...Thomas Jefferson was who authored extraordinary words and it was there words that changed a nation. Jefferson’s ability to write made him prominent author of write the Declaration of Independence, (among other significant works). Jefferson’s writings reflected on the rights of mankind and what rights a government must offer its people. His use of words to fight for Human rights makes him one of the greatest American Hero’s. Thomas Jefferson’s writings on basic human rights caused a radical shift in American Colonist thoughts and these stunning ideas would influence the Americans to break away from Great Britain. “As a boy, Thomas Jefferson’s was shy and often tongue-tied…Preferred the company of books to that of most people.” (Wilmore, 1) These were words to describe the young Jefferson; his childhood would prove to be a key in shaping the man, who through his words would change a nation. Jefferson was born on April 13th 1743, in Shadwell Virginia. During his childhood he would spend 15 hours each day reading and writing, this would prove to make his writing skills at a high level (1). As he grew into an adult he would study law in his home of Virginia at the William and Mary College at Williamsburg (Bottorff, 15). During this time he would become a member of the Whig party and would advocate for the rights and liberties of mankind (Peterson, 1). It was in his childhood and as turned into an adult which he learned how to write and how to express his political views through words...
Words: 2298 - Pages: 10
...Benjamin Banneker, a son of former slaves, lived his life as an astronomer, farmer, mathematician, surveyor, and author. In 1791 Banneker wrote to Thomas Jefferson, the framer of the Declaration of Independence, about the hypocrisy of slavery in America. To address this issue, Banneker uses comparison, emotional diction, and biblical allusions in attempts of persuading Jefferson to change his views of slavery in American society. Banneker begins his letter with a respectful and empathetic tone towards the oppression that colonists experienced under British control, recalling the “variety of dangers to which you [colonists] were exposed” under the “tyranny of the British Crown”. Banneker’s tone establishes that he respects Jefferson as an individual, but also wants to draw on the shared oppression that colonists and African slaves have experienced. The purpose...
Words: 790 - Pages: 4
...The Declaration of Independence was targeted for American Colonists, King George II (current King of England), and other nations surrounding them at the time that it was written. Today, the Declaration of Independence helps citizens acquire and develop an understanding of American politics as well as the governmental processes that help shape our public policies. The audience will develop a more insightful understanding of key aspects such as majority rule, representative democracy, constitutionalism, civil liberties, and other distinguishing characteristics of the American political system. The tone of the Declaration of Independence was written in a very serious and impertinent manner. The writers of the Declaration wanted to strongly and seriously convey their message to their audience in the document. Jefferson's original draft was found completed with changes made by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and also the Congress. “Historians have often sought to identify the sources that most influenced the words and political philosophy of the Declaration of Independence. By Jefferson's own admission, the Declaration contained no original ideas, but was instead a statement of sentiments widely shared by supporters of the American Revolution. As he explained in...
Words: 881 - Pages: 4
...The Declaration Of Independence is a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress. It is one out of three essential documents to the United States Of America. The Congress met on July 4, 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia. The statement announced that the thirteen American colonies, at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain were now thirteen newly independent sovereign states and no longer under British rule. There was a five man committee- including John Adams, Roger Sherman, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Robert L. Livingston. The Declaration was divided into five sections, including an introduction, a preamble, a body ( two sections) and a conclusion. The introduction stated that independence from Great...
Words: 674 - Pages: 3
...In the novel,”Founding Brothers” author Joseph Ellis illustrates the Revolutionary era by providing insights of the Founding Fathers. Ellis also distinguishes the behind scenes look during the revolutionary period as he comes across the explanation of how America successfully achieved their independence from Great Britain, declaration of Independence, and established the United States Constitution. Ellis takes the reader back into American history to view how these founding fathers (Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison) contributed to the American Revolution.Alexander Hamilton “was [the] secretary of treasury”(48). He was described as an ambitious man, he had developed a financial plan to pay off the state debts. Part of his plan was to collaborate a National Bank. He wanted Congress to charter this bank that would provide stability to America's economy by establishing loans to merchants, handling government funds, and issuing...
Words: 803 - Pages: 4
...Thomas Jefferson was a fundamental source in writing the Declaration of Independence. "Jefferson was influential as an advocate of democracy in the early years of the United States . . . " (Herold 19). He wrote the Declaration of Independence to address the King of Britain, the colonists, and the people because the rights of the people were being threatened by the very government that was meant to protect them. Jefferson began the document by stating his purpose: to explain why the Americas wanted to separate from Great Britain. Following the introduction, Jefferson focused a large portion of the Declaration of Independence in listing facts and reasons that served to reinforce the desire for separation. The first example that lead to my conclusion...
Words: 610 - Pages: 3
...Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and an American Founding Father. Before all that, however, he was a student at the College of William and Mary where he studied law, where he defended slaves seeking freedom. This was controversial, as Jefferson was known to own several plantations which were worked by hundreds of slaves. It is even believed that he had a relationship with one named Sally Hemings, and he may have even fathered a child with her (Halliday, XI-XII). Jefferson’s life was marked by greatness, however, as he helped bring to light the troubles and possible downfalls that could have shaped America for the worst. Through his presidency, Jefferson changed the United States for the...
Words: 1377 - Pages: 6
...A Comparison of the Founding Documents for the United States of America Liberty University A Comparison of the Founding Documents for the United States of America This document will provide a brief comparison and synopsis of some of the most important writings of our time: The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists, and the U.S. Constitution. Also, this will be an analysis of what I believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution thought about the separation of church and state, as well as God from government. The Declaration of Independence was written on July 4, 1776 by Thomas Jefferson. Its purpose was to officially separate the colonies from Great Britain and the tyrant of a king. In doing so, Jefferson lists out 27 reasons why they should separate, with the three main points being, “All men are created equal…, All men have some rights given to them by God…, That among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Carr, 2015). Therefore when the government infringes on these rights, the people of the county have the right to make changes or get rid of it, in this case, the King and Great Britain altogether. Some examples of the King of Great Britain’s wrongdoings were that “he interfered with the people’s rights to self-govern and for a fair judicial system… imposed taxes without their consent… and cut off trade with all parts of the world” (Jefferson, 2015). The end result of...
Words: 1147 - Pages: 5
...“John Locke vs. Thomas Jefferson” John Locke's Second Treatise of Government and Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence are two of the most significant texts of all time. Many countries around the world have used these texts as the foundation for their declaration of independence. These authors laid the base for the knowledge of the State of Natural Rights of human being which is the establishing bases of our government. We can understand that The Second Treatise of Government and the Declaration of Independence are very identical in their message, which clearly substantiate Locke's work influenced Jefferson. Unpredictably as it is, Jefferson has been suspect over the times for plagiarizing John Locke. The most significant similarity between both writings is that they are strongly focused on the belief that all men are created equal and have the right to be happy in their life. Locke enlightens us that humans have natural rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of property. Jefferson restates this claim as absolute rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Simply both documents mention that no person is above or superior to another person and that everyone is equal. The natural law of man is not under the authority of man, but ruled by the Natural Laws. Also they state that those natural rights...
Words: 907 - Pages: 4
...unity. This document, the Declaration of Independence, was written by Thomas Jefferson, in order to break away from Great Britain and escape from the further wrongdoings caused by King George III. Jefferson declares the United States of America independent from Great Britain while uniting all of the colonists to take action and claim their unalienable rights. In the opening, Thomas Jefferson states that there are certain rights that colonists are naturally born with and that they must protect it, even in the face of war and isolation. In the first sentence, Jefferson claims that it is...
Words: 646 - Pages: 3
...The Declaration of Independence can be divided into four main parts. The first part is an introduction that states the purpose of the document, which was to explain why the American people were declaring independence from the government of Great Britain. The second part is a theory of good government and individual rights generally accepted by Americans from the 1770s until today. In this theory, all individuals are equal in their possession of certain immutable rights. These rights are not granted by the government. Rather, they are inherent to human nature. Therefore, the first purpose of a good government is to secure or protect these rights. Further, a good government is based on the consent of the governed -- the people -- who are the sole source of the government's authority. If their government persistently violates this theory of good government, then the people have the right to overthrow it. The third part of the document is a list of grievances against King George III, who was singled out to represent the actions of the British government. These grievances are examples of actions that violated the criteria for good government stated in the second part of the Declaration of Independence. These grievances, therefore, justify separation from the King's bad government and establishment of a good government to replace it. The fourth and final part of the document is an unqualified assertion of sovereignty by the United States of America. It proclaims the determination of...
Words: 2522 - Pages: 11
...Angela Cole HIST101 American History to 1877 Prof. Traci Sumner 13 November 2011 Cole 2 Just about everyone is familiar with the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence gave thirteen colonies freedom from England's laws. We as Americans celebrate this day every year, and July 4th is known as Independence Day. The purpose of the document was to announce the colonies' independence to the world and list the reasons why the American Revolutions was legitimate. By the time the Declaration of Independence was adopted in July 1776, the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain had been at war for more than a year. Relations between these two countries had been deteriorating since the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763. Throughout history, there were very few documents that changed the way our nation views politics and carry on with our everyday lives. The Declaration of Independence changed the course of history by giving America freedom from Great Britain. 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. One of the best known sentences in the English language comes from the Deceleration of Independence (Lucas). The passage has often been used to promote the rights of marginalized people throughout the world, and came to represent a moral standard...
Words: 688 - Pages: 3
...As stated in the famous Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal. . .” (Jefferson 235), the founding fathers established a principle that would be applicable to all men including slaves. As a result, America is known for this specific fundamental principle, that all men possess equal natural rights. In the middle of a revolution between Great Britain the founding fathers found it necessary to establish the right fundamental principles for the future of America. After signing the Declaration of Independence it was a duty for the founding fathers to adhere to it. How did the founding fathers establish a government that would lead to the abolition of slavery? They did so by establishing a government that would follow the principles stated in the Declaration of Independence. As depicted in some of Thomas Jefferson’s writings, it was necessary to end slavery and he laid out why...
Words: 1552 - Pages: 7
...The audience is the most important part of SOA that impacts the content of Benjamin Banneker's letter. Banneker's audience at this time was influential leaders, specifically Thomas Jefferson, who held anti-slavery sentiments. Annekers wrote this letter to convince Jefferson to commit to his anti-slavery statements and make a change. However, because Bzanneker doesn't completely know his audience, he most likely fails to achieve his purpose. For example, Banneker requests that Jefferson think about his past oppression under British rule and his role in drafting the Declaration of Independence, Banneker then calls Jefferson's attention to his hypocrisy. He remarks to Jefferson that it is “pitiable” to learn the fact that Jefferson owns hundreds...
Words: 263 - Pages: 2
...Influences on the Constitution Table No Name HIS 301 August 1, 2013 Professor Documents that became part of the US Constitution Magna Carta A document originally written by barons in 1215 and called the Articles of the Barons, is later modified and a formal version of the document was written and became known as Magna Carta. According to "Magna Carta" (n.d.), “In the 17th century, however, two defining acts of English legislation–the Petition of Right (1628) and the Habeas Corpus Act (1679)–referred to Clause 39, which states that "no free man shall be… imprisoned or disseised [dispossessed]… except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land." Clause 40 ("To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice")” (The Document and Its Legacy). This document would have big implications for the future of the American legal system. A specific part of this document was influenced in part of an amendment and written into the Constitution of what is known to become the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution. The document became the basis of a higher law that could not be altered, even by legislative acts. It embraced the leaders of the American Revolution and parts of it are embedded in the US Constitution and enforced by the Supreme Court. The part of which we referring to say, “Nor shall any person be deprived...
Words: 1819 - Pages: 8
