The Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution and its Bill of Rights, is a foundational document for the United States government and its history. The declaration was written to justify the American Continental Congress's decision to secede from the British Empire.
The Declaration of Independence is a statement of separation from Great Britain by the American colonies. Its official title, "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America," is generally abbreviated for ease of use.
This study guide and infographic for Thomas Jefferson's The Declaration of Independence offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.
This is at the root of America’s current ethics conflict: a perverse and puckish God has made one of the most unethical and least reflective of public figures the crucial bulwark against a massed and relentless assault against core national values.
“The real democratic American idea is, not that every man shall be on a level with every other man, but that every man shall have liberty to be what God made him, without hindrance.”
“Ex perience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government’s purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.”