BENNY-DICTION ON-LINE!
Volume 11, Number 2, On-Line Edition, May 23, 1999
BENNY-DICTION ON-LINE!
Volume 11, Number 2, On-Line Edition, May 23, 1999
The Declaration of Independence by
Matt D. '05
"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 pursuit of Happiness." This is
a quote from the Declaration of Independence. In this paper, you will learn
what the Declaration of Independence was, how it was written, what it said,
and how it affected our country. What is the Declaration of Independence?
This document said that thirteen colonies wanted to be an independent country.
It helped form a new country called the United States of America. On July
4, it was signed by the Second Continental Congress. In 1776, the Declaration
of Independence was read in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
How was this document written? The Declaration of Independence was
drafted by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston
and Robert Sherman. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams edited it. Thomas
Jefferson, the young Virginian, returned the final paper to Congress. Did
you know that Benjamin Franklin was supposed to write the Declaration of
Independence, but he was sick, so Thomas Jefferson took his place?
What did the Declaration say? The document said Americans wanted freedom
from England. It started out by saying, "All people are created equal and
have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." This document
told of thirty ways that the King of England was depriving Americans of
these rights. The congressmen swore to help protect the Declaration with
their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor." The document also said that thirteen
colonies were independent states.
How did it effect our country? The document said that if George Washington's
army won the Revolutionary War, then the document would be true. The declaration
helps remind us of why America broke away from England long ago. It also
helped the United States win because it united us with one cause--independence.
The Revolutionary War was won by America in 1781. The United Colonies were
created by Nationalism. Nationalism is a feeling people have when they
belong to a country.
In conclusion, this paper was about the Declaration of Independence.
You learned what a declaration is, what it said, how it was written, and
how it affected our country. I learned that America became independent
of England in the same way as children become independent of their parents.