Short Paper 2
GOVT 421 – D02 LUO
Jennifer Mercado
April 10, 2019
The Declaration of Independence “is the founding document of the American political tradition.”
“It is one of the most famous documents in the history of the world and from its inception has
exerted a powerful influence on mankind.” [1]
The Declaration was adopted by the Continental Congress in the 1776; it essentially cut
the ties between the colonies and Great Britain. There are several ideas that helped to shape this
powerful document. It provides the reason to why the colonies should be independent, rights of
the people and equality, the purpose of government, and to declare independence from Great
Britain. Jefferson Davis stated that “The Declaration of Independence was intended to be an
expression of the American mind ... All its authority rests then on the harmonizing sentiments of
the day…”[1]. The colonies were at disgruntled with the British government and wanted to be
free from King George III’s rule. The founders intended for the Declaration to justify the idea of
freedom from England because the King George refused to consent to laws and to defend the
reasons for the actions and decisions to be independent government separate from Great Britain.
Between 1763 and 1776, “the colonists felt unfairly taxed, watched over like children, and
ignored in their attempts to address grievances.” Religious, political and economic ideals were a
continual debate amongst the colonists. [2]
Our beautifully crafted document starts with the words, "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, the separate and equal station
to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of
mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” [3]
That very first sentence “it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands
which have connected them with another…” explains the reasons that the colonies wanted to
declare their independence. The preamble of the Declaration addresses the issue of equality and
rights and to bring Natural truths to light. It states that “all men are created that they are
endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty,
and the pursuit of Happiness.” In Romans 13:1-2, Paul writes “Let every person be subject to the
governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been
instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and
those who resist will incur judgment.” The Declaration of Independence restates that the concept
of these verses by holding citizens accountable to the governing authorities.
After reading John Edisome’s book, I have concluded that the Declaration of
Independence was shaped by Biblical principles which were studied by the founding fathers.
Blackstone’s points taken by the Founding Fathers were (1) His conviction that all law has its
source in God, Revealed Law, the law of God as found in the Bible. (2) The roles of judges, how
they discover and apply law, not make law, (3) Expert systematizing of the common law of
England.
Based on McClellan’s discussion of the Declaration of Independence, you see that there
was difficulty and disagreement on deciding where to base their rights. Whether that be laws of
nature, common law rights or prescriptive rights. The rights of slaves were not condemned by the
Declaration of Independence; inherent rights were not for colored men but for all men of
“European birth or descent being white.
[1] McClellan, James, Liberty, Order, and Justice: An Introduction to the Constitutional
Principles of American Government [1989], 103, 104
[2] "The Events Leading to Independence." Ushistory.org. Accessed April 9, 2019.
[3] "The Declaration of Independence: Full Text." Ushistory.org. Accessed April 9, 2019.
[4] Romans 13, King James Version
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