The Declaration of Independence is considered one of America’s most important documents. The Declaration is crucial because it establishes the principles and ideas upon which our country is built. This was the vision of our forefathers, and they continued to expand on it. These new ideas and philosophies were not just thrown together. Our forefathers were inspired by a wide range of European thinkers and philosophers during the Age of Enlightenment. This is something that is often not known. Natural Rights (popular sovereignty), and Social Contract are just three of many influential ideas that emerged from the European Enlightenment. These ideas are the foundation of our country’s Declaration of Independence.
Natural Rights can easily be found in the Declaration of Independence’s most well-known passages. John Locke used this term to describe all rights that people naturally have. These rights are referred to by the founders in the Declaration by saying that “all men were created equal; they have certain unalienable Rights from their Creator”. These rights are listed as “life, liberty, happiness” They are both “endowed by the creator”, meaning they are inherent, and “unalienable”, meaning that they cannot easily be violated. The declaration explains many of the reasons why the forefathers separated from England. One reason they used to justify their separation from England was that the king had violated and taken away these Natural Rights, among others. This tyranny would not be tolerated by our forefathers. A lack of Popular sovereignty was one of their most grievous issues. Popular Sovereignty is a belief that the consent and authority of the governed determines the integrity and authority of the government. According to the fathers, “He refused to pass any other laws regarding large areas of people, unless they surrender those people relinquish.” This is one grievance in the declaration that concerns Popular Sovereignty. The declaration contains the powerful phrase “…governments were established among men and derive their just powers from consent of the governed. Popular Sovereignty means the consent and control of the people. This is how we see the vision that the Colonists had for the country’s democracy.
This leads to the Social Contract. The contract between the government, its people, and the idea of Social Contract is that the government is bound to these ends and the people have the right to change or abolish any government. Colonists believed that people had a Popular Sovereignty and that government and people should be tied together. The government must be under the control of the people to ensure that the people can control it. Both sides must agree. Under King George’s tyranny there was no social agreement. The colonists wanted democracy. A King cannot simply repeatedly inflict abuses or usurpations to pursue the same objective.
The Declaration of Independence, in conclusion, clearly reflects the most important ideas of European Enlightenment. There are many ideas, philosophies or grievances in the Declaration of Independence that reflect the new ways that European Enlightenment people think. It’s amazing to see how important simple ideas and philosophy can be. We should all learn from the declaration what we can gain by thinking differently. It should be a reminder that we shouldn’t just discard or ignore the foundations of the principles our forefathers gave to us. While we can be sure that our country and government will improve over time, it is also true that there will always be improvements. However, we cannot forget our roots and ideas that provide the basis for our freedoms and help us avoid any tyranny.
