Declaration of Independence - Essay Example

HERE HERE YOUR HERE HERE The Meaning behind the Declaration of Independence Though the Declaration of Independence has often been challenged as being a formal declaration of war against the British throne, its genuine intention was to act as a formal statement of the absolute assurance of defiance against what was then considered to be intolerable British influence on a developing society of territories. In and around 1776, the colonies and extended territorial regions had become a bustling center of commercialism, innovation, and social unity that had grown tired of the different tariffs imposed by British rulers and excessive taxation imparted on the American people.

The British ruler of the time was attempting to defend the interests of the British throne which was, at this time, slowly beginning to have significantly less global influence than in previous years. To compensate for lost global territories and shrinking revenues, the British king relied heavily on the commercial and agricultural taxations from America to secure longevity for the crown. Fed up with the constant British involvement in all business and social affairs, the Declaration of Independence was drafted as a formal recognition of insolence against the presence of British representatives in the country.

The Declaration of Independence spelled out the entirety of their complaints against the British king who, at the time, often refused to hear the requests of American representatives about a multitude of issues that affected the social well-being or economic stability of various businessmen and the whole of regular society. At the same time, the crown was actively “quartering large bodies of armed troops among (them)” (Jefferson, 1776), which caused civil concerns about issues of safety and injustice.

This was the king’s attempt to maintain a military presence in many territories because of rumors about potential civil and governmental unrest against the crown. This formal list of complaints was constructed on the back of numerous efforts to persuade the king to give the nation more liberty in controlling their own financial or social agendas, meeting with nothing but increased presence and increased taxation or tariff generation. Had the document been written in short, direct language, it would have failed to get the point across that the majority of citizens and politicians were beyond wearied with their unanswered pleas toward justice and that they simply would no longer abide by British law whatsoever.

By this time, the nation had developed its own infrastructure that supported ongoing invention and abided by its own self-developed, nationally-upheld customs that no longer represented the values and beliefs of the British crown. Even though the country was developing rapidly, they had a minimal military power that paled in comparison to Britain’s mighty fleet and armies of men. A formal declaration of war could have provoked an instant response from the king to carry out his part of this contract through an all-out assault that would have left America unprepared and certainly outmatched.

The Declaration of Independence essentially got their point across that they intended to dissolve any connections to Britain and allow the king himself to declare war, giving them time to prepare or assemble military strength in key areas. A formal declaration of war clearly spells out the intentions for combative actions and it made sense to simply declare themselves free of British rule and then have a period to prepare for response.Works CitedJefferson, Thomas. “The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America”, 1776.

Viewed April 6, 2010 at http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/doi/text.html