The Declaration of Independence, Why?

Ok, people let’s test the ol’ thought process of the brain today. Let’s also examine our schools in what they have taught us in terms of our government. How many of you still believe what the teachers taught you in regards to the founding of this nation or do you now believe something different as a result of your own research?

Next, we have four of the most important documents ever written in the governing of people on file in the National Archives. The interesting thing about these four documents is the fact each address the abuses of kings thus was seen as a remedy to these abuses. Another interesting fact is the fact we are speaking of Englishmen in each of these documents.

One of those documents can be said as being the first written constitution between a people and its government. It is called the “Magna Carta”. It and the principles found within it can be declared as the foundational basis of every constitution of every State in the world today, both oral and written. It is most certain to be considered as the foundation of two other documents in our National Archives, the Articles of Confederation as well as the federal Constitution that proceeded it.

It is the fourth document that I might ask you to focus on this day, the Declaration of Independence. It is a document that has no precedence nor is it the precedence of any document after it, at least that I am of aware of anyways. It is a one of a kind document in history.

What was it about these men, our founding fathers, that they felt a document like this was needed? There is nothing in history that would declare that this was a legal requirement necessary to gain independence. Think about it. We are speaking of men from thirteen separate colonies getting together and not just petitioning independence but declaring to the world that the colonies longer accepted the rule of the motherland but declared that they were now States and their equals..

What was it that made these men feel that they had a right to declare independence? What purpose did this document serve? What is in that document that would give us a clue as to the reasons for its existence? Was there a principle of government that they were abiding by? If so, wouldn’t that principle be known in each of the newly declared States?

And if there is a principle that was being abided by then how did this principle effect the founding fathers in the creation of the Articles of Confederation? And was this effect carried over into the creation of the U.S. Constitution? Can this principle be said as one of the foundational principles that guided the founding fathers in the formation of this brand new form of government?

It is questions like these that is the cornerstone of my beliefs in life. It is in the seeking of answers to questions like these that have brought on the label of extremist. And I smile whenever someone tries to place a label upon me for it means I asked a question for which their ideology has no answer. The label is not meant to demean me but to trivialize the question in an attempt of making it unworthy of an answer.

You tell me, my friends. Are questions such as these deserving of an answer or don’t they matter?