The Declaration of Independence of the United States or the history of the emergence of a great nation. US Declaration of Independence. Full text in Russian Who is the author of the Declaration of Independence

The American Declaration of Independence is a historical document in which the British colonies in North America declared independence from Great Britain, adopted unanimously by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The day the Declaration of Independence was adopted (but not signed), July 4th, is celebrated in the United States as Independence Day. The Declaration was the first official document to refer to the colonies as the “United States of America.”

Adoption of the Declaration of Independence

On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress was convened in Philadelphia, in which representatives of 12 colonies took part (Georgia did not participate). Congress sent a message to the king demanding the abolition of laws that violated the interests of the colonies, and declared a boycott of British goods until the complete abolition of discriminatory acts. But since the English Parliament and King George III rejected the demands of the Congress, an armed conflict between both sides became inevitable. It can be said that the convening of the First Continental Congress and the decisions adopted at it were essentially the first manifestations of joint, organized activity of the American colonies. It was then that the foundations were laid for their further unification, consolidated at the Second Congress by the decision to organize joint military actions. Already during the war, the desire to fight until complete separation from the mother country and the colonies receiving the status of independent states finally matured. On May 15, 1776, at the suggestion of Samuel Adams, Congress officially authorized the formation of states independent from England. State constitutions expanded the democratic rights of the population. Almost everywhere, “bills of rights” were adopted, which proclaimed freedom of speech, conscience, assembly, personal integrity, etc. It should be added that the adoption of new constitutions in all states marked an important step of revolutionary significance. These constitutions destroyed the privileges of the landed aristocracy, prohibited the collection of fixed rents and eliminated other remnants of feudalism. Political power passed into the hands of the national bourgeoisie and planters. Reader on the history of state and law of foreign countries. - M., 1994., S. - 64.

The colonies declared themselves state republics, and on July 1, 1776, the Virginia Legislature adopted the so-called Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was the first declaration in the history of the American people. This declaration covered the entire range of ideas that justified separation from England and the formation of a democratic republic. She spoke of protecting "life, liberty and property."

The most important thing in the work of the Second Continental Congress is the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America on July 4, 1776. The draft Declaration was assigned to a commission of five members of Congress, consisting of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. However, the authority to create the draft Declaration was transferred to the hands of Thomas Jefferson, who worked on its text for 17 days (from June 11 to June 28), without the help of scientific treatises, pamphlets and committee colleagues. Jefferson's draft, with minor editorial amendments by J. Adams and B. Franklin, was submitted to Congress on June 28 as the "Declaration of the Representatives of the United States of America Assembled in General Congress." On July 19, Congress changed the title: "Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America." Discussion of the draft Declaration began in early July and lasted three days. During the discussion, changes were made to it, in particular, the section that condemned slavery and the slave trade was removed. It was struck out to please South Carolina and Georgia, which never attempted to restrict the importation of slaves, but, on the contrary, intended to continue the slave trade. Of the 1,800-word document, members of Congress tossed out about a quarter of the text, replaced several phrases and words, and made two insertions. The words were replaced with more acceptable ones, in some cases more accurate and less emotional. The declaration was approved on July 2. The principles proclaimed by the Declaration were least consistent with the interests of the national bourgeoisie, which acted in alliance with the planters against the old colonial order and the domination of the colonial aristocracy closely associated with the metropolis. The national bourgeoisie was interested in revolutionary changes in order to remove from its path the barriers that hindered its advancement to power. In this regard, the composition of the deputies who signed the Declaration of Independence is also indicative. On the evening of July 4, the Declaration was certified by the signatures of Congress President J. Hancock and Secretary Charles Thomas. Three quarters of the signatories made their fortunes from trade and smuggling. In total, of the 56 signatures, 13 belonged to merchants, 8 to planters, 28 to lawyers, who in turn were merchants, planters or direct representatives of one or the other, and 7 to representatives of various professions. It should be noted that the New York delegation did not participate in the voting due to its lack of necessary powers and joined the general opinion only on July 15. Foster W., The Negro People in American History, trans. from English, M., 1955, pp. - 173.

On July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. This document proclaimed the creation of a new state on the territory of the former British colonies - the United States of America.

Back in September 1774, the First Continental Congress was convened in Philadelphia, in which representatives of 12 American colonies took part (Georgia did not participate). Congress sent a message to the English king, demanding the abolition of laws that violated the interests of the colonies, and declared a boycott of English goods until the complete abolition of discriminatory acts.

The initially purely economic conflict quickly escalated into a political and military confrontation after the English Parliament and King George III rejected the demands of Congress. An armed conflict became absolutely inevitable after the congress participants were called rebels and outlawed. In 1775 the war began.

It was during the war that the Americans matured the desire to fight not for economic privileges, but until they completely separated from the mother country and the colonies received the status of independent states. This aspiration was first formalized on May 15, 1776. On this day, at the proposal of John Adams II, the Continental Congress officially sanctioned the formation of states independent from England with their own constitutions that guaranteed the democratic rights of the population.

Almost everywhere, “bills of rights” were adopted, which proclaimed freedom of speech, conscience, assembly, integrity of the person, etc. It should be added that the adoption of new constitutions in all states marked an important step of revolutionary significance. These constitutions abolished the privileges of the landed aristocracy, prohibited the collection of fixed rents, and eliminated other remnants of feudalism. Political power passed into the hands of the national bourgeoisie and planters.

The colonies declared themselves state republics, and on July 1, 1776, the Virginia Legislature adopted the so-called Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was the first declaration in the history of the American people. This declaration covered the entire range of ideas that justified separation from England and the formation of a democratic republic. She spoke of protecting "life, liberty and property."

However, the most important thing in the work of the Second Continental Congress is undoubtedly the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America on July 4, 1776. The draft Declaration was assigned to a commission of five members of Congress, consisting of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston.

The main work on writing the declaration was done by Thomas Jefferson, later the third President of the United States. On July 1, 1776, the text of the declaration was presented to Congress for discussion, and on July 4, 1776, it was approved by Congress and signed by Congress President John Hancock and Secretary Charles Thomson. The declaration can be divided into 3 parts: the first states that all people are equal by origin and have equal rights (to life, to freedom, to achieve happiness, etc.); the second part contains a list of abuses of the English crown in relation to the colonies; the third part announces the severance of the political connection between the colonies and the metropolis, each colony is recognized as an independent independent state (“state”).

News of the adoption of the Declaration reached King George III of Great Britain on September 10. Finally realizing the seriousness of the situation, London sent large military forces to America to suppress the rebellion. The colonial military conflict, which until then had been rather formal and local in nature, escalated into a full-scale bloody war.

Of the 56 people who signed the Declaration of Independence, five were captured by the British and shot as traitors. Nine people died from wounds received during the Revolutionary War. Many lost their wives, children and property. Ironically, two of the authors of this document, who later became US presidents - John Adams and Thomas Jefferson - died on the same day, July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration.

The original Declaration of Independence is considered public property in the United States and is stored in the National Archives in Washington in a bulletproof glass container filled with inert gas. During the daytime, the declaration is put on public display in the archive room; at night, the container is lowered into a secure basement. Independence Day, July 4th, is considered the birthday of the United States as a free and independent country. Most Americans call this holiday simply by its date - “The Fourth of July.”

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Day adoption(but not the signing) of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, is celebrated in the United States as Independence Day. The Declaration was the first official document to refer to the colonies as the “United States of America.”

Adoption of the Declaration

The colonies declared themselves state republics, and on July 1, 1776, the Virginia Legislature adopted the so-called Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was the first declaration in the history of the American people. This declaration covered the entire range of ideas that justified separation from England and the formation of a democratic republic. She spoke of protecting "life, liberty and property."

The most important thing in the work of the Second Continental Congress is the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America on July 4, 1776. A commission of five members of Congress, consisting of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston, was tasked with drafting the Declaration. However, the authority to create the draft Declaration was transferred to the hands of Thomas Jefferson, who spent 17 days (from June 11 to 28) working on its text, resorting to the help of scientific treatises, pamphlets and committee colleagues.

Jefferson's draft, with minor editorial amendments by J. Adams and B. Franklin, was submitted to Congress on June 28 as the "Declaration of the Representatives of the United States of America Assembled in General Congress." On July 19, Congress changed the title: "Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America." Discussion of the draft Declaration began in early July and lasted three days. During the discussion, changes were made to it, in particular, the section that condemned slavery and the slave trade was removed. It was struck out in favor of South Carolina and Georgia, which never attempted to restrict the importation of slaves, but, on the contrary, intended to continue the slave trade. Of the 1,800-word document, members of Congress tossed out about a quarter of the text, replaced several phrases and words, and made two insertions. The words were replaced with more acceptable ones, in some cases more accurate and less emotional.

The declaration was approved on July 2. On the evening of July 4, the Declaration was certified by the signatures of Congress President Hancock and Secretary Thomson. In total, of the 56 signatures, 28 belonged to lawyers, 13 to merchants, 8 to planters and 7 to representatives of various professions. It should be noted that the New York delegation did not participate in the voting due to its lack of necessary powers and joined the general opinion only on July 15. Many people mistakenly believe that the Declaration of Independence is the document that gave the United States the legal right to become an independent country. In fact, this is more of a solemn rather than legal document; the United States gained its independence as a result of the war.

The US Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. The Continental Congress declared that the 13 North American colonies would be separated from Great Britain. They all received freedom and independence. From that moment on, July 4th became one of the most joyful days for all residents of the United States of America.

The history of the US Declaration of Independence

The document called the “Declaration of Independence of the United States” took more than one day to compose. The main work on the initial version of the text lasted for 17 days, it was done by a representative of one of the five colonies that were on the committee, Thomas Jefferson, who represented Virginia. It is noteworthy that for his such significant work he was awarded a monument.

Jefferson presented the finished text to Congress on July 1, and on the 4th of the same month the President of Congress finally approved it. It is worth noting that amendments were made to the document every now and then so that not a single statement in it could be understood in two ways. The result was the US Declaration of Independence with extremely precise, maximally informative phrases and formulations.

The signing ceremony of a document vital for the inhabitants of the entire country took place on August 2, 1776. In total, the Declaration was signed by 56 people, the first among whom was Congress President John Hancock.

This is how the birth of a new nation, a new state, a new democratic country with free inhabitants took place. Now the original Declaration is kept in the exhibition hall of the US National Archives building in the capital of the United States of America. Initially, the document was in the Library of Congress, but in 1952 it was transported to Washington, where now everyone can see it.

Declaration of Independence for US Residents

The basic principle proclaimed by the US Declaration of Independence , is the creation of a new government system aimed at a democratic society. Thus, the Declaration emphasizes the equality of all people living in the territory of the independent States. Absolutely all residents, without exception, received the right to live freely, to strive for their own happiness and well-being. Thus, the Declaration prohibits slavery and any dependence of one person on another.

Thanks to the introduction of such democratic principles, the day of adoption of the Declaration became a national holiday in the United States. Every year on July 4th, everyone in the United States celebrates it. Today, US Independence Day is accompanied by numerous events that are necessarily held outdoors. Rejoicing at the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Americans organize picnics, fairs, themed exhibitions, hold concerts, and organize friendly competitions. Pupils in schools prepare their performances and performances specially for this day. The wild and cheerful celebration always ends with large-scale fireworks throughout the country.

To date US Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in the country, and the day of its adoption is one of the largest holidays. Such a bright event could not go unnoticed in the field of art. References to this day are very common in classical and modern literature, as well as in the film industry. For example, the science fiction film “Independence Day,” directed by Roland Emmerich, has almost become a legend. By the way, the film will soon have a sequel, since filming is already underway in 2011.

The American Declaration of Independence of 1776 is a document that marked the birth of a new nation that initially decided to live according to the principles of democracy. About,...

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The American Declaration of Independence of 1776 is a document that marked the birth of a new nation that initially decided to live according to the principles of democracy. This article is about the historical significance it had for the United States and the world as a whole.

Background

In 1763, the Seven Years' War ended, which Winston Churchill a century and a half later called the First World War. While the map of Europe was being redrawn overseas, Anglo-French colonial rivalry intensified in North America. As a result of the confrontation, in which Indian tribes were also involved on both sides of the conflict, France lost the Canadian colonies.

Many of those who later became known as the authors of the US Declaration of Independence took part in hostilities on the side of Great Britain.

Strengthening control over the colonies

Victory in the war led to the government in London deciding to get serious about the colonies. To replenish the budget, which suffered great damage as a result of the protracted war, it was decided to increase the tax burden of citizens living overseas.

In response, progressive circles of dissidents appeared in the colonies, influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment. They promoted the idea that the new laws were a violation of the British Constitution, under which a subject could not be taxed without the consent of its elected representative. The “Americans” argued that since there were no delegates in the Parliament sitting in London, they were not obliged to submit to its demands regarding, for example, Stamp Duty, etc.

The confrontation between the colonies and the British Parliament resulted in the Boston Tea Party, when the colonists drowned a large cargo of duty-free tea brought by the British East India Company into the sea. Thus, protests against the Intolerable Laws moved to another level, and dissident leaders decided to openly oppose the metropolis, putting forward political demands.

First Continental Congress

In 1774, the 13 American colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia, the city where the US Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. This meeting went down in history as the First Continental Congress. The future first President of the United States of America, George Washington, took part in it.

The result of the Congress was the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which stated the right to "life, liberty and property." In addition, the colonies announced a boycott of goods coming from the mother country.

In response, King George III demanded complete submission to his authority and ordered the English fleet not to allow any ships to approach the northeastern coast of America.

Second Continental Congress

When it became clear that it would not be possible to change the situation quickly and painlessly, it was decided to once again gather representatives of the colonies to make decisions on further joint actions in the current situation.

The Second Continental Congress was convened, which played an important role in US history. 65 deputies took part in it. Subsequently, this body had to take over the role of the national government and perform it until the end of the Revolutionary War.

results

During the work of the Congress the following were adopted:

• the decision to create the Continental Army, of which George Washington was appointed commander;
• a resolution on the need to form their own government in those colonies that did not have one;
• the decision to renounce the oath of allegiance to the British Crown and a number of others.

On July 4, 1776, the American Declaration of Independence was signed. This document was extremely progressive for its time and determined the further history of not only the North American continent, but the entire world.

Authors

On May 10, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution on practical steps to separate the North American colonies from England.

On June 7, the resolution of Virginia Deputy R. Lee was presented to the delegates for consideration. It spoke of the severance of any relations with the mother country on the basis of declaring the colonies as “free and independent states” and their intention to create a confederation.

To prepare the corresponding document, a commission was created, which, along with T. Jefferson, included J. Adams, B. Franklin, R. Sherman and R. Livingston.

Although all these politicians should have taken part in writing the Declaration on behalf of the Second Congress, by their mutual decision T. Jefferson became the author of the document. It is believed that the other members of the commission simply did not realize what an important role this Declaration was to play in the future, so they decided to entrust the work of creating it to a person with writing experience.

Jefferson modified existing ideas about the essence of independence. He put at the forefront the ideas about the regularity of the proclamation by an individual people of their own political system and the inalienable political rights of the nation. In his opinion, this was dictated by the principles of the social contract of citizens with the authorities and national sovereignty.

Adoption of the US Declaration of Independence

After making some changes, on June 28, 1776, the commission presented Jefferson's draft to Congress. On July 2, a vote for the independence of the North American states took place. After that, Congress began to consider the Declaration. The debate lasted two days. As a result of the debate, a quarter of the original text was removed from the Declaration. The greatest controversy was caused by the clause on the abolition of slavery of blacks, which, at the insistence of the majority of Congress participants, was excluded.

The final version of the US Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776. Subsequently, this day began to be celebrated as the main national holiday of the United States.

Who signed the US Declaration of Independence

John Hancock was elected president of the Second Congress, and Charles Thomson was elected secretary. It was they who had the honor of certifying the US Declaration of Independence with their signatures. The document was also signed by 54 people, of whom 28 were lawyers, 8 planters, 13 businessmen and another 7 people representing other professions.

Main provisions of the document

The adoption of the American Declaration of Independence was an important step in defining the rights of the individual. The document has 3 parts. According to the first, all people are equal by origin and have equal rights to life, liberty, the achievement of happiness, etc. The second part of the declaration contains a list of the abuses of the British monarchy in relation to the North American colonies, and the third is an announcement of the severance of political ties with the mother country and the recognition Each colony has its own independent state (state in English "state").

Among the reasons why the new confederate state rejected the authority of the English king, the declaration included:

• maintaining a huge army in peacetime on the territory of the colonies at the expense of citizens;
• priority of military authorities over civilian ones;
• dependent position of judges;
• dissolution of the House of Representatives who defended the rights of the population;
• protection of military personnel who have committed murders of state civilians;
• obstruction of free trade;
• ban on settling lands far from the coast of the continent, etc.

Meaning

Many people mistakenly believe that the Declaration gave the United States the legal right of sovereignty. In fact, it was of a ceremonial nature, and the United States gained independence only as a result of victory in the war with Great Britain.

But the historical significance of the US Declaration of Independence is beyond doubt. She played a critical role in the development of American democracy and world constitutionalism.

The US Declaration of Independence openly proclaimed the principle of the sovereignty of the people as the basis of government. The state structure itself (according to this document) was to be determined by the nation only for the protection and observance of inalienable and natural human rights, and to be created on the principles of a social contract.

The US Declaration of Independence, which was characterized by many outstanding contemporaries, including prominent figures of the Great French Revolution, replaced the last component (“property”) in the famous formula of D. Locke. In the new version, it began to sound like “life, freedom, the pursuit of happiness.”

Consequences

News of the unanimous acceptance of the Declaration of Independence by all North American colonies was received by George III on September 10, 1776.

The adoption of the Declaration was enthusiastically received by the population of many states. In New York, local residents toppled a statue of the British monarch from its pedestal and sent it to melt bullets that were intended to destroy his soldiers.

It must be said that by this time, active hostilities between the British army and the local militia had already taken place in North America for about a year. It took almost seven years for the British to recognize the United States' right to sovereignty as a result of a bloody war.

Now you know where the US Declaration of Independence was signed and who became its author.

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