The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence

1. The Bill of Rights

   • The Bill of Rights gave citizens more confidence in the new government and contains many of today's Americans' most valued freedoms.
     • It sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the Federal Government to the people of the states.
       • James Madison, once the most vocal opponent of the Bill of Rights, introduced a list of amendments to the constitution on June 8, 1789, and "hounded his colleagues relentlessly" to serve its passage. Madison had come to appreciate the importance voters attached to these protections. James Madison realized that inserting a bill of rights into the constitution could help educate people about their rights, and the chance that adding them might prevent its opponents from making more drastic changes to it.
         • By December 15, 1791, 3/4 of the states had ratified 10 of the 12 amendments, now known as the "Bill of Rights".
     • It spells out American's rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual.
       • George Mason was one of the three delegates present on the final day of the convention who refused to sign the constitution because it lacked a bill of rights.
         • On October 2, 1789, President Washington sent copies of 12 amendments adopted by congress to the states .
   • Effect
     • Declaration of Sentiment
       • Some of the grievances is that he never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise. He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice. He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men-- both natives and foreigners. When they used the word "he" they were referring to government.
         • Now, in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their social and religious degradation,- in view of the unjust laws above mentioned, and because women do feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed, and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of the United States
           • The only resolution which met opposition was the 9th, demanding the right of suffrage which, however, after a prolonged discussion was adopted. This resolution stated “that it is the duty of the women of this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to the elective franchise.”
             • Stanton modeled the Declaration of Sentiments on the Declaration of Independence because she wanted to show that the Declaration of Sentiments was just as important as the Declaration of Independence. She clearly stated all the ways in which government had wronged women, just like the Declaration of Independence stated the ways that British Parliament had wronged the 13 colonies. She modeled the document to show that women will not settle for unfair treatment just like the original 13 colonies would not settle for unfair treatment. Women were declaring their independence.
               • The Declaration of Sentiments define equality through God because their main point was that God created all men and women to be equal. On the other hand, the Declaration of Independence defined equality by comparing themselves to the British colonies who was actually living in Great Britain and how they were receiving more equality than those who were living in the 13 colonies in the U.S.
                 • The similarities between the two documents was they both listed their complaints in their documents following with resolutions to resolve their issues with the government for the Declaration of Sentiments and the King for the Declaration of Independence.
                   • The women expect the government to listen and understand their complaints and how this issue was going against the word of God and hopefully the government will do something to resolve this issue.
                     • But we will steadfastly abide the result. Unmoved we will bear it aloft. Undauntedly we will unfurl it to the gale, for we know that the storm cannot rend from it a shred, that the electric flash will but more clearly show to us the glorious words inscribed upon it, “Equality of Rights”
                       • They were basically a reflection of their husbands and they were not considered valuable to society.

2. Cause

3. States the principles on which our government, and our identity as Americans are based.

   • The declaration of independence was designed for multiple audiences: the king, the colonists, and the world.
     • List of grievances are a list of 27 complaints against King George III constitute the proof of the right to rebellion. Congress cast "the causes which impel them to separation" in universal terms for an international audience. Join our fight, reads the subtext, and you join humankind's fight against tyranny.
       • On June 11, 1776, Thomas Jefferson holed up in his Philadelphia boarding house and began to write.
         • "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. These words were designed to convince Americans that they should be dedicated to the cause.
   • Its goals were to rally the troops, win foreign allies and to announce the creation of a new country.
     • The introductory sentence states the Declaration's main purpose, to explain the colonists' right to revolution
       • The Declaration of Independence final draft was published July 4, 1776
         • The preamble sought to inspire and unite them through the vision of a better life.