Analytic Essay

Submitted By hershy_lover
Words: 1405
Pages: 6

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Khadija Abu
AP Government The declaration of independence was written in the year of 1776. The Virginia declaration of rights was also written that year. Both documents are a big part of the
United States history. The declaration of independence and the Virginia Declaration of rights were a revised documents of all Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu. The declaration of independence was a document that issued the independence of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain. The document was written by Thomas
Jefferson; he was given the assignment by Congress and formed a committee. After
Jefferson was done, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams revised his draft. The original copy is now preserved and displayed in the
Rotunda of the National Archives Building in
Washington, DC
.
In the 1760’s and throughout the 1770’s the colonist were finding it hard to be ruled by the British because of the policies and taxes. The Continental Congress were fed up so they started boycotting british products and started protesting against the
British. In 1775, Benjamin Franklin hinted to a french agent that the colonies wanted their independence. The French wanted an alliance with the colonies, but knew that independence was necessary. Franklin asked the French if they would aid the colonies in the war against the British­­The American Revolution. On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion in Congress to declare independence. Other members of Congress agreed to this, but thought some colonies

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were not ready. However, Congress did form a committee to draft a declaration of independence and assigned this duty to Thomas Jefferson. The Virginia Declaration Laws, was adopted by the fifth Virginia Revolutionary
Convention
on June 12,1776. It was decided on May 15,1775 that there be a new constitution for Virginia. It was written by George Mason, who was the thirty­second of thirty­six members of the drafting committee. A convention was called on May 15, 1775 to set a new government/constitution for Virginia. George Mason arrived late, making him the thirty­second of thirty­six members of the drafting committee. Shortly after coming in, he then took over the discussion.
The
draft contained ten paragraphs that summarized rights such as the following:
● ability to confront one's accusers in court and to present evidence in court
● protection from self­incrimination
● the right to a speedy trial
● the right to a trial by jury
● extension of religious tolerance All of the rights were eventually written as a part of the Bill of Rights in the U.S.
Constitution in 1791. Once completed, the draft was looked over between late May and early June of 1776 and significant changes were made.
Edmund Pendleton suggested another critical change to the draft. He wanted to change the introductory statement about freedom ;
“all men are born equally free and independant, and have certain inherent natural Rights” to shorten its promise. The

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phrase
“when they enter into a state of society,” was inserted to replace what was taken out. Amending the declaration was to specifically exclude slaves. Enslaved people, women or Native Americanswere were not admitted into the state of society with the free white men, who were running the political process. Thomas Jefferson rephrased the idea and included it in the Declaration of Independence. For centuries the idea 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” has influenced people around the world.
The final version of the Virginia