when was the declaration of independence adopted

And though it may be difficult, in an age of ubiquitous liberal democracy, this form of government was not foreordained. Of course, many of those early experiments failed outright or were short-lived. As David Armitage has noted, more than half the countries represented in the United Nations “have a founding document that can be called a declaration of independence,” with many inspired directly by Jefferson’s. Thanks to America’s success, the experiment was emulated to such an extent that by the end of the 20th century the number of democracies in the world had grown to 120. Our constitutional system was not designed simply to enable the majority to rule, but above all, to ensure that representative government would occur within boundaries set by the natural rights of all members of the political community. This differentiates American republicanism from the ancient democracies, which also permitted broad citizen participation, in a fundamental way. And remind them that when we celebrate American independence, we celebrate more than a revolutionary event we celebrate the principles that Thomas Jefferson articulated to guide the design and development of a new kind of political system that made us one people.īefore the Revolution, no nation had ever asserted the right to establish a new form of government from “reflection and choice” that “all men are created equal” and “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Remind them the Declaration of Independence is one of the most consequential documents in human history. When the fireworks and pageantry rouse feelings of pride tomorrow, remind friends and family that their patriotism is justified. And every month brings new evidence that Americans don’t know their history, and that, unsurprisingly, colleges and universities aren’t teaching it.

Unfortunately, that’s about all we seem to remember. John Adams, for one, was not pleased.Every American knows that July 4th marks the day, 243 years ago, that the Continental Congress adopted a declaration asserting independence from British rule. The battle for the United States had begun: “The Declaration became a weapon of partisan warfare, and Jefferson’s fame as its creator gradually increased,” writes McDonald. Committing an act of treason against the British Crown, the signers put down their names with courage and conviction: the document ends “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Its effectiveness came not from individual will, but from the “self-evidence of its arguments.”īut by the 1790s, the battle for independence had been won. Jefferson himself claimed that credit must go to Locke, Montesquieu, the Scottish Enlightenment, and the long struggle for English civil liberties.ĭuring the Revolution, the Declaration was considered a statement of consensus collectively issued by the “unanimous” thirteen states. Between 17, McDonald argues, the political usefulness of the Declaration “hinged on Americans’ initial ignorance and then gradual recognition of Jefferson’s authorship.” McDonald answers his own question with this insightful exploration into the changing meanings of authorship and authority, and the changing political scene. So how did Jefferson, “initially anonymous as the penman of the Declaration, gain renown as its author?” Robert M.S. Fifty-six members of Congress signed it (one of them as late as November). Jefferson, recognized for his ability with words, wrote the first draft then it was edited by the others, and then edited again by the whole Congress. The document was drafted by a committee made up of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston.

We now credit Thomas Jefferson with the Declaration’s authorship, but that was not the case on that momentous day, nor for a significant time afterwards. The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

When was the declaration of independence adopted