...The Declaration of Independence promised each American the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” as our colonies branched away from the king. Our founding fathers disliked the King, given he was an alleged tyrant for corrupting the American colonial government to suit his own country’s needs. When our colonies were no longer a parliament, we struggled to find a well-formed government. One thing was guaranteed: The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Years later in the Constitution, the first ten amendments became the American people’s Bill of Rights, fully granting us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness under the code of law. Amendment five directly addresses the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit...
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...Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness: This is my vision for America! At times, the circumstances of life seem to blind us to the magnificence of our nation. The reporter on the news dramatically highlights yet another school shooting, a terrorist bombing, racial attacks, wars, debt, diseases. It is wearying! Is happiness a worthless pursuit in America? There was another time in our country's history that our citizen's faced a similar dilemma. In 1787, after winning a bloody, costly war for independence, the delegates at the Constitutional Convention were divided and at a stalemate. Benjamin Franklin proposed calling upon the "assistance of Heaven" and asking for wisdom to begin each day. We need wisdom today. In many ways we too are divided...
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...Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The idea that human beings are entitled to these basic rights has come a long way since it was first explored by John Locke and other enlightenment philosophers in the 17th and 18th centuries. No country, no society, has ever achieved as much as the United States of America in terms of fulfilling these ideals. That being said, the United States would never have evolved into the bastion of freedom and justice that it is today without the sacrifices made by its protectors, living and dead. Veterans Day is about acknowledging that, without the bravery and devotion of the men and women who have served, and continue to serve each and every one of us, the preservation of this great nation would be impossible....
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...to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which is composed on the Declaration of Independence. A strong statement adopted on July 4, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress had just laid the corner stone of "their" new country named the United States of America. The composers had in mind that all men are created equal and should be able to enjoy the same free and opportunity filled lifestyle. Although, well thought out and detailed in manner, the issue now viewed is what was considered a man at the current time. The introduction of the slave-trade showed a clear divide in the opinion. The thought process at that time has drastically impacted the black community to present. The Declaration of Independence states all individuals are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but does not explain the start dates are different for separate races. Strongly due to slavery and the consequences thereof, which include lack of education and unsupported financial stability have impacted black livelihood for over the past 200 years and also prove that the rights in this document were not meant for all races....
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...motive to independence, the allowance to mass success, and the vouchsafed of contentment. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the rights that have been bestowed upon us; they are the utmost essential rights that have been gifted to us by simply being an American. The works of, “The Declaration of Independence,” drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the self-liberating essay, “Salvation,” penned by Langston Hughes, as-well-as, the continuous resurging classic, “The Great Gatsby,” written by F. Scott Fitzgerald all share a common factor. These analects not only render on how we are entitled to these essential American rights but how we are given the opportunity to practice them freely...
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...servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns." The first principle Popular Sovereignty is reflected within the Declaration of Independence. Popular sovereignty means that the people power the government by electing government leaders to represent the people of this nation and making government decisions. Once the people elect a leader they do not have the power to remove the leader from their government positions and replace them with a new leader. panel 4 Social Contract In the Declaration of Independence social contract was reflected in the quotes below: “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,...
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...that being said, he expressed American Freedom around what we were willing to risk for a change and what we would allow come between our wants and needs. Naomi Wolf’s, “Freedom is intended as a challenge,” explains The Declaration of Independence in a way that would be more modernized for people that could not grasp what Jefferson was meaning. Wolf also continues to elaborate the challenges Americans personally sacrifice for the sake of freedom. Having said that, the pursuit of happiness mirrors the time period in which we live in. Nowadays you see the laws changing all around us. Currently same-sex marriage is now legal but just a few years ago they weren’t allowed to. Black people and white people are no longer segregated and 23 states have change their drug laws and have made marijuana legal. Everyday seems like the idea of freedom is changing. The pursuit of happiness is a reflection over how it was back then and how it is now. In Jefferson’s writing he uses words like “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”, (Jefferson 625) which implies that people have the right to live freely. Furthermore Jefferson states, “It is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it” (Jefferson 625), simply saying that if the government abuses their power, the people have the right to change it. The government has all power when given the okay by the people,...
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...reality that they probably won’t be able to do what they set out to do, due to agendas preset before they even thought about running for presidency. We’re faced with the let down of a broken promise. As a citizen you get promised many things, a lot of those promises are legal promises as in the Constitution of the United States and others that were just promised to get a reaction. In The Promise of America a book with excerpts of different promises made to the American people, Thomas Jefferson’s historical “The Declaration of Independence”, was read on July 4th 1776, and was signed by 56 members of congress. In the “Declaration”, Jefferson states our true promises that defy this great nation that we have the rights of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson 36). On July 19th 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton a woman’s rights activist parodied Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence” to make the point that women were not being treated as “equal” members of society or that were given our free rights that were promised in the “Declaration” (Stanton 42-46). As deprived as women...
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...Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness When our forefathers drafted the Declaration of Independence, they were seeking a place where “all men are created equal” with the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” They were the dreamers who saw potential in America. A little further down the road to the 1880s and Americans were still dreaming of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in a world where all men are created equal. We commonly refer to it as “the American Dream.” This phrase was first used in 1931 to describe the attraction that brought immigrants to America. The pursuit of the American Dream is still something that is chased by the masses today. Huck Finn, Jim and Pap were all seeking to achieve that dream, though it had different meanings for each of them. Huck’s pursuit of the American Dream had to do with being able to be free to go where and when he wanted, without seeking permission from anyone. Huck felt if he were free to do as he pleased, then he would be a rich man. His happiness had nothing to do with financial wealth. Huck stated that fact to Judge Thatcher. I don’t want it at all-nor the six thousand, nuther I want you to take it; I want to give it to you-the six thousand and all…Don’t you ask me no questions about it please. You’ll tale it-won’t you?...Please take it..and don’t ask me nothing-then I wont have to tell no lies. (Twain 25). When Huck saw money, he did not equate that with happiness. Instead, he...
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...journal entry by describing my new found reverence for our founding fathers and for the great resolve I now have to uphold the Constitution and embrace my freedoms – thoughts to which I have not given much consideration before Law Sem and this assignment. Our country’s architects envisioned a nation that protects life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness from the forceful interference by others. This assignment will attempt to describe my passion for being American based on those three protections. Regarding the protection of life, being an American means living a life of freedom where justice, equality, and fairness are paramount in our legal system. As an American, I want to support our government and its interests and want to do my best to remain loyal to our nation’s leaders. However, when I differ with our leaders, I am confident that I, as an American, have a hand in appointing the appropriate leaders by voting and by taking responsibility to be fully informed and aware of the issues that I am either not in agreement or continue to doubt. Being an American gives me liberties that individuals in many nations will never realize or enjoy. These liberties are incredibly important to me and I believe that as an American I should support the rights of consenting couples to marry (regardless of sexual orientation or gender), to embrace the interchange of cultures, and to emphasize to my children the importance of...
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...very relevant, however; equality is the most important. The declaration of independence stated 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” Meaning that all people should receive the same rights, and be treated as equals. This is so important because everyone deserves the same rights. In document A Diana Pham a Vietnamese refugee, expressed how grateful she was of the equality given to her and her family. She said “America has given our family the chance to become whatever we choose...
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...first key phrase declares, “. . . all men are created equal.” This, however, is contradictory considering the existence of slavery in the colonies and the fact that the author, Thomas Jefferson, owned hundreds of slaves himself. Some argue that those who signed the Declaration thought of “the people” as male property owners, which would not include women or slaves as being equal. However, in the original draft, Jefferson did condemn King George for allowing the slave trade to flourish, but Congress voted against this because they did not want the document rejected by the slave-holding colonists. This leads into the second half of the quote that men are “endowed . . . with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This quote is derived from John Locke’s Second Treatise Concerning Civil Government, which states that a government is morally obliged to serve people by protecting their...
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...oneself why the Negro is not included in this day that marks the Declaration of Independence. Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness is extended to every race, except the Negro. It was a day to mark the victimization of a race of people. In comparison, the founding fathers celebrated a day of gaining political independence from Britain and henceforth able to chart their own course. All free citizens have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for themselves. The Fourth of July was a day to recognize the growth and progress made since gaining independence and to dream...
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...unfair taxation, and their natural rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Britain needed money to pay its war debts and the King and Parliament were convinced that they had the right to tax the colonies. In 1765 the Parliament and King passed several different taxes so the colonists could help pay for the French and Indian War. These taxes included the Townshend Act, passed in 1767, which required the colonists to pay taxes on imported goods such as tea paper, and lead. Other laws, like the Stamp Act, passed in 1765, required colonists to pay tax on printed materials such as newspapers, legal documents, and magazines. Lastly, the Sugar Act, which raised prices on certain goods such as tea and coffee. As a result, many people in the colonies were angry. They...
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...lives. Regardless of the fact if people are aware of it, they are continually a part of it. It is essentially a drive towards success to push towards a level of happiness. This doesn't have to require becoming wealthy, although if that is your dream you have the means to push for that goal. You are allowed to push for what you want to do what your dreams take you. You can become a doctor or a lawyer or a scientist or whatever your career desire is. If you want to start your own business you have that opportunity. The American Dream is about providing opportunity. It is your responsibility to provide that drive to accomplish those dreams. This dream can be ever changing and evolving, what you feel to be true today may not necessary be true tomorrow. I feel that this flexibility in our economy is a large part of what provides us with success and hope for the future. I find that the American Dream is even more so important in today's world. Politically the American dream is defined to be Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Life and Liberty is a given and is provided to us by the Constitution and protected by our government. Pursuit of Happiness is up to each and every one of us individually. You can both sit around and do nothing, or you can fulfill your dreams and achieve this level of happiness. I find that this is the huge difference between our economy and the failings of Communism. Communism while provides a Liberal approach by providing equality,...
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