For many, a single piece of paper with words on it may mean nothing. However, that all changed in 1776. It happened during this year, that words on paper began to mean freedom and independence for the thirteen original colonies. On July 4th 1776, a document so very important was born. This document, written by Thomas Jefferson, is known today as the Declaration of Independence. According to the U.S. Department of State, this declaration states that all men are created equal and that they all have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It also severed the thirteen original colonies political ties with Great Britain. The declaration discussed the colonists desire for independence from the Britain nation. As a result of this document, the thirteen colonies were able to declare their independence from Great Britain and create an alliance with the government of France to fight against Britain for that independence. The Declaration of Independence is very important today because it provides the foundation for our nation and offers ideals for our country to live by. It states that the government exists to serve the people and that the people have a right to revolt against them if they can no longer assure their natural rights. In addition to those reasons, the declaration is also important because it provided the colonists freedom from the series of acts passed by the England known as the Intolerable Acts. These acts forced the colonists to pay taxes on tea and other items. They also forced them to return all revenue to England. Without the Declaration, we would still be under Great Britain’s harsh rules and regulations.
Today, “the original Declaration is now exhibited in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in Washington, DC” (Kindig). Also according to Thomas Kindig, despite popular belief, there are no hidden secret messages within the declaration itself. The Library of Congress states that towards the end of Thomas Jefferson’s life “he belie[ved) that each generation has the chance to remake the country’s laws and constitutions was truly visionary”. These words were found in a letter he wrote ten days before he passed away. I definitely believe the Declaration of Independence is still important today. When teaching young children and adolescents about the founding of America, this document as well as the Constitution and Bill of Rights are the tools that are used to describe how America came to be. It is this special document that gave the first notion that everyone should be treated equally and that everyone deserves to live life to the fullest and to be happy. I feel that without this document the world would be more chaotic and America would be under more of a dictatorship than a democracy with Great Britain. Yes, times have changed and laws have transformed, perhaps we would not have been under such a severe British control, but we would still be under another nation’s power. We would not be an independent nation, and that is what America stands for. So therefore, without the Declaration of Independence, we would not be America, the independent nation everyone loves so much. It is our independence that makes us unique and who we are. People come to America because it is the land of opportunity. What opportunity would these people who come here for freedom have if we were still under British rule? None. So yes, I do believe the Declaration of Independence is still important today and will remain important to Americans in the future years.
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