The United States, which is commonly recognized as America, was under colonization by Great Britain. America became independent through the perseverance of the people, such as Thomas Jefferson. In July 1776, the leader drafted a document, “The Declaration of Independence,” which contained a legal reason why Congress declared independence from Britain (Jefferson 4). Later, the document was espoused by the Second Continental Congress. The Declaration of Independence is the most treasured document of the United States of America because it affirmed its colonies’ liberation, which was at a clash with Great Britain. The declaration opens with a preface describing its necessity in highlighting why the colony decided to overthrow its ruler. The declaration lays down specific reasons why they have decided to take their place as a distinct nation called the United States of America in the world (Jefferson 8). Hence, the journey to independence came with perseverance and hard work. Today, one can decree and speak with liberty and armistice. Therefore, the essay will focus on the experience of Americans in their journey to independence.
There was a revolutionary battle in the American colonies before the independence declaration because of the acts that were passed by the King and the Parliament. The acts included the Stamp Act and Tax Revenue Act. After the war, the colonies and their mother country’s relationship deteriorated. The Tax Revenue Act was established to increase the revenue of tax from the colonies. This resulted in creating a dispute between the government and the colonies (Jefferson 18). The Declaration of Independence text’s sole purpose was to state the Americans’ rights and the need for independence. Apart from communicating their complaints to King George III, the American colonies wanted France’s support in the struggle for their independence.
While being under the ruling of King George III, America went through several cases of abuse as part of their experience. He interfered with the colonies’ right to have their government and be under a just judicial system. Without the 13 colonies’ consent, King George III introduced a law that directly affected them (Jefferson 25). Thereby, the King and his Parliament are equally guilty of Americans’ property and life destruction due to failure to protect the colonies’ borders and confiscating their ships at sea. The King equally interfered with the right to self-government of the colonists. He also undermined their right to a fair judicial system. Moreover, the King instituted some legislations through parliament that affected the colonies, thus starving them of their right to consent (Jefferson 28). The parliament introduced legislation that prompted the colonists to pay excessive taxes. The law passed also removed the right to a fair trial by a jury, and subsequently were barred from trading freely.
It was clear in the Declaration of Independence that there are inalienable rights, and King George III denied the colonies to them. The rights could either be classified as collective or individual. They included the right to life, liberty, and the right to choose and have a good government (Jefferson 25). The core purpose of having a government is to protect and secure these rights. Great Britain has never listened to the grievances of the colonies to abolish the slave trade. Furthermore, having tried peaceful reconciliation with Great Britain, the colonies were ignored. They ended up declaring independence from Great Britain. After the declaration was made, the new nation formed was called the United States of America. The independent nation resolved to have no auxiliary connections with Great Britain. With the new government in place, they decided to reserve the right to levy any war. The United States of America also resolved to make peace, conduct trade, forge an alliance with other foreign nations, and act according to any other country’s need.
In conclusion, the declaration has deemed the spark that set off the revolution. The uprising was successful, making it an important step in the history of the United States of America. The journey to independence in America came with its struggles. Compared with other nations such as China, Russia, and North Korea, it was a “fair” one. East to West, the people, suffered in slavery chains, exploitation, and humiliation with no honor or shame in other countries. Exploitation, colonialism, and degradation were the order of the day in many countries. Therefore, the journey to independence came with perseverance and hard work. The dark days are now gone, and one can proclaim and speak with freedom and peace. Declaration of Independence is an important document that gives Americans the history of how the founding father fought with perseverance. It is a major landmark in democratic history, and it exerted tremendous influence even outside the United States. Thus, the drafted document “The Declaration of Independence” is regarded as one of the most important documents in the United States history since the declaration led it to be a new nation started called the United States of America, which had no further connections to Great Britain.
Work Cited
Jefferson, Thomas. The Declaration of Independence. Verso Publishers, 2019.