The Significance of the Declaration of Independence

From an early age many of us are aware of the importance of the Fourth of July. How could we miss how important it is with all the fireworks and barbecues and elaborate decorations? But when we are young we don’t fully grasp the concept of Independence Day. When we start school we are taught about the Declaration of Independence and the important role that it plays for our country. By the time we finish elementary school we can tell you who wrote the Declaration of Independence and what it actually stood for, but what we don’t know is why the Declaration of Independence is so significant to everybody.

One thing that many kids don’t realize is that the Declaration of Independence was important to other countries besides the United States. By our founding fathers bravery we became a role model for other countries who were experiencing things similar to what the colonists were suffering from with England and King George III. In fact shortly after we gained our independence France revolted against King Louis XVI to gain their independence in a sense.

The Declaration of Independence has great significance to the American people because it is what led to our independence from King George III. The Declaration of Independence justified our right to revolt against a government that no longer guaranteed us our natural rights. And it also helped us to get increased foreign assistance from France in our fight to become free from King George III of England. The Declaration of Independence stated certain ideals that the colonists believed were important for man to have, such as liberty and equality.

Not only did the Declaration of Independence give us the right to go to war against England to obtain our freedom, but the Declaration of Independence also listed what the colonists thought was wrong of England to do. It gave a voice to their list of grievances. Prior to the American Revolution, England had passed a series of Acts known in history as the Intolerable Acts. These acts were in part a major cause of the American Revolution because they were written and passed to give England complete control over the thirteen colonies. Some of the acts that were passed included the Tea Tax, the Stamp Act, the Quartering Act, as well as many others. England even required that revenue be returned to England that was made in the colonies, thus trying to prevent the colonies from being self-sufficient. Because England was trying to control everything, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, the Sons of Liberty, and a few others tried to convince the colonists that England was being a tyrant and the colonists did not have to put up with it.

The Declaration also includes the following quote “We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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.”? So the Declaration of Independence was a way of telling the colonists that they were entitled to certain things and that the actions England was taking was proof enough that England did not believe everybody was created equal or that they have the right to be happy.

The Declaration also plays a significant role in our world today and in recent history. It is because of the words in that document that women are now treated the same as men and that all races are treated equally. Without the words of our founding fathers some of the civil rights that have been passed might never have come to light. That is why the Declaration of Independence is so significant to everyone.

"The Significance of the Declaration of Independence." Surfnetkids. Feldman Publishing. 29 Jun. 2007. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <http://www.surfnetkids.com/independenceday/230/the-significance-of-the-declaration-of-independence/ >.