Essay on Declaration: United States Declaration of Independence and Human Events

Submitted By missyh2010
Words: 657
Pages: 3

Phrase from The Declaration of Independence: “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with one another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
This phrase is important because it explains why the writers are writing the document. Thomas Jefferson wanted to explain the reasons why the colonies were rebelling. He also showed that the men behind the document were good characters. He did this to show the other powerful monarchies that they were not rebelling for childish reasons. He wanted to keep the diplomatic relationships with these other monarchies. This phrase basically says when a group of people want to leave their nation and act with their God given independence they need to explain why. The rest of the document gives the reasons they are choosing to rebel against the British monarchy. If the document did not have an introduction, it would simply be a list of things the people do not like about the government. It would not really serve the purpose of declaring independence from the British monarchy. The preamble to the Declaration of Independence gives the standing of the men representing the thirteen colonies. Jefferson explains that the people have a right to set up a government for themselves and change their government because of the rights that God gave them. The entire preamble discusses the basic rights of man. These rights are further explained later in the document.
Aristotle states: “And also for the sake of mere life (in which there is possibly some noble element so long as the evils of existence do not greatly overbalance the good) mankind meet together and maintain the political community. And we all see that men cling to life even at the cost of enduring great misfortune, seeming to find in life a natural sweetness and happiness. (Greenburg, 2012)” I do not think that any other saying could be truer. People meet together and maintain political communities no matter how good or how bad the world is. Each and every person tries to live in this world to be happy no matter what the cost.
Polybius writes, “The truth is that whenever anybody who has observed the hatred and jealousy which are felt by the citizens for tyrants can summon