Declaration Documents

Declaration Documents

1. Declaration of Independence (DoI)

   • The Declaration of Independence (1776) was written to proclaim Independence in America from Great Britain. This document was written for all to see, but was also drafted and sent to King George III to officially settle the battle for independence between Britain and the new colonies.
   • List of Grievances
     • There were many grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence. These would include, taxation without representation, the quartering of soldiers, the establishments of controlling British governments in the new worlds, and the abolishment of trade with the rest of the world in the new world. These grievances led the colonists to revolt and claim their independence.
   • The Authors
     • These authors included, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.
     • All Men Created Equal
       • The phrase "all men are created equal" has been used for hundreds of years, thought the meaning has changed over the years. Before, when it originated, it literally meant all MEN were created equal. At this point, women were treated like property to men, and slaves were not even counted as actual men or women, but things. To this day, it has its true meaning. Today the phrase means that all people are to be treated equally, no matter their race, religion, or gender.
     • Reasons for Government
       • The authors of the Declaration of Independence believed that the government was established to protect basic rights that all citizen's should posses. They believe that government is necessary to protect a nation and watch over the province to be sure that justice is always served.

2. The U.S. Constitution

   • The Constitution (July 24th, 1787) provided a system of checks and balances which ensured that no branch of government had too much power.
   • Bill of Rights
     • Many delegates believed that the Constitution needed a set of laws that ensured basic citizen rights would never be obstructed. They demanded that amendments be created to protect the basic rights of American citizens. These amendments were called the Bill of Rights (September 25, 1789).
     • The First Amendments
       •  The Bill of Rights established ten laws that were designed to protect citizen rights. These amendments were enforced to prevent the encroachment on people's natural rights as the British Crown had done to them before independence. Some amendments directly countered certain grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence, such as, Amendment III which states that no soldiers in peace time are allowed to forcibly be quartered in a citizen's homes.
     • The Author
       • James Madison
         • James Madison created the Bill of Rights, and it was approved by Congress in 1789.
         • All Men Created Equal
           • Like the authors of the Declaration of independence, James Madison believed that all men were created equal and deserved the same basic rights as those mentioned in the Bill of Rights.
         • Reason for Government
           • James Madison believed that everyone, no matter their position in life, has the same basic needs and desires. The responsibility of government is to protect these people's rights and supply them with their basic needs to the best of their (the government) ability.

3. Summary

   • The Bill of Rights was the manifestation of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence listed many grievances about Great Britain. Later, when the Bill of Rights was created, many of these grievances were permanently put to an end. The Bill of Rights created laws that prohibited history from repeating itself.

4. Declaration of Sentiments

   • Similarities to DoI
     • These documents both listed a list of things the authors found unjust in their country and they then listed demands that would solve these problems. Stanton probably modeled the Declaration of Sentiments after the Declaration of Independence because the Declaration of Independence was what America was built on. If Stanton used words that were used in the document that "created" America then she would probably be listened to more, rather than if she just used her own words. They define equality as currently only being given to white men, but true equality was that all free citizens have the same rights.
   • Grievances Listed
     • Men have not allowed women to have a voice in society. They have taken away their rights (suffrage, having any word in any argument). They have made married women in the eye of the law, civilly deadly. To sum it up, men were being completely unjust to women by taking their rights.
   • Demands Made
     • Some of the demands made were: laws degrading wives and making them inferior to their husbands be removed, or that women were allowed to work where they wanted like men. While these should not have been controversial, some of them were. This includes the demands such as men not getting their wives money and that men had to be held to the same standards as women.
   • Women's Life
     • Women in the higher classes were most likely very "protected" by their husbands. Meaning that they did not get a say so in social events and that their husbands spoke for them. I believe the women expected for the document to change some minds in the country, but they were aware that they would have to keep fighting for their rights. Some ways to push for their rights would be to keep fighting and force their way into political and social positions. They cannot just sit and let men speak up for them. Higher and lower class women would have to work together to gain their rights.