The Declaration of Independence Essay.
The Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the Constitution
The Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the Constitution
The Declaration of Independence was prepared for multiple audiences which included; the British King, the American colonies, and the rest of the world. The introductory paragraph of the document reveals the main purpose of the Declaration as to “declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” The thirteen colonies embarked to prove legitimacy of their cause by highlighting several truths they found self-evident. These truths included, “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.” The purpose of government was to guard the future security of its subjects and provide the unalienable rights. Governments derive their power from the consent of the governed to organize their authority in ways that ensure the safety and happiness of the citizens. Having noticed that the government of Great Britain was unable to provide the wellbeing of colonists, the American colonies were justified to seek separation. The Declaration suggested that the British government abused their power to rule the colonies and deserved to be abolished.
The Preamble of the Constitution is in the political tradition similar to the Mayflower Compact, which implied that colonists would obey and respect the government of the United States by awarding Congress local governance. The most popular lines in the Preamble of the Constitution are still from the Declaration of Independence which states, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” In this string of words, Americans were submitting themselves to domestic governance for the wellbeing of the new country as a separate republic from the government of Great Britain.
Reference
The Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the Constitution