The Declaration of Independence of the United States of AmericaThomas JeffersonOmniClassics · Literature
The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America
Thomas JeffersonA declaration of political separation joins a general account of legitimate government to a specific indictment of royal rule.
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About the book
The document adopted by the Continental Congress in July 1776 explains why the thirteen colonies claim an independent political standing. Its opening establishes principles of equality, rights, consent, and the possibility of altering a government that defeats its purposes. A sustained list of grievances then presents the case against the British king before the concluding declaration states the consequences of separation. The movement from principle to accusation to collective commitment gives the text its rhetorical design. Reading the whole document, rather than only its familiar opening claims, makes that structure visible. It also invites consideration of the distance between the universality of its language and the exclusions within the society that produced it, a tension that forms part of the document's historical significance and continuing interpretation.
- Political legitimacy
- Rights and consent
- Public argument
Why read it
For the complete argumentative movement of a foundational political document, from general principles through grievances to an asserted independent status.
Declaration adopted in 1776 · English text