The writers revised the end of the draft because they knew how important it was; lines were struck through and replaced to refine the ending.
The revised draft included: the colonists' complaints against the British government; the principles of the new kind of government they planned to establish; and the declaration that the colonies were independent from Great Britain.
A metaphor used: the Declaration can be thought of as a breakup letter from the colonies to the British.
The act signals readiness to move forward beyond grievances to independence.
Influences on the Declaration
The English Bill of Rights: the English document from 1689, written after the Glorious Revolution.
This document established Parliament as the most powerful political body in England, which was a change from when the monarch had more power.
It also set up freedoms of elections and freedom of speech; these ideas were essential for the American colonists.
The Enlightenment: a major philosophical movement challenging many previously held beliefs.
The social contract: a theory about why people choose to live in societies, stating there is a contract between the government and the people.
People give up some freedoms to be protected by the government; the government is responsible for upholding this bargain and protecting rights.
The Virginia Declaration of Rights by George Mason: influenced the Declaration and later the US Constitution's Bill of Rights and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man.
It set out ideas like freedom of the press, right to a trial by jury of peers, and freedom of religion.
Thomas Paine's Common Sense: provided arguments for American independence.
Overall point: The Declaration did not emerge from nowhere; it reflected other documents and political ideas circulating at the time.
After the Declaration was written and signed
Once completed, the Declaration began to influence other people and documents.
Connections and implications
Ethical/philosophical implications: the social contract implies that governments exist to protect natural rights, and that people consent to governance in exchange for protection.
Practical implications: the Declaration’s logic supports independence movements and the later development of rights-based governance.
Real-world relevance: the ideas influenced later foundational documents like the Bill of Rights in the U.S. and the Rights of Man in the French tradition.