The Declaration of Independence | Period 3: 1754-1800 | AP US History | Khan Academy

Summary

This video delves into the origins and impacts of the Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. It highlights the document's role in seeking international support, particularly from France, during the American Revolutionary War. The script explores the Enlightenment's influence on Jefferson, especially John Locke's concepts of natural rights and the social contract. It also discusses the Declaration's paradoxical stance on equality in the context of slavery and limited voting rights, and its inspirational legacy for future independence and civil rights movements.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776, marking a pivotal moment in the history of the United States.
• 🌟 Thomas Jefferson, at 33 years old, was the principal author of the Declaration, drawing from his youthful vigor and intellectual prowess.
• 🏰 The document served as a formal appeal to the international community, particularly France, for support in the American Revolutionary War against Great Britain.
• 🤔 The ideas in the Declaration were influenced by the Enlightenment, emphasizing reason, individual rights, and the social contract theory.
• 📚 John Locke's philosophy, especially his concepts of natural rights and the social contract, significantly shaped Jefferson's thinking and the content of the Declaration.
• 🔄 The Declaration outlined the colonies' grievances against the British monarchy, justifying their decision to seek independence.
• 🔊 It proclaimed the self-evident truth that 'all men are created equal,' a principle that would later inspire numerous civil rights movements.
• ⚖️ The Declaration's assertion of the right to rebel against tyrannical government laid the foundation for democratic governance and the concept of popular sovereignty.
• 🌐 The document was instrumental in securing an alliance with France, which was crucial for the United States' victory in the Revolutionary War.
• 🤝 The Declaration's rhetoric and ideals have had a lasting impact, influencing subsequent movements for independence and civil rights around the world.

Q & A

What significant event occurred on July 4th, 1776?

On July 4th, 1776, the delegates to the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, marking a pivotal moment in the formation of the United States of America.

Who is recognized as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson is acknowledged as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

How old was Thomas Jefferson when he penned the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson was 33 years old when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.

What was the main reason the Declaration of Independence was drafted in July 1776?

The primary reason for drafting the Declaration of Independence in July 1776 was to seek international support, particularly from France, in the American Revolutionary War against Great Britain.

What philosophical movement influenced Thomas Jefferson's ideas in the Declaration of Independence?

The Enlightenment movement, characterized by scientific observation and reason, significantly influenced Thomas Jefferson's ideas in the Declaration of Independence.

Which philosopher's ideas had a profound impact on Thomas Jefferson's political philosophy?

John Locke, an English philosopher from the 1600s, had a profound impact on Thomas Jefferson's political philosophy, particularly through his work 'Two Treatises on Government.'

What are the two key concepts proposed by John Locke that influenced the Declaration of Independence?

The two key concepts proposed by John Locke that influenced the Declaration of Independence are the idea of natural rights and the concept of the Social Contract.

How does the Declaration of Independence reflect the idea of natural rights?

The Declaration of Independence reflects the idea of natural rights by stating that all men are created equal and are endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

What does the phrase 'consent of the governed' imply in the context of the Declaration of Independence?

The phrase 'consent of the governed' implies that legitimate government authority is derived from the agreement and approval of the people being governed, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

What was the outcome of the Declaration of Independence in terms of international support for the United States?

The Declaration of Independence was successful in securing international support, particularly an alliance with France, which was crucial in the United States' victory in the Revolutionary War in 1783.

How did the Declaration of Independence's rhetoric influence later movements for independence and civil rights?

The Declaration of Independence's rhetoric inspired numerous movements for independence and civil rights, including the French Revolution and the women's rights movement, which adopted the phrase 'All men and women are created equal' in their Declaration of Sentiments.

What was the contradiction in Thomas Jefferson's ownership of enslaved people while advocating for 'all men are created equal'?

The contradiction lies in Thomas Jefferson owning over 100 enslaved people of African descent while drafting a document that proclaims 'all men are created equal,' raising questions about the inclusivity of this principle at the time.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Genesis of the Declaration of Independence

This paragraph delves into the historical context of the Declaration of Independence, approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It underscores the document's significance as a pivotal moment marking the United States' break from British colonial rule. The paragraph introduces Thomas Jefferson as the principal author, who was 33 at the time, and poses intriguing questions about the origins of his ideas and their subsequent impact. It also corrects a common misconception by noting that the Revolutionary War had already begun before 1776, with events like the Stamp Act unrest in 1765, the Boston Tea Party in 1773, and the battles at Lexington and Concord in 1775. The Declaration was a strategic move to garner international support, particularly from France, which was seeking to counter British power. The paragraph concludes with an intention to explore the Declaration's origins and effects, and to analyze its text, highlighting the collective identity of the 13 states as a confederation rather than a unified nation.

05:02

💡 Enlightenment Influences and the Social Contract

The second paragraph focuses on the intellectual influences behind the Declaration of Independence, particularly the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason, scientific observation, and the questioning of traditional authority. It highlights the profound impact of John Locke's philosophy on Jefferson's thinking, especially Locke's concepts of natural rights and the social contract. The paragraph explains how these ideas shaped the Declaration's assertion that all men are born equal with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed. It also touches on Locke's third point regarding the right to rebel against tyrannical governments. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of this section of the Declaration, which not only served as a list of grievances against the British monarchy but also as a philosophical foundation for the right to revolution.

10:05

🏰 The Declaration's Impact and Jefferson's Paradox

The final paragraph discusses the Declaration of Independence's role in securing an alliance with France, which was crucial for the United States' victory in the Revolutionary War. It then reflects on the paradoxical nature of Jefferson's famous phrase 'all men are created equal,' given that he was a slave owner and the new nation still practiced slavery. The paragraph ponders the possible limitations of Jefferson's intent, whether his words applied only to white men or the elite, and acknowledges the inherent contradictions with the institution of slavery and the rights of women. It notes the Declaration's enduring influence on subsequent movements for independence and civil rights, including the French Revolution and the women's rights movement, which adapted its rhetoric to include women. The paragraph concludes by recognizing the Declaration's dual nature as both a radical assertion of equality and a document that fell short in realizing its own ideals for all citizens.

Keywords

💡Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is a historic document adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states. It is a fundamental statement of human rights and a key element in the video's discussion of the American Revolution. The script mentions it as a 'point of no return' for the United States, marking the end of colonial status and the beginning of a new nation.

💡Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States. In the video, he is described as a young man at the time of drafting the Declaration, highlighting his pivotal role in shaping the ideas that would form the basis of American democracy. His influence is seen in the script's discussion of the document's content and its philosophical underpinnings.

💡Revolutionary War

The Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, was a conflict that took place from 1775 to 1783, in which the Thirteen Colonies challenged Great Britain's rule. The video script clarifies that the war had been ongoing for over a year before the Declaration of Independence was issued, emphasizing that the Declaration was more of a political statement seeking international support than a declaration of war.

💡Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. The video script connects the Enlightenment to Jefferson's thought, particularly in the context of natural rights and the social contract. It is noted as a significant influence on the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence, such as the belief in reason and the questioning of traditional authority.

💡Natural Rights

Natural rights are those rights which are inherent by virtue of human nature and are considered universal and inalienable. The script refers to the concept of natural rights as central to the philosophy of the Declaration of Independence, with the phrase 'all men are created equal' reflecting the belief that certain rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, are inherent and not granted by any government.

💡Social Contract

The social contract is a political philosophy that posits that society is composed of individuals who give up some freedoms in exchange for protection and governance by the state. In the video, the concept is linked to the idea that governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, and that it is the people's right to alter or abolish a government that becomes destructive of their rights.

💡John Locke

John Locke was an English philosopher whose ideas had a profound influence on Enlightenment thought and the American Revolution. The video script highlights Locke's theories of natural rights and the social contract as particularly influential to Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence, suggesting that Locke's ideas shaped the understanding of government's role and the rights of individuals.

💡Divine Right of Kings

The Divine Right of Kings is a political and religious doctrine that asserts that a monarch derives their right to rule directly from the will of God and is not accountable to their subjects. The video script contrasts this concept with the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence, which reject the notion of inherent superiority and advocate for the equality of all people.

💡Taxation without Representation

Taxation without representation was one of the major grievances of the American colonists against British rule, leading to the Revolutionary War. The video script mentions this as a key issue that contributed to the colonists' decision to seek independence, as they were being taxed by a government in which they had no representation, a principle that the Declaration of Independence addresses.

💡France

France played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War by providing crucial military and financial support to the American colonies. The video script discusses the strategic decision of the American delegates to issue the Declaration of Independence in part to appeal to France for assistance, highlighting the importance of international alliances in the struggle for independence.

💡Human Rights

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all individuals are entitled. The video script emphasizes the Declaration of Independence as a foundational document in the history of human rights, with its assertion of 'unalienable rights' reflecting the Enlightenment ideals of individual dignity and the inherent worth of all people.

Highlights

The Declaration of Independence was a pivotal moment marking the United States' intention to end its colonial status under the United Kingdom.

Thomas Jefferson, at 33 years old, was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

The ideas in the Declaration were influenced by the Enlightenment, emphasizing reason and scientific observation over religious explanations.

John Locke's philosophy, particularly his concepts of natural rights and the Social Contract, greatly influenced Jefferson.

The Declaration's assertion that 'all men are created equal' was a radical idea at the time, challenging the accepted social hierarchies.

The document was crafted with the intention of gaining international support, particularly from France, which was a historical rival of the United Kingdom.

The Declaration of Independence was not the start of the Revolutionary War; conflicts like the Boston Tea Party and battles at Lexington and Concord had already occurred.

The Declaration's listing of grievances against the King was a strategic move to justify the colonies' decision to seek independence.

The phrase 'consent of the governed' reflects the idea that legitimate government power comes from the people's agreement.

The Declaration's publication successfully swayed France to become an ally, which was crucial for the United States' victory in the Revolutionary War.

The contradiction between the Declaration's ideals and the reality of slavery in the United States was not resolved during the Revolutionary period.

Jefferson's ownership of enslaved people highlights the complex relationship between his personal life and the principles he espoused.

The Declaration's rhetoric inspired subsequent movements for independence and civil rights, including the French Revolution.

The Declaration of Sentiments, released by the first women's rights movement, was directly influenced by the Declaration of Independence's language of equality.

While the Declaration of Independence set forth an ideal of equality, it also exposed the limitations of the Revolution in addressing the rights of all citizens.

The enduring impact of the Declaration of Independence lies in its promotion of an ideal that continues to shape discussions of equality and governance.

Transcripts

- [Kim] On July fourth, 1776,

the delegates to the Second Continental Congress

approved the Declaration of Independence.

We know parts of it very well.

For example,

"We hold these truths to be self-evident,"

"that all men are created equal."

The Declaration of Independence was really the

point of no return

for the young United States of America,

making an appeal to the rest of the world,

to say that their time as a colony of the United Kingdom

had ended.

The principle author of the Declaration of Independence

was this man here, Thomas Jefferson.

I tried to find a picture of him as a young man.

In fact, at the time,

he was about 10 years younger than you even see him here.

He was 33.

Where did young Thomas Jefferson get all of the ideas

that he expressed in the Declaration of Independence,

and what happened to those ideas,

once he put them down on paper?

In this video,

I'd like to explore some of the origins

and effects of the Declaration of Independence.

We often think that the Revolutionary War started

with the Declaration of Independence.

We think of 1776 as being this

opening moment of the Revolution.

In fact, parts of the Revolutionary War had been going on

for some time.

It was in 1765, more than a decade earlier,

that some of the first unrest over taxation,

specifically the Stamp Act, had begun.

In 1773, the famous Boston Tea Party,

when a group of colonists dumped over 300 crates of tea

into Boston Harbor had happened.

In 1775, over a year before the Declaration of Independence,

the first shots

of the Revolutionary War had taken place outside Boston,

at the towns of Lexington and Concord.

By the time the delegates had met in Philadelphia,

the Revolutionary War had been a shooting war

for more than a year.

Why was it that in July of 1776,

the delegates finally made the Declaration of Independence?

The primary reason that they did it at this time,

was because they wanted help,

and they were particularly eager to get the assistance

of the nation of France,

which had been a long time enemy of the United Kingdom,

and the delegates really knew that the new

United States of America would have no hope of winning

a war against a massive imperial power like Great Britain,

without the help of another world power, such as France.

In a way, what Jefferson was doing in the

Declaration of Independence,

wasn't so much declaring, but rather explaining

why the states were declaring themselves independent,

with the hope that they could get the sympathy

and the help of the international community.

Let's read some of the Declaration of Independence.

I know that this is a gigantic block of text here,

but bear with me.

We'll grow through it fairly quickly.

"The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen"

"United States of America."

You'll notice here that he specifically points out

that there are 13 United States.

This is important, because it gives you a sense that

they aren't really thinking of the individual former

colonies, now states, as one larger country,

but rather as a collection of states,

a confederation of allied states,

instead of a single nation.

"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary"

"for one people to dissolve the political bands"

"which have connected them with another"

"and to assume among the powers of the Earth,"

"the separate and equal"

"station to which the laws of nature,"

"and of nature's God entitle them."

"A decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires"

"that they should declare the causes which impel them"

"to the separation."

Here's this explanation part,

saying, we feel it necessary to explain why we want to

separate from Great Britain.

"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."

"That to secure these rights,"

"governments are instituted among men,"

"deriving their just powers from the"

"consent of the governed."

"That whenever any form of government becomes destructive"

"of these ends,"

"it is the right of the people to alter,"

"or to abolish it,"

"and to institute new government,"

"laying its foundation on such principles and organizing"

"its powers in such form,"

"as to them shall seem most likely to effect"

"their safety and happiness."

I think this might be the most important passage

of the Declaration of Independence,

and let me tell you why.

In this paragraph, you can really see the

influence of the Enlightenment on Jefferson's thought.

The Enlightenment was a period in the 1600s and 1700s,

when people began to explore

scientific observation

and reason.

They became more interested in observing the world

around them, and trying to make

reasoned arguments from what they saw,

as compared to accepting the religious explanations

for how the world worked.

During the Enlightenment, many philosophers began to

rethink government as well,

and of questioning whether the governmental system

in Europe and other places was the right system.

There was one philosopher, in particular,

who really captured Jefferson's imagination,

and his name was John Locke.

John Lcoke was an English philosopher,

who had lived in the 1600s,

and he wrote a book that had really influenced

Jefferson and many thinkers in this time period,

called Two Treatises on Government.

There are two really important points in Locke's work.

One was the idea of natural rights.

What Locke meant by natural rights,

are rights that were endowed by nature,

that all people were born with.

If you think about Europe in this time period,

there was a sense that some people were born with

more rights than others.

In fact, there was the idea of the Divine Right of Kings,

that the king,

or monarch of any sort,

had been born the king because God wanted that

person to rule.

Locke rejects that.

He says when people are born,

they're all born the same,

and they all have rights that can't be given away,

that are unalienable,

and those are life,

liberty,

and property.

Sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it?

The other important idea that Locke had,

was the idea of the Social Contract.

The idea of the Social Contract was that,

government came from the people,

that society members got together,

and agreed on what the forms of government should be,

so that the only just government,

was one that took into account the opinions

of the people who live within it.

You see that here, too.

"Governments are instituted among men,"

"deriving their just powers from"

"the consent of the governed."

There's a third thing that Locke suggests that

Jefferson also gets at,

which is that when governments become tyrannical,

when they do not abide by the Social Contract,

it is the right of the people to rebel.

All right, back to the Declaration.

Most of the rest of the Declaration is just a list

of grievances of what the King has done

to the colonies that has made them very angry.

This is an extremely abridged list of them.

I highly recommend you read the entire Declaration,

'cause I think it gives you a really good sense

of what the colonists were thinking at this time period.

Here are some of the highlights.

Jefferson says that the

"King has kept among us, in times of peace,"

"standing armies without the consent of our legislatures."

Those are the British regulars who have been stationed in

North America for a long time.

"For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world."

The Navigation Acts, that said the colonies

could only trade with Great Britain.

"For imposing taxes on us, without our consent."

The idea of taxation without representation,

which really motivated the colonists to rebel.

And so forth and so on.

Now, it's worth noting that the Declaration of Independence,

as an explanation hoping to get France on the side

of the new United States,

worked very well.

The United States allied with France,

which led them to win the Revolutionary War in 1783.

As we close, it's worth pondering,

what it was that Thomas Jefferson

really meant by the phrase,

"All men are created equal."

The Revolutionary War didn't abolish slavery

in the United States.

In fact, Jefferson himself owned over 100 enslaved

people of African descent.

When Jefferson said, "All men are created equal,"

was he thinking only of all white men?

Was he thinking only of elite white men?

After all, after the Revolution,

only a handful of propertied elite men could vote.

But then, there's this larger idea here.

He's saying that your ordinary man wasn't born

any different than someone who was born a king,

so why should someone who was born black

be different than someone who was born white?

It's hard to imagine how Jefferson separated those things

in his mind.

Certainly, others at the time period,

realized that there was an inherent contradiction

between slavery,

and also between the rights of women,

and the idea that all men are created equal.

Over time, the rhetoric of the Declaration of Independence

would go on to spur many different movements for

independence and civil rights.

The most notable of which being the French Revolution,

which took much of its rhetoric from the

American Revolution.

Later, in 1848, the first women's rights movement

would gather at Seneca Falls, New York,

and release what they called

the Declaration of Sentiments.

Which began, "All men and women are created equal."

So Jefferson's ideas here,

are both deeply radical,

insisting that ordinary people are just as good as kings,

and even more,

entitled to decide their own form of government.

But that Revolution only went so far.

It didn't change much about the status of

every day citizens in the United States.

But it put forward an ideal which

we've been working toward ever since.