being independent Essay

Graduating and getting out on your own is a difficult step to make. There are a lot of things that you have to take into perspective. The choices that you make when you get out of highschool believe it or not are crucial and life altering. Decisions that you have to make are ones like what you want your career to be, where you want to live, and a big decision is buying a house. In making these decisions you have to do a lot of research and things to be prepared. I did a lot of research in hopes of finding a career that I would like and three things that I could see myself doing was owning my own spa ($100,000 yearly salary), managing a spa($60,000 yearly salary), or being an...show more content...
Figuring all of my bills together such as phone, cable, food, and insurance it would cost me about $670.00 a month. Also because shopping is something that I enjoy doing I would also have to estimate a $150.00 credit card bill each month.
I began doing research for an affordable house in Long Beach. I looked at prices and interests rates on loans in that area. I looked up houses for sale on www.realtor.com and found one I liked in Los Angeles County in Long Beach California. The house has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and is 1,120 square feet. It was built in 1972 but has been kept nice and modernized on the inside. It includes a water view, two carports, a hot tub, a BBQ, dishwasher, microwave, washer and dryer, garbage disposal, an in ground pool, and a refrigerator. It also has a sewer, distract water, and a free standing gas range. The house costs $239,900.00. My affordable price range is set at $174,887.91 to $244,850.36. I found this by going to http://loan.yahoo.com/m/basics6.html. That website let me enter how much I make in a month and how much my bills are each month. Then it calculates it for you and gives you a price range.
After figuring out my price range I had to research how much I would have to take a loan out for, how long I want to take the loan out for, and what the interest rates are. I figure that I would, by the time I am going to buy a house, be able to
The Independence of Women Essay example

The Independence of Women
Women have been an inspiration for many writers for centuries. They have been celebrated as symbols of beauty, affection and strength, and we usually connect them with motherhood and raising children. The works about women very often reveal not only lives of women, but they also describe the times and problems they had to face, and they provide a very clear picture about the whole society of the times when these works were created. Contrasting the modern day women to the women in Voltaire's period we can look into the past and the present and see how women's roles have changed. After centuries of conforming to female stereotypes created by men, women are slowly taking control of their own image making. Image of...show more content...
Women were also very limited in their rights in 1872. Such rights included: women had to submit to laws when they had no voice in their formation, married women had no property rights, husbands had legal power over and responsibility for their wives to the extent that they could imprison or beat them with impunity, divorce and child custody laws favored men, giving no rights to women and when women did work they were paid only a fraction of what men earned, women were not allowed to enter professions such as medicine or law, and women were robbed of their self–confidence and self–respect, and were made totally dependent on men. (Declaration of Sentiments)
But times have changed now. Women now have the power to do anything they want to when they put their minds to it.
Over the last century women have made incredible progress in their struggle to claim their equal rights and humanity, gaining the right to vote in 1920 under the 19th amendment in the constitution, gaining a right to an equal education, owning property and having a job. Women's new role in society is focused on independence. Society has found that women are able to succeed without set limitations and expectations despite earlier notions. The media no longer focuses primarily on superficial aspects of women but also on
Independence Definition Essay

Independence! What is the meaning of this word? Some people have different thoughts, ideas, or notions of the word but we always hear our parents telling us, from a young age, what it is and we grow up wanting and striving for that "independence". I remember when I was a teenager, I got into plenty of arguments with my mother about having friends over and the last thing she would always tell me after every argument, "Once you get your own place you can do whatever you want." Right after that I would mutter and mumble to myself, with anxiousness, ignorance, and sometimes anger, "I can't wait till I'm old enough to get my own place." Little did know, I would soon be ingesting the harsh reality of my own words.
When I was nineteen the wait was over, I finally got that first step to independence, I had the financial means to rent my...show more content...
It was like I would take one step forward and two steps back. There were a lot of things that I didn't have to worry about especially staying with my parents, such as electricity bills and cable bills because those were always paid. Since I was having such a tough time paying bills I decided to get a roommate and luckily, I thought at the time, my friend told me that he had a friend who has a child and needed a place to stay. First glance when I met my roommate I saw a beautiful, mature, well–mannered person; whose clothes looked neat, clean, and pressed. I thought she was the best candidate to be my roommate, but I was wrong. The first two weeks after her move–in were a living hell, she was filthy and a slob. She would leave dirty diapers everywhere, her room looked like a pig–pin, and the main bathroom smelled so bad. I would often think a bomb had gone off and wished that I had a gas mask when I would pass by her room and bathroom because I thought the toxic fumes could possibly kill

Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, died at Monticello July 4, 1826 from natural causes. With a passion for writing, architecture, and law he changed America for the better. Thomas Jefferson was born April 13, 1743 at Shadwell, Virginia. He was the son of Peter Jefferson and Jane Randolph who were very wealthy. He inherited slaves and a landed estate from his father. His hometown being named after the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson's mothers.
When growing up Thomas was very loyal, courageous, and determined. He never discarded or left an unfinished plan. Due to him being in a wealthy family he was able to afford getting an education. He went to the College of William and Mary where he studied law and served the local government. After attending college he went on to build Monticello at age 26. When Thomas was 29 he married Martha Wayles, together they had 6 children total. However a couple months after the 6th child was born, Martha died. Thomas having lost his wife was very upset. However he did not only lose Martha, during the ten years of marriage Thomas had lost 4 of his children. However he moved on and went on to become a member of...show more content...
He plus five others were selected by Congress to comply and write a declaration about the independence of the colonies. Due to Jefferson being such a prodigious writer, he was therefore selected by the committee to be the primary author of the declaration. As being the main author he had much work to due. After leaving congress sometime after writing the declaration he moved back to his hometown in Virginia. Their he was elected governor of the state until 1781. In 1796 he grappled with John Adam to become president. However, he lost, but managed to still be the vice president. Then in 1800 he vied against John Adams once again and was officially elected third president of the united states. He then died at age 83, survived by his 4
Essay On Declaration Of Independence

The Relevance of the Declaration of Independence in the Present Day
The importance of The Declaration of Independence remains to be as worthy in the present day as the formal statement was in 1776, when composed by Thomas Jefferson. The principle behind Jefferson's pronouncements was to express, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," (Declaration of Independence; par. 2). To this day, these principles are the guidelines America follows to support our government, the people's rights and the economy. Through the present day, the Declaration remains to set the parameters of our government's laws and the importance of the people's roles within the government. The preamble of the Declaration supports the principles of the government, stating, "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," (Declaration of Independence; Preamble) declaring the American government would not function without the involvement of the people and their voices. The government...show more content...
Jefferson stated in his first Inaugural Address, "a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned," describing how the economy depends on the Declaration to support the right of industries and companies to voice their opinions and ideas for a successful business. Today, the formal statement represents the rights of the economy by allowing a point of reference, the Declaration of Independence, to stand alongside all businesses, supporting them with restrictions against government imposes taxes, wages and other

The U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two very important documents in the founding of our nation. This essay compares how these two documents are linked together, but also how they are clearly different. Though both documents were created near the same time, the Declaration of Independence was actually written first. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and was adopted by congress on July 4, 1776, what we know today as Independence Day. The U.S constitution though, was not adopted until eleven years later in 1787. After these two documents were written, Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1801.
The Declaration of Independence was a letter written to King George III, stating that the 13 colonies were declaring that they were leaving the rule of Great Britain, and that they were becoming a free nation. It was important for the Declaration of Independence to be written first because it represented the creation of our free nation. It made it possible for Americans to have the rights that we have today.
The Declaration of Independence is made up of five distinct parts: the introduction, which states that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" (McClellan, 2000, p. 183 ), and why the United States should be free from Britain's rule. The preamble, "that set out principles that were already recognized to be
Declaration Of Independence Essay

The American declaration also known as the "Declaration of Independence" is the statement made by the representatives of the United States to the Supreme Judge of the world in the parliamentary at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4th, 1776. The Declaration of Independence acknowledges that the colonies of the U.S, run under the rule of the British Empire should be regarded as separate colonies and not a part of the British Empire. The colonies of the U.S wanted a separate and a legal state– free from the rule of British and a state which was self–governing. Similar to the "Declaration of Independence," is the "The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen," a part of the French Revolution which was brought forward on 1789. Likewise...show more content...
Firstly, the American Declaration was started by the citizens of the U.S against the British Empire. The citizens of U.S wanted more freedom and they also thought that the King of Britain was ruling their country in an oppressive way. So, in order to free themselves from the oppressive and tyrannical ruler, they started the American Revolution. Similarly, the French Revolution was started by the lower class of the country against the King and the upper class aristocrats. The lower class people were not happy with how the King and the aristocrats were treating them. There was an unequal distribution of tax– the lower class people had to pay more taxes while the higher class people were free from paying taxes. So, to maintain a uniformity in the country, the French people started the French Revolution. In other words, the American declaration is the formation of the new country with a new government consisting of American people and free from the British rulers. Accordingly, the French Revolution is the process of rebuilding or writing a new constitution in France by overthrowing the oppressive government and by forming a new government including the ordinary citizens in the government as
Freedom And Freedom Essay

What is the difference between freedom and independence? That is a question that I had a really hard time answering, it took me a couple weeks to finally come up with a reasonable answer. According to Oxford dictionary freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants. It's also the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved. Independence is the fact or state of being independent, and being independent is being free from outside control. From the definition my understanding is that freedom allows one to act, speak, or think as one wants and independence is being capable of thinking, acting, or speaking for oneself. As a black woman who is still in high school and depends on her parents, I do not have the freedom to do as I wish, neither I'm I an independent person. Since I need my parents' permission do most things I am not free to do as I wish, they have rules and standards that I have to follow. It does not matter how much I disagree with them on these rules because I need them, I'm obligated to follow these rules whether I agree with them or not. I could ignore their rules and do as I wish, but that would not be very smart on my part. I have the freedom to do what I want, but I also have to be responsible. As a teenage girl, the last thing I want is to be sitting in a classroom seven hours a day and then come home and spend another four hours doing homework. As any girl my age I want to spend my time reading books and watching sappy romantic movies all
Independence: A Brilliant Student

Independence. This word represents something that Christopher doesn't get much of. Christopher goes to a school for special students and he is limited on his freedom. All his life he is getting put into a different category just because he is different. I believe that he can be the amazing student he is inside. I think that Christopher should have be given the chance to go to regular school because he has potential to be a focused and brilliant student. Christopher has been through a lot and he also has to deal with not being able to go to school like every other normal person. Christopher wanted to take a test to be able to go to college but if he went to a regular school he would have all of the electives and a strong resume so he would
Declaration Of Independence From My Parents

Preamble:
Nevertheless, when in the course of life events, it becomes necessary for parents to stop supervise their kids' lives. Parents need to learn to let go and let their kids live their lives. I must explain why am I doing this. This led me to make my own Declaration of Independence from my parents. This is done for all the parents to see that we are all the same.
Declaration Of Kids' Rights:
Ordinarily I hold these truths to be transparent, that all people are smart enough to make their own decisions and they were given this choice by the creator of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To make this happen, Parents, have to let their children make their own settlement, If parents continue this mistreatment of their power as a...show more content...
They have ignored us for too long. Nevertheless, the only reason they have gotten away with all of this is because we have let them. So it's time to take back what's rightfully ours, our freedom. We have tried to address this problem by talking to them, trying to meet them halfway so we can both benefit from it, and making responsible decisions so they won't tell us what to do. But our appeals have been ignored. We must separate from our parents before we become too independent of them.
Resolution Of Independence:
Moveover I, therefore, the representative of the underage people in Anaheim, California presents these facts to the rest of the parents in the world, that kids are mistreated. In the name of all, that is fair and all of the kids that are mistreated. Nevertheless, I solemnly write and declare that the kids in Anaheim, California are to be free and independent. I declare that an underage kid (ages 15–17) have the right to control his or her life without a parent tell them what to do. For the support of my declaration, I pledge my life, honor and all that I
Declaration of Independence Essay example

Thomas Jefferson is probably the most important person of the American Revolution. Many other prosperous and expressive young people were radical and serious; however the Congress's most significant task was given to Thomas Jefferson – to compose the Declaration of Independence. People from the committee of the congress such as, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston selected Jefferson to compose the Declaration's first draft. They were all aware that he was able to produce powerful and striking sentences. Thomas Jefferson did not get to the basis of the Declaration of independence by meditation or prediction, nor by his own experience. He was clever and capable enough to use what he had learned from many...show more content...
However it should be mentioned that in that time concepts of sovereignty, of individual were related to classical and mediaeval thought, the rights of the individual were not a topic and the citizen did not rule but was ruled.
Furthermore, there is no minimizing on Jefferson's views on Negro limits such as his proclamation that blacks lack beauty, intelligence, and most skills except music. So his concept of these human topics was completely different from the concept that we generally share today especially in civilized societies. Nevertheless he should not be blamed because that was probably the best that could have been driven from philosophical points of view in that time.
The Declaration of independence contains the exact proof of the attitude of its creators i.e. Thomas Jefferson speaking in the name of the members of the congress who had chosen him to be their voice. They probably had the same conceptual viewing of the previously mentioned issues. His exact words "...We hold these truths to be self–evident..." discuss the unalienable Rights:
Life–the general or universal condition of human existence. This dictionary definition does not make the distinction between other animals and man in different aspects of the moral sense and if we consider the moral sense it is not only man's highest faculty
Personal Declaration Of Independence Essay

Personal Declaration of Independence from Judgement When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary that someone must judge another to reassure their own position as a superior being. It is at this time, those that threaten individuality and culture be reminded that they are made of the same matter that nature intended for us as humans, and these oppressors of unique must now swallow it. We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed certain unalienable rights; that among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are ensured by the humanity of the people around us, and judgement threatens these purest of rights. We must, as people, humans,

Thomas Jefferson and The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson was the author of The Declaration of Independence, and according to Bellis, Jefferson was also a jurist, a diplomat, a writer, an inventor, a philosopher, an architect, a gardener, a negotiator of Louisiana Purchase, but he only requested three of his many accomplishments to be noted on his tomb. (2005). Thomas Jefferson was a very smart politician and he knew what to say to whom in order to enhance their support. This essay will be an analytical paper discussing Thomas Jefferson and The Declaration of Independence. It will also clarify the basic ideas contained in The Declaration of Independence; the influence of the Declaration upon American War of Independence,...show more content...
His friend James Madison succeeded Jefferson as president in 1809, and during the last seventeen years of his life, he stayed at his mansion, Monticello. Just hours before his close friend Adam was to signing the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. As he also wished that his tombstone reflects the things that he had given the people, not the people that had given to him.
HERE WAS BURIED
THOMAS JEFFERSON
AUTHOR OF THE
DECLARATION
OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE
OF THE
STATUTE OF VIRGINIA
FOR
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
AND FATHER OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
BORN APRIL 2. 1743. O.S.
DIED JULY 4. 1826
Declaration of Independence:
In 1776, since Jefferson was a member of Continental Congress, he was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence, since he was a member of Continental Congress. (Brief...Jefferson, 2005). Looking back in High School, the class discussion about The Declaration of Independence was that Jefferson predicted the coming of great changes in America within the times that he lived in. He wrote this document for the American Citizens at the time, and it still exists today. The Declaration personified many of the ideas that separated the colonies from England and therefore the process of creating a new country begun.
The

Declaration of Independence
Living in the 1700's difficult times were most probable of happening. During that time period, America was all over the place both good and bad. Late 1700's we had "bad beef" with Great Britain. We had the Revolutionary War, Boston Tea Party, and many other conflicts having to do with them. Which caused them to think coming into our place thinking it is theirs by raising taxes on tea and stamps? After years, the U.S. became really tired of all the wars and their mistreating actions toward our people. The U.S. made a treaty with our founding fathers to Great Britain and is still named till this day the Declaration of Independence. It says in the Declaration; "We hold these truths to be self–evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain enailienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." America, would have never had liberty or happiness if Britain kept running us as they were. If it were not for the Declaration of Independence, we would not have been able to keep all our working...show more content...
The U.S. would never workout if it was a monarchy mostly because we are the country that we come for freedom that citizens want more than what people want for them. Our mother country, Great Britain, is doing fine right now, but being in a monarchy such as them it would not change at all considering your making the same decisions as your ancestors. Which the country would like a change and other people might have better ideas on how to run the country better. More ideas and more money ideas because in reality the world runs around with money. The Declaration of Independence saved us from becoming a monarchy and having the same traditional things and fights for the same thing. Not all bad come from monarchies though. There come good in
Purpose of the Declaration of Independence

Rights of the People
A democracy is a system of government controlled by the people, not by one certain group or individual. In the Declaration of Independence it states that "all men are created equal," an idea which leads to the concept that all citizens should have the same rights, responsibilities, and influence in the governing of their country. In writing the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson was trying to break his ties with the harsh and non–democratic rule of the British and begin a new, equal society and government for America.
Democracy is defined as "A system of government in which ultimate political authority is vested in the People." The Declaration's...show more content...
He believed that it was time for America to break away from Britain's rule and become its own nation, which could govern itself. To do this, though, it was necessary to write some sort of document which would state to the world the basic beliefs on which the nation's new government would be built. This document was the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson felt that Britain was doing nothing but hurting America with unfair rules and all sorts of ridiculous taxes. The colonies and colonists had no rights in determining the very laws which dictated the way they led their lives. The Declaration of Independence was a formal document stating that the people of America were breaking away from Britain and that the American colonies were now "Free and Independent States."
The Declaration of Independence was the cornerstone of American freedom and equality. By writing this document, the American Colonies could now begin the process of starting a new way of life and a new government. Obviously, at the time the Declaration of Independence was written the concept of "equality" was more limited than it is today. Certainly, all members of colonial America did not share equal status. However the concepts of the Declaration of Independence have evolved more fully over the centuries

Freedom, how important is it? Important enough to give up your life? Your family? Everything? When the answer is yes, we rebel. We risk our lives, families, and everything. The United States is a country founded after a rebellion. In The Declaration of Independence it is written that "mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed". This is why we rebel. Not because we enjoy the terrors that revolt brings, but because the other option is insufferable. Humankind is strong. We hold firm in our beliefs until it becomes insufferable. At this moment in our country, we are questioning our government, we are protesting and marching, we are making our voices
The Causes of Indian Independence in 1947 Essay

The Causes of Indian Independence in 1947
In 1947 India was declared an independent country from Britain, after years of peaceful and violent protests, pressure from all sides, and numerous promises. Not only this, but Pakistan was also formed by partitioning the country into two, providing a separate homeland for the Muslims of India. Although independence was greeting with relief from all, partition came with riots, millions of murders and a hatred between countries that has not healed up even by today. The word "inevitable" in the essay title implies something which was almost 'destined' to happen from the beginning, and the course of action could not be averted under any circumstances. In this...show more content...
This can be put down primarily to the harsh treatment of Hindus and Sikhs by Emperor Aurangzeb, despite the fact he made attempts to reconcile, especially towards the Sikhs, in the last few days of his life. This underlying hatred continued for hundreds of years and it was perhaps the first cause of hatred between Muslims and Hindus which made them believe they could not live together. This was an important first cause for the partition as it instilled hatred between Hindus and Muslims.
The East India Company, or EIC was also the longest term cause, this time relating to independence by causing a rift between the British and Indians. The EIC first landed at Indian shores in 1608 at the time of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir. Many years of trading followed as the EIC made large amounts of money through lucrative deals with Indian businessmen. By 1744 the company was in a position to loan £1 million to England; however this was detrimental to relations for all; British people saw the Indians as underhand, corrupt people (as these were the only people they came into contact with) and the Indians saw themselves as being exploited. Men who travelled to India were seen as "fallen gentlemen", an image that was only broken years later. This showed a lack of trust even from the beginning of the British Indian relationship as it begun with corrupt dealings and exchanges. Although at this point
American Independence Essay

The British colonies of north America declared their independence primarily for political reasons to what extent do you agree with this statement?
The original 13 colonies of the United States of America were in desperation of independence and the advantages of leading a long, successful, happy life. In colonial times words like ?tyranny,? ?enslavement,? ?entrapment? and ?slavery? were part of the cultural norm. These words were common place and often used to describe the British control over the colonies.
Thomas Jefferson, the writer or the Declaration of Independence, stated 27 gripes which were a direct result of years of frustration, abuse, and neglect from Britain. The Declaration of Independence was an inevitable rebellion...show more content...
This is stated in the first gripe of the Declaration of Independence which says ?He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.? This is a political reason, it was addressed to King George directly with the government as it points out one of the many flaws. Parliamentary taxation was another one of the main sources of the colonists' anger. With the Sugar Act of 1764, they were forced to pay one–third of Britain?s French and Indian War costs. The Stamp Act was excessive for the colonists as well, but was met with much more hostility. They rebelled against these taxes because they were being taxed without representation in England, they felt the British had no right to tax their colonies when they themselves had no say in how they were ruled. ?For imposing taxes on us without our consent,? was another political whine that Thomas Jefferson inscribed in the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson had purpose in saying this, because political problems had most effect in the deciding factors of breaking away from Britain. Civil is a term used entirely with politics and political reasons. The civil liberties of the colonists were another freedom which was restricted. The colonists were discouraged from buying foreign products and had limited production as a result of mercantilism. In the hated ?Admiralty Courts?, colonists were shipped back to England to be tried in a

The Declaration of Independence was an important document in American history but it does not mean that it gained us our true freedom. It was a document that was written and signed on July 4th, 1776. The men that signed such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson told the colonists that this was a sign of them splitting from Great Britain and becoming an independent nation thus being called the United States of America. The document was then sent over to Great Britain for King George to read. This possibly could have caused even more hostility between the colonists and Great Britain because of how the British completely ignored the document. It may be seen as an important aspect to the progression of the Revolutionary War but it also...show more content...
This beginning to the document tells only of what they want, not what will happen. The war then took an entire new path when the document was published since it showed the resentment the colonists had towards Britain's rule. After the French and Indian War and the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the French ended on friendly terms with Britain. When the colonists started to fight against Great Britain's rule, the French chose this opportunity help the colonists. The Declaration of Independence did not affect the way other countries saw them such as the French. Their only motive for siding with the colonist was probably to defeat their former enemy.
It also was never fair to all of the people who lived in the colonies. Many African–Americans and Europeans never had many rights as whites males did. Females also did not have a big role in the colonies and its government. They were only to work and clean the home that the husband owned and to take care of the children if they had any. The Declaration was in the works and was not thought out properly so it may have had some flaws but the mind set of colored people and women not having rights would greatly affect how they are seen in America's future.
This document countered many of the other documents that were instated as colonial law by the British. One such example would be the Quartering Act, which allowed British soldiers positioned within the colonies to be allowed in the homes of any colonist. Acts
The Declaration of Independence Essay

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (1776)
Thomas Jefferson
Context
The Declaration of Independence, completed and signed in July of 1776, marked the official separation between the 13 colonies and Great Britain. An armed struggle between the colonies and Britain had begun just over a year before, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The formal declaration of independence established the new American revolutionary government and officially declared war against Great Britain. The primary purpose of the declaration was to assist the Second Continental Congress in obtaining aid from foreign countries. The document also clearly outlines the history of abuses the colonists had suffered under British rule since the end of the French...show more content...
Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed a resolution for independence in June of 1776. The Congress appointed a committee to draft a declaration of independence that consisted of John Adams (MA), Benjamin Franklin (PA), Thomas Jefferson (VA), Robert Livingston (NY) and Roger Sherman (CT).
The job of drafting the Declaration of Independence fell to the youngest member of the committee, Thomas Jefferson. In composing the declaration, Jefferson drew on ideas from the Enlightenment, especially those of John Locke. Not only did the declaration represent a milestone in the history of the United States, it also turned the political philosophies of 18th century Europe into real political practice.
Key Historical Figures
Colonies – The 13 colonies of British North America included New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. A representative from each colony was sent to the Second Continental Congress in May of 1775 to debate the topic of independence. Although initial disagreement seemed to stall the drive towards independence, by July 2nd, 1776 all 13 colonies committed to fighting in the war for independence.
Thomas Jefferson – A plantation owner and a lawyer,