Life, Liberty, and Happiness

Welcome to Celebrate Poe - My name is George Bartley, and this is episode 270 - Life, Liberty, and Happiness.

The United States Declaration of Independence is an extremely important document in the history of the United States of America, and was ratified on July 4, 1776. It says that the Americans were no longer under British rule. Instead, the thirteen British colonies came together to become a union of free and independent states.

You see, before 1776, the United States of America was not a country. The individual states were colonies of the British Empire.  And during this time, many American people were angry at Great Britain. Many Americans did not like paying taxes to Great Britain when they did not have anyone to speak for them in Parliament. The American people wanted to be treated like British citizens.

Transcript

Welcome to Celebrate Poe - My name is George Bartley, and this is episode 270 - Life, Liberty, and Happiness.

Last week, I talked about the influential speech by Patrick Henry - Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death - words that helped galvanize support for the American Revolution.  Now before we delve in the Declaration of Independence, note that the Virginia Declaration of Rights, primarily drafted by George Mason, was adopted shortly before the Declaration of Independence and served as a model for similar documents in other states.

The United States Declaration of Independence is an extremely important document in the history of the United States of America, and was ratified on July 4, 1776. It says that the Americans were no longer under British rule. Instead, the thirteen British colonies came together to become a union of free and independent states.

You see, before 1776, the United States of America was not a country. The individual states were colonies of the British Empire.  And during this time, many American people were angry at Great Britain. Many Americans did not like paying taxes to Great Britain when they did not have anyone to speak for them in Parliament. The American people wanted to be treated like British citizens.

So Jefferson drafted the Declaration on a portable lap desk, which he designed himself, and the colonies formed a Continental Congress to make decisions for all of the colonies. During a meeting of the Second Continental Congress in the city of Philadelphia, on June 11, 1776, they chose five people to write a document that would become the Declaration of Independence. Those people were:

John Adams, from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Benjamin Franklin, from the Province of Pennsylvania
Thomas Jefferson, from the Virginia Colony
Robert R. Livingston, from the Province of New York
And Roger Sherman, from the Connecticut Colony

Then the committee decided that one person would write the document, while the rest would give him advice on what to write. John Adams decided that Thomas Jefferson should be the author. He bought him a few drinks and told him that he was more qualified to write it because he was a Virginian and he was simply a better writer so Jefferson got to work.

In that Declaration, Jefferson started by writing about people's rights, and what the government should and should not do. This part of the Declaration is called the Preamble. He then lists specific bad things that the British government did to the colonies. He says these included putting people in jail with no reason; making taxes that were too high; and not respecting people who lived in the colonies.

Then on July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress argued about the Declaration and made some changes to it. After making those changes, they approved the Declaration. They declared their independence from the British Empire that day, at the Pennsylvania State House.

However, the Continental Congress did not officially approve the Declaration until July 4. On that day, twelve of the thirteen groups that represented the colonies approved and ordered the Declaration to be printed. (The Province of New York did not vote.)  In reality, the Province of New York - it was not a state yet - did not agree with the rest of the colonies until July 15.

On July 19, the Declaration's title was changed from "A Declaration of the Representatives of the United States of America in General Congress assembled" to "the unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America."

Now when the King of Great Britain, King George III, and Parliament heard about the Declaration, they were extremely angry. Great Britain and the people in America had already been fighting in a war called the American Revolution, but, as you know, America won the war, and in 1783 Great Britain had to recognize the independence of the new country, the United States, at the Treaty of Paris.

The Declaration of Independence also talks about the simple ideas that the people who started the United States believed in. It says that every person in this U.S. has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It also says that the government has to listen to its own people - not a king or autocratic ruler.

The Declaration is a relatively brief document, and for the rest of this episode, I would l like to go through the text of the Declaration of Indepence in brief sections, followed by a modern-day English translation - so you have the beautiful, flowing language of the 18th century original followed by an easier to understand version.

Original in plain text
Modern English translation in italics text

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.

When it becomes necessary to end one political process due to lack of representation, it's only fair to list the reasons why.

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.--

We believe everyone is created equal, and should be afforded the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness as they see it. We believe these rights a fundamental truth, and no government’s right to curtail, now, and forever more.

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.

That to protect these rights, governments are designed by and get their powers from its People. And when any design of government begins to remove their freedoms, it's the sole responsibility of the People to repair or replace it.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

We shouldn't change government lightly however, for when we do, people suffer. Therefore, it's important that whatever form of governing process we agree on, we build it well. When however through ANY actions this governing body we create, seeks to reduce our civil liberties, or reduce our ability to self govern, it's not only our right, it's our civic obligation within any real Republic to amend or throw off such governments, and provide a new governing body that supports civil liberties for all, now, and for future generations. To enjoy civil liberties, our participation in maintaining their security lands squarely on us, those who live under them.

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

Looking at the King of England's record, it's clear England wants total control of our colonies, compromising our liberties. Here are our facts-

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He won't allow us to create our own laws, a fundamental need for things to work here.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He won't let us pass important laws we need now. He's got to sign off on them and when he doesn’t we suffer.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He's refused to let us pass laws affecting large groups of people in our colonies unless they swore allegiance to him even though they’ve had the right to self govern, clearly showing he's a tyrant.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He requests meetings of our representatives in far away cold, and strange places for the purpose of wearing them down into submission so they’ll agree with him.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He's disbanded our leaders whenever we complain about human rights abuses.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolution, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

By not allowing us to self govern in any capacity, it opens our colonies up for corruption from within as well as from outside.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He fights to control our colony’s population, immigration, ownership of land, and expansion.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He's made it difficult to practice the law here, wanting himself to be the ultimate judge and jury.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He's sent over crooks who he calls judges to dispense his will through courts without trial or jury.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He's created new offices whose staff beat business down through harassment to enforce his will upon us.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He's sent the Army to watch over us, when we didn't need or want them.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He's done everything to make his army bigger than our system of law, and our ability to carry out justice.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

He refuses to acknowledge our own laws, and tells us we have to follow his laws instead.

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For breaking up our military so as to make them vulnerable, and controllable.

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For protecting any of the British military personnel by mock trial from going to jail for any reason, allowing them operate outside our own laws.

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For cutting off our trade with other countries.

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For adding taxes without our consent.

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For taking away our right to trial by jury in many cases.

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For kidnapping our citizens only to be tried and convicted outside our colonies, and our own laws.

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking us, one of England’s provinces, removing our laws, forcing his own body of laws on us, and expanding it's boundary and making it an example of rule of law others must follow or else.

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For taking away our charters (forms of legislature) that allow us to govern.

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

For suspending our own laws, and forcing his own system of justice down our throats.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

For disowning our government, and for declaring war on us for having the desire to self-govern.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He has over-fished our waters, burnt up our towns, and destroyed the lives of many people within our colonies.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy of the Head of a civilized nation.

Right this very moment, he's sending over a large army of mercenaries with no morals to kill and torture everyone now that he's ruined our laws protecting the common man. If you think we've been repressed up to now, expect the worst you can imagine.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has kidnapped citizens of our colony on the high seas, and turned them in to his own soldiers only to fight their own brothers and sisters here.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

He has manipulated people and groups within our colony to fight each other, and wants rule of law similar to those savage Native Americans who live by war destroying everyone under any conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

With every action above, we've petitioned, and been told in return to “suck it up”. By this alone, it's time to stand up for ourselves as free people, and kick this tyrant out.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We don't like making waves. And we've warned England from time to time we'll govern ourselves, reminding England the conditions of our own immigration and settling here. We've asked nicely, yet even when we've shown them how it's bad business for everyone, they just won't listen. So it's up to us to fight for our fundamental rights, and anyone who's opposed to this inside or out of our borders is our enemy, and anyone forging to expand civil liberties, our friend.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

So we the representatives of the people living within these United States of America gathered here under one roof declare to the supreme judge of the world we are free. We declare we are no longer under the British crown’s rule, and all political connections are hereby over. These Free and Independent States of America have full power to each build partnerships, do business, go to war, or negotiate peace. To show we mean what we say, we offer each other our lives, our fortunes, and our integrity.

Join Celebrate Poe for Episode 271 where this podcast takes a unique look at the United States Constitution.

Sources include the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson and The Declaration of Independence (Modern English Translation.) by Leifur Thor.