American Values in the Declaration of Independence Essay

In 1776, a semi-unified country signed one of the important files in history. After that the nation has demonstrated signs of just how different the was coming from 1776 to the current.

The Declaration of Self-reliance is based on the social agreement theory of government and is aimed at equality, independence, and electric power. These ideals have been both supported and contradicted in American history (Jefferson, pg. 443). Inside the declaration, Jefferson states that all men are created similar, that they are endowed by their Creator with selected unalienable privileges, that among these are lifestyle, liberty, as well as the pursuit of Happiness (Jefferson, pg. 443).

This speaks directly to the humanist theory of social agreement that was prevalent at the moment. One of the greatest political philosophers of times was a guy named David Locke. His ideas in governance were that no government could possibly be effective without the consent of the governed and that should a government at any time abuse it is power they break all their contract together with the people and for that reason no longer enjoy the consent in the governed in fact it is the right of the people to destruction it (O’Connor &Sabato, pg. 9). The moment Jefferson described that these united groupe are, associated with Right should be Free and Independent states (Jefferson, pg.

46), his intent was to make clear that they can would now looking to another land for advice and support; that America would be its sovereign nation from that second on. One of the contradictory areas of the Declaration of Freedom was the stance on the equality of man. Jefferson speaks candidly about it but what he refrains from discussing is the institution of captivity.

The disparity of the two ideas practically screams from the page. It is not necessarily simply a forgotten issue in Jefferson’s portion. He recognized well that slavery was obviously a problem in a nation he was purporting to get filled with equivalent men. Unfortunately the resolution to that concern had not up to now made its presence well-known and the Founding Fathers just left that for future generations to find out.

When Jefferson stated which the United States were to be free, that began a period where People in the usa would begin to decide precisely what it intended to be an American. Beliefs would be followed; a ethnical identity far removed from that of Europe can be founded. America, while distancing itself by Britain, still had to battle with the fact that the rest of the world believed them nothing more than degenerate barbarians who were bucking the control over their superiors.

However , involving the landing in Plymouth Rock and roll and the Groundbreaking War, individuals little colonies had produced apart from Great Britain. Not just in distance but also in cultural principles as well. Se?orial Britain wasn’t able to understand the democratic America and vice versa. The humanist hypotheses of the autonomy of the human being spirit acquired really taken root in the usa whereas in Britain and other parts of the world the suggestions were a bit more than words since there were already monarchical governments in position.

While it applies that America based most of its systems on English techniques, there’s no question that the emphasis of electrical power and control rest much more readily inside the rights of the individual rather than the legal rights of the country. Of course this is simply not to say that America doesn’t have some skeletons in their closet. Americans still today value their very own freedom plus the idea of self-governance, but there was a time in history the moment this was overlooked.

Around the time for the 20th century America annexed areas of the Israel. This imperialist-style aggression to another full sovereign coin nation generally seems to fly in the face of everything America was constructed on especially since the Philippines had merely won their own independence via Spain (by practically following playbook that America had written. ) Work out look at it should be to observe how America interacts with international locations and people which have been under a distinct form of government than their particular. In a time where independence is usually lacking in additional countries, america government attempts to export the qualities to other non-independent countries.

Even though at 1 point in time the usa became totally free on its own coming from higher forces, now America is the higher power aiming to enforce self-reliance in other countries. Though the United States offers good intentions, it is not challenging to understand how different nations can see America as imperialist. America doesn’t want to expand its territorial restrictions but it does not have any problem trying to inflict their particular style of government on other nations.

The Declaration examines how much electricity the United States may have by proclaiming that the recently independent olonies will have full power to garnishment war, conclude peace, contract alliances, build commerce, also to do all other acts and things which Independent Says may of right do (Jefferson, pg. 446). Electricity is a single value that anyone can appreciate. Regardless of what country a person is from, in one point in time they wanted power.

To give a country the qualities that Jefferson has quoted, levy war, determine peace, deal alliances, establish commerce (Jefferson, pg. 446) it gives capacity to any country. In history, we have encountered once having an excessive amount of power can leave one individual to make bad decisions. For example , Ex-President Clinton, after two terms in office having been being accused of having extra-marital sexual relationships in the White colored House.

Then he continued to publicly lie towards the United States about the affair. Later having been impeached to get perjury and obstruction of justice. This example displays someone who acquired so much power being the President of the United States that he believed he could easily get away with having an affair whilst he was in office.

He may always be praised for his impeachment. Though he had good qualities being a President, this individual obviously could hardly handle every one of the power that was given to him. It could be opined that the purpose Bill Clinton was impeached, besides lying under pledge, is that he went against a core American value that keeps fidelity within the confines of a marriage to get nearly sacred. When he shattered from that value, he pennyless the beliefs the American people got in him. In conclusion, the American beliefs that necessitated the composing of the Assertion of Self-reliance may include changed as it was created, but not by much.

America can be an independent land filled up with people who have built a system of values and a cultural identity that is certainly its own. No longer is Great The uk a risk and prevalent wealth could be achieved simpler. America is definitely not best but it is unique. Where different on earth can easily people take advantage of the freedoms that this nation provides its people? The values of independence and self-governance that helped bring the Declaration of Independence to life continue to remain part of the social fabric.

Approved, the people are not fighting against a foreign electric power anymore, nevertheless that same spirit that riled a nation to revolution tends to maintain its hang on the current approach to government and keeps that in check so that this nation of the individuals, by the persons, for the individuals, shall not perish from this earth.