights Act were only some of the achievements in the name of equality and justice. As James Madison wrote in Federalist 51 , “Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained.”

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Declaration of Independence Analysis

This essay will provide a comprehensive analysis of the Declaration of Independence. It will examine the historical context of its creation, its philosophical underpinnings, and its rhetorical power. The piece will also explore the Declaration’s impact on the American Revolution and its enduring significance in American history. Moreover, at PapersOwl, there are additional free essay samples connected to Analysis.

How it works

The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776.  It announced that the Thirteen Colonies, (already at war with Great Britain,) would regard themselves as independent states, and no longer be not under British rule. These new states took a unified first step toward forming the United States of America with the Declaration of Independence.  The Declaration was largely written by Thomas Jefferson, but revised by General Congress to produce the final document.

  It was signed by representatives from Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.  In The Declaration, the Thirteen Colonies justified their independence by listing grievances against King George III and asserting natural and legal rights, including the right to revolt. The king was the intended audience of the

In The Declaration of Independence, the use of ethos, pathos, and logos is predominant in the document. Pathos is the most used out of the three rhetorical devices. Jefferson uses the emotional appeals to manipulate King George III’s words and actions to capture the colonist’s attention. He does this to enrage the audience so Jefferson can show them that he is there for them while the king is not. Jefferson uses ethos in a way to unite and strengthen histhe audience. Some examples from the document that help support this is “all men are created equal” (NA-DOI). This example explains his willingness to stand by the colonists and be there for the colonies colonists. In this document, Jefferson establishes his also established credibility through ethos. His credibility is based on who he is as a person, the history he makes has made, and influences he has brought about. He also identifies with the audience on the subject account of being disciplined by King George III even though he is miles apart from the colonies. Jefferson was “in congress, July 4,1776” (NA-DOI) when writing this document with the help of other representatives of the general congress assembled. Jefferson shows his appeal to logos by the way he created the declaration  The way the declaration was written gives Jefferson logos, because the format of the document forces the audience to pay attention to each argument being made. Each section is separated out by subject and can be easily comprehended, then followed from one topic to the next.

In the “original Rrough draughft” Jefferson is still credible through logos, ethos, and pathos. Jefferson still maintains contains his credibility, of who he is anis, an admirable author, a respectable historian, and an exemplary patriot. His logical argument isn’t as substantial strong as the finalized document  print version, it is more complex for the reader to follow as he transitions to each section of the declaration. “the truth of which we pledge a faith yet unsullied by falsehood…” (LOC). Through the emotional appeals of the rough draft he is very detailed and not as to the point “laws of nature and of nature’s god entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind…” (LOC). It doesn’t hit the audience as strong because of the poor word usage that he portrays.

These documents, although similar, are distinguishable from one another not indistinguishable. When comparing the documents, the final draft printed version is the more persuasive of the two documents because it has a substantial emotional appeal to the audience and is easier to follow and understand. The first printed version is more sophisticated starting off with the date as well as keeping “United States of America” (NA-DOI) more controlled and less in your face as the original rough draft illustrates. A lot of the concept of the same, for example “it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it” (NA-DOI) meaning he is giving the people rights and that they can control the government, they have a voice and can’t be controlled. They also use the line “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (NA-DOI) this explains that “unalienable rights” are bestowed upon all humans by their creators. Government just serves as a beacckon to protect and serve the people. All in all, it is the people’s rights and duty to have control over their own government., Tthis is what Jefferson is trying to convey to the colonist, as well as, the King of England, King George the III. Also, both these documents have the same flow and separation of topics to make it easier to understand and follow for the audience can, so they audience can pay attention to the important points that are being addressed. Jefferson still has the same credibility and trustworthiness throughout the entire document.

In conclusion, King George (delete the) III was the intended audience of the Declaration of Independence, as were the colonists and foreign nations. Thomas Jefferson, a primary author in the writing of the Declaration of Independence, wrote in the Declaration several specific entries about King George (delete the)  III describing in detail why the colonists were going to become severed from English rule. The language used in the Declaration of Independence is what makes its purpose clear. There is no confusion on the documents’ deliberate audience or motivation. The Declarations premise was to divorce itself from Great Britain and authorize its own 13 colonies.

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Rhetoric of The Declaration of Independence Essay

The ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, prescribed three modes of rhetorical persuasion – ethos, pathos, and logos. An outstanding rhetoric persuasion should have an ethical appeal, an emotional appeal, as well as a logical appeal. In the Declaration of Independence document, and Thomas Jefferson’s account, the founding fathers not only aired grievances, truths, and the denial of liberty, but they also artistically embroidered all the elements of rhetoric persuasion in their assertions. The Declaration of Independence appeals to ethics, emotions, and logic – the three fundamental elements of rhetoric.

The Declaration of Independence’s appeal to ethics is undisputable. In the opening paragraphs of the declaration, there is an ethical appeal for why the colonists needed separation from the colonizer. The first paragraph of the declaration read,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth […] decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation (“The Declaration of Independence”).

In the statement above, Jefferson and the founding fathers were appealing to ethics. It was necessary and essential to have an ethical explanation for that desire to gain support for their need to be independent. The founding fathers needed to explain why they needed to separate as decent respect to the opinions of humankind. In the second paragraph, the declaration continued on the ethical appeal stating that humans bore equal and unalienable rights – “to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (“The Declaration of Independence”).

These statements are moral, ethical, and legal overtones that the audience can associate themselves with. If someone were to ask, “Why is this separation necessary?” The answer would come right from the second paragraph. Jefferson and the founding fathers were more than aware that such a move as declaring independence required an ethical appeal with salient and concrete causes in place of light and transient causes, and they appealed to ethics right at the beginning of the declaration.

Other than appealing to ethics, Jefferson and the founding fathers required the audience to have an emotional attachment to the Declaration of Independence. The audience had to feel the same way as the founding fathers did. In the second paragraph of the declaration document, the drafters appealed that the people had a right to change and abolish a government that had become destructive of the equal and inalienable rights of all humankind. “Humankind is more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to the right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed” (“The Declaration of Independence”).

However, if there is “a long train of abuses and usurpations” (“The Declaration of Independence”), there was a need to reduce the adversities under absolute Despotism, as the people’s right and duty. At the beginning of paragraph 30, the drafters of the declaration called their preceding assertions oppressions. An oppressed person is not a happy person. By making the audience – the colonists – remember their suffering and how patient they had been with the colonizers, Jefferson and the drafters appealed to the audience’s emotions.

The other rhetorical appeal in the Declaration of Independence is that of logic – logos. Other than bearing ethical and emotional overtones, the declaration equally bore logical sentiments. At the end of paragraph two, The Declaration of Independence reads, “To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world” (“The Declaration of Independence”), after which follows a string of grievances against the King of England and the colonizers. The entire draft bears logical appeal and the rationale behind the call for independence. How the founding fathers interwove the causes for independence in the declaration is a representation of logic.

There is evidence of inductive reasoning showing what the colonists required – independence from England – and why that was the only resort. The declaration is also logically appealing because it is not that the colonists have not sought the colonizer’s ear for the grievances they had; they had “In every stage of these Oppressions Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms, but their repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury” (“The Declaration of Independence”). Reason would only dictate that the colonists resort to other measures such as declaring themselves independent from a tyrannical system.

A rhetorical analysis of the Declaration for Independence shows the employment of ethical (ethos), emotional (pathos), and logical (logos) appeals by the drafters. In the statement of their reasons for calling to be independent of the crown, the founding fathers elucidated an ethical appeal. In the statement of their grievances against the King of England, the drafters appealed emotionally to their audience. Lastly, the drafters of the declaration interwove logic into every argument they presented by employing inductive reasoning in the description of the relationship between the colonies and the colonizer and why they formerly needed emancipation from the latter.

“ The Declaration of Independence: The Want, Will, and Hopes of the People . “ Ushistory.org , 2018. Web.

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Declaration of Independence Ideology Analysis

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Published: Dec 12, 2018

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