Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people.The political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in "self-evident truths" and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country. We invite you to read a transcription of the complete text of the Declaration.
Louise should read it.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent movie/musical about this event is on today on TCM: 1776
ReplyDeleteWorth the time to watch it.
A BIG shout out and whole hearted THANK YOU to our Founding Father and their stand for FREEDOM and LIBERTY!!!
ReplyDeleteyes, "their" freedom and liberty, not there human chattelle back on the farm.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it should be required reading (with a test) for our current crop of politicians (from the local level all the way to the top federal spots, including the President). Special emphasis on the Bill of Rights. On second thought, I'm not sure it would matter much...I have yet to see a SINGLE politician who gave a damn about his "subjects" or any of their so-called "rights". Not a single one. Once elected, they seem to become smarter than the ones they rule, and all of a sudden, know whats best for them and don't need any further input from the peasants. They all TALK about "change" and "our great country" and how they want to "make a difference", but name ONE ---just one --- that has actually done that... Jefferson is not only rolling in his grave, he's throwing up in it, too...
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