American Politics And The Declaration Of Independence Essay

The United States is built upon a certain set of ideals and values , written seemingly clearly within the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Yet, despite this, there are various disagreements in how political promises to the people of the country play out. The unifying factor of what I believe American politics is, is the development to live up to these ideals and values. It is a nation built on the stifling of true, direct, democracy of the masses, built upon favoring wealth and an elitist system, but despite all this, it takes its Creed very seriously. Though interpretations may differ on how this is accomplished, the basic politics surrounding the United States, combined with a shared national identity and history, demands an attempt, or at least a show of fairness, equality, responsibility, and representation. It may never succeed in living up to the ideals of â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,† but that does not stop the demand of both polic ymakers and citizens to uphold and defend these rights. The American Revolution, while politically radical, didn’t change much in the lives of ordinary people. Socially, it could be considered a â€Å"colonial conservative rebellion.† The original documents focused heavily on the relationship between private property and liberty for people, while excluding ideas of direct democracy. Equality under the law then, wasn’t as drastically important for the founders of the country, as was protection of liberty. MoreShow MoreRelatedThe American Revolution of 1763-1783 saw the Americans fight for their independence from the1000 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Revolution of 1763-1783 saw the Americans fight for their independence from the British Empire. There were many factors which contributed towards the American Revolution, such as: financial reasons, economic reasons, the fight for rights and liberty from despotism.1 On July 4th 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed granting that America fight for their rig hts and independence from the British. The Declaration of Independence states that all people have the right of freedomRead MoreEssay on Epitome of Enlightenment 1232 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"fathers† of the American Revolution. The American Declaration of Independence, written in 1776 is one of the most significant examples of a document whose writing was motivated by enlightenment principles. (http://dogofletters.wordpress.com). It proposed some basic principles of how the authors believed humanity should be treated by a government and proscribed governmental actions they found reprehensible; therefore, it would not be wrong to call it an epitome of enlightenment. The Declaration of IndependenceRead MoreHow Americans Understand The Equality Of 1840, By Alexis De Toquevilles1276 Words   |  6 PagesThe American lifestyle from the early days of settlement until the 1900s can be summed up simply in one quote; â€Å"America holds that every association must have a head in order to accomplish its object and that the natural conjugation is a man† ( â€Å"How Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes) Up until the 1900s, the typical American man was depicted as conquering the workplace, politics and dominating at home, while women were forced to tend to their homely duties, Woman   had no rights and norRead MoreEssay on Political Science1406 Words   |  6 Pagespolitical culture? The rights and liberties citizens have 2) No political belief has been more widely held across social groups and generations in the United States than ________. individual liberty 3) The Declaration of Independence asserts the primacy of the principle of ________, that â€Å"all men are created equal.† equality 4) The fastest growing ethnic group in the United States is ________. Hispanics 5) Why is the location within the United StatesRead MoreImportance Of The Declaration Of Independence707 Words   |  3 PagesThe Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 and its purpose was to declare America colonies be free and independent from Great Britain, get other colonists on board, and to encourage other nations to help them withdraw from the British. The first draft was of Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and then edit by Franklin and Adams and on July 4 the Declaration had been officially adopted by Committee of Five. In the draft Thomas Jefferson was trying to break connectionsRead MoreThe, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Happiness1728 Words   |  7 PagesCommon Sense, this country’s independence would have ceased to exist. In April of 1775 the war began which would be fought for 8 more years to end British rule over the 13 colonies. The fight for independence was not easy, but Paine wrote words of encouragement for all Americans to consider. Paine wrote his pamphlet Common Sense months after the battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775. He meant to convince and inspire Americans that the time to declare independence was now. The pamphlet, publishedRead MoreA Magnificent Catastrophe, by Edward J. Larson1136 Words   |  5 Pagessecond continental congress, they joined a five-member committee, which drafted a Declaration of Independence for the United States. They later then voted to adopt and sign the document their committee drafted which was the Declaration of Independence. Adams was more active when promoting independence and argued the longest and the most effective, but it was Jefferson himself who wrote the Declaration of Independence. For a long period of time Adams and Jefferson were under the advice of HamiltonRead MoreEssay about Declaration Of Independence1591 Words   |  7 Pagesdelegates from all thirteen colonies assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not knowing the full si gnificance of what was about to take place that day,the delegates would do something that would forever change the course of the American people. Throughout history, only a few documents have changed the way we as a nation view politics and carry out our everyday lives. The document mentioned above was the Declaration of Independence. It changed the course of history because itRead MoreThe Enlightenment Principles Of Rationalism And Universal Rights1684 Words   |  7 Pagesideas is evident throughout the ‘Declaration of Independence’, written by Thomas Jefferson and the Congressional Congress in 1776. These same ideas spread to France, culminating in the National Assembly’s ‘The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen’ in 1789. This essay will begin by introducing the world political climate preceding the Age of Revolution. Secondly, it will analyse the political and societal implications of ‘The Declaration of Independence’. Thirdly, it will investigateRead MoreThe Declaration Of Sentiments By Elizabeth Cady Stanton1225 Words   |  5 PagesTory Lynch Marlaire AP Lit P.1 27 January 2015 Essay Contest: The Declaration of Sentiments In the Declaration of Sentiments, author Elizabeth Cady Stanton expresses her anger of the oppression experienced by women in the United States. After being rejected to attend the World’s Anti-Slavery convention in London, Stanton was frustrated because she was being rejected for being a woman. This motivated Stanton to share her own ideas on advocating women’s rights and changing the way women are treated