America was founded on the "ultimate breakup letter."
Comparable to writing a breakup letter intended to direct mutual friends' anger toward the ex and justify the breakup.
Goals:
Explain why colonies were breaking up with Great Britain.
Convince allies (France and Spain) to stay friends with the colonies and support their cause.
Justify the decision internally and internationally.
Structure of the Declaration of Independence
Introduction: States the breakup and justifies the decision.
List of Grievances: Details King George III’s misbehaviors and mistreatment.
Restatement and Wrap-Up: Reaffirms the breakup and wraps up with conventional courtesies.
Jefferson's Insight: Objectives were to present common sense in plain and firm terms to justify independence.
Key Points in the Declaration
Natural Rights Principles: Basis for the new independent America.
Grievances Against King George III: The king is directly addressed to break the colonist's remaining ties to him.
International Legitimacy: Make the US recognizable as a new nation seeking foreign alliances.
Political Right to Rebellion: Justified treason under specific circumstances.
Equality and Voting Rights: Even though “all men are created equal” had limitations, more people could vote in the colonies than elsewhere in the 18th century.
Historical Context and Rationale
Crippling Taxes and Exploitation: Colonies felt exploited by British taxation and laws.
Failed Protection: George III failed to protect colonial subjects’ rights, promoting tyranny.
Justifying Rebellion: Independence needed strong justification since it was an act of last resort.
Continental Congress: Didn’t consider independence until a year after the first shots at Lexington and Concord.
Original List of Grievances: Jefferson's draft even included grievances regarding slavery but were removed due to hypocritical implications.
Controversies and Contributions
Thomas Jefferson’s Hypocrisy: Jefferson, a slave owner, blamed the king for slavery.
Input from Founding Fathers: Group effort involving Franklin, Adams, Sherman, and Livingston.
Use as a Template: Inspired other nations' declarations of independence, including Vietnam.
Conclusion
The Declaration of Independence directed anger at the king and justified rebellion, creating international and political legitimacy for the new nation.
Check the next part of the lecture for a dramatic reading of the Declaration.