
Declaration of Independence – Chapter 3

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Declaration of Independence – Chapter 2

Nations come into being in many ways. Military rebellion, civil strife, acts of heroism, acts of treachery, a thousand greater and lesser clashes between defenders of the old order and supporters of the new–all these occurrences and more have marked the emergences of new nations, large and small. The birth of the United States of America included them all. That birth was unique, not only in the immensity of its later impact on the course of world history and the growth of democracy, but also because so many of the threads in our national history run back through time to come together in one place, in one time, and in one document: the Declaration of Independence.
The people at the time the Declaration was signed were full aware that the Declaration itself was nothing but that, a declaration, without military success against what was the most formidable foe at that time. John Dickinson was one member of Congress who opposed the Declaration, referring to it as a “skiff made of paper.” Reverend Ezra Stiles wrote in his diary:
“Thus the congress has tied a Gordian knot, which the Parliament will find they can neither cut, nor untie. The thirteen united colonies now rise into an Independent Republic among the kingdoms, states, and empires on earth….And have I lived to see such an important and astonishing revolution?”
Everyone around the “new” United States, saw Washington and his army as the one means of deliverance of American Independence and all that was promised in the Declaration of Independence. The Congress of 1776 was operating based on conditions that had been deteriorating for over a decade prior but the Congress did not take their Declaration of Independence lightly, they fully recognized what they were doing. By the time the Declaration of Independence was adopted in July 1776, the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain had been at war for more than a year.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” so that they and their posterity (us!) could enjoy both spiritual and civil liberties to a degree unknown in the world at that time. That pledge literally cost many of them their lives and fortunes.
How Did America Get To This Point?
Relations had been deteriorating between the colonies and the mother country since 1763 at the end of the French and Indian War. The Bank of England had been depleted largely in part because of the French and Indian War and they needed to replenish the “royal coffers”. The answer to the dilemma by the English Parliament was to enact a series of measures to increase revenue from the colonies, such as the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Acts of 1767. Parliament believed that these acts were a legitimate means of having the colonies pay their fair share of the costs to keep them in the British Empire.
Many colonists, however, had developed a different conception of the empire. The colonies were not directly represented in Parliament, and colonists argued that Parliament had no right to levy taxes upon them. This tax dispute was part of a larger divergence between British and American interpretations of the British Constitution and the extent of Parliament’s authority in the colonies. The orthodox British view, dating from the “Glorious Revolution of 1688“, was that Parliament was the supreme authority throughout the empire, and so, by definition, anything that Parliament did was constitutional. The Glorious Revolution led to the English Declaration of Rights that would later be used by the Continental Congress to write their own Declaration of Independence. The colonies held to the idea that the British Constitution recognized certain fundamental rights that no government could violate, not even Parliament. After the Townshend Acts, some essayists even began to question whether Parliament had any legitimate jurisdiction in the colonies at all. Anticipating the arrangement of the British Commonwealth, by 1774 American writers such as Samuel Adams, James Wilson, and Thomas Jefferson were arguing that Parliament was the legislature of Great Britain only, and that the colonies, which had their own legislatures, were connected to the rest of the empire only through their allegiance to the Crown.
By the early 1770s, more and more colonists were becoming convinced that Parliament intended to take away their freedom. In fact, the Americans saw a pattern of increasing oppression and corruption happening all around the world. Parliament was determined to bring its unruly American subjects to heel so by early 1775, Britain began preparing for war. The first fighting broke out in April in Massachusetts and in August, the King had declared the colonists “in a state of open and avowed rebellion.” For the first time, many colonists began to seriously consider cutting ties with Britain. Thomas Paine published a pamphlet titled “Common Sense” in early 1776 which became a literary explosion across America at that time and lit a fire under this previously unthinkable idea. The movement for independence was now in full swing.
In answer to actions that Britain took in 1775, the colonists decided to elect delegates to attend a Continental Congress that eventually became the governing body of the union during the Revolution. In fear for their lives and to protect the cause of American liberty, the delegates to Congress adopted strict rules of secrecy. Less than a year after their formation, the delegates abandoned hope of reconciliation with Britain. On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution “that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states.” They appointed a Committee of Five to write an announcement explaining the reasons for independence. Thomas Jefferson, who chaired the committee, wrote the first draft.
The Committee of Five
The committee consisted of two New England men, John Adams of Massachusetts and Roger Sherman of Connecticut; two men from the Middle Colonies, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York; and one southerner, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. In 1823 Jefferson wrote that the other members of the committee “unanimously pressed on myself alone to undertake the draught [sic]. I consented; I drew it; but before I reported it to the committee I communicated it separately to Dr. Franklin and Mr. Adams requesting their corrections. . . I then wrote a fair copy, reported it to the committee, and from them, unaltered to the Congress.“
Jefferson’s account reflects three stages in the life of the Declaration: the document originally written by Jefferson; the changes to that document made by Franklin and Adams, resulting in the version that was submitted by the Committee of Five to the Congress; and the version that was eventually adopted.
By Jefferson’s own admission, the Declaration contained no original ideas, but was instead a statement of sentiments widely shared by supporters of the American Revolution. As he explained in 1825: “Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion.” Jefferson’s most immediate sources were two documents written in June 1776: his own draft of the preamble of the Constitution of Virginia, and George Mason’s draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. They were, in turn, directly influenced by the 1689 English Declaration of Rights, which formally ended the reign of King James II (recall the Glorious Revolution of 1688). During the American Revolution, Jefferson and other Americans looked to the English Declaration of Rights as a model of how to end the reign of an unjust king.
The Path of the Declaration of Independence
On July 1, 1776, Congress reconvened. The following day, the Lee Resolution for independence was adopted by 12 of the 13 colonies, New York not voting. Immediately afterward, the Congress began to consider the Declaration. Adams and Franklin had made only a few changes before the Committee of Five submitted the document. The discussion in Congress resulted in some alterations and deletions, but the basic document remained Jefferson’s. On July 1, the Declaration had been officially adopted.
On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to declare independence. On July 2, Congress declared Independence.
The process of revision continued through all of July 3 and into the late morning of July 4. On July 4, Congress ratified the text of the Declaration.
John Dunlap, official printer to Congress, worked through the night to set the Declaration in type and printed approximately 200 copies. These copies, known as the Dunlap Broadsides, were sent to various committees, assemblies, and commanders of the Continental troops. The Dunlap Broadsides weren’t signed, but John Hancock’s name appears in large type at the bottom. One copy crossed the Atlantic, reaching King George III months later. The official British response scolded the “misguided Americans” and “their extravagant and inadmissible Claim of Independency”.
On July 19, once all 13 colonies had signified their approval of the Declaration of Independence, Congress ordered that it be “fairly engrossed on parchment.” (To “engross” is to write in a large, clear hand.) Timothy Matlack, an assistant to the Secretary of the Congress, was most likely the penman. On July 19, all 13 colonies approved the Declaration of Independence.
On August 2, the journal of the Continental Congress records that “The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed.” John Hancock, President of the Congress, signed first. The delegates then signed by state from north to south. Some signed after August 2. A few refused. George Washington was away with his troops. Ultimately, 56 delegates signed the Declaration.
The Declaration was written for the King of England, the colonists, and the world. It was intended to rally the troops, win foreign allies, and to announce the creation of a new country. The opening statement in the Declaration declared the main purpose which was to explain the right for a Revolution and “to declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” As the members of Congress in 1776 had been elected to their positions, they needed to prove their legitimacy as they defied what was the most powerful nation on earth at that time. As they were also seeking allies in support of the Revolution, the Declaration was also used to motivate allies to the cause, to join the fight.
The Declaration is a beautifully written document that officially announced that the United States were no longer part of Great Britain. That these United States were establishing a new idea of government; one whose leadership did not govern by divine right, but was chosen by the people for the people themselves. This new government’s job was to protect the “Rights” of its citizens.
References:
Allen Jayne, (2015). Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence: Origins, Philosophy, and Theology. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 48
Benson J. Lossing, (1870). Lives of the signers of the Declaration of American independence. Evans, Stoddart & Co. p. 292.
Benson J. Lossing, (1888). Our Country: A Household History for All Readers, from the Discovery of America to the Present Time, Volume 3. Appendix: Amies Publishing Company. p. 1-10.
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, P.162
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, Pg. 180-182
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, Pg. 200-202
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, Pg. 224–225
David McCullough, (2015). 1776, Simon and Schuster
The Declaration of Independence: A History, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
Dumas Malone, (1948). Jefferson the Virginian (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 1 , Little, Brown and Company; 17th ptg. Edition, p. 221
Federalist No. 39, paragraph 2
Ian Christie and Benjamin Labaree, (1976). Empire or independence, 1760-1776: A British-American dialogue on the coming of the American Revolution, Phaidon Press; 1st Edition edition, p. 31
John Adams, (1776). “Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume: 3 January 1, 1776 – May 15, 1776”. Letter to James Warren
John M. Murrin, Paul E. Johnson, James M. McPherson, Alice Fahs, Gary Gerstle, (2013). Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People, Volume I: To 1877, Concise Edition. Cengage Learning. p. 121
Joseph Ellis, (2007). American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies in the Founding of the Republic, Knopf Publishing, pg. 55–56
Pauline Maier, (1998). American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence, Vintage; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition, pg. 53-57
Pauline Maier, (1998). American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence, Vintage; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition, pg. 125-128
Richard Kollen, (2004). Lexington: From Liberty’s Birthplace to Progressive Suburb. Arcadia Publishing. p. 27
Robert Middlekauff, (2007). The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789, Oxford University Press; Revised, Expanded edition, pg. 241–242
Stephen E. Lucas, (1989). Justifying America: The Declaration of Independence as a Rhetorical Document, Southern Illinois University Press, p. 85
Stephen E. Lucas, (2012). The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson, (1825). TO HENRY LEE – Thomas Jefferson The Works, vol. 12 (Correspondence and Papers 1816–1826
https://www.charismanews.com/us/40100-the-christian-influence-behind-the-declaration-of-independence, accessed 9 Sep 2019
https://nccs.net/blogs/articles/biblical-roots-of-the-declaration-of-independence, accessed 9 Sep 2019
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/declaration/bioa.htm, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://www.ushistory.org/DECLARATION/, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://colonialhall.com/biodoi.php, accessed 9 Sep 2019
https://www.americanheritage.com/abraham-lincoln-and-second-american-revolution, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/educational-resources/article-rise-and-fall-of-slave-trade-part2.shtml, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://www.dsdi1776.com/signers-by-state/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://dansamericanrevolutionblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/biographical-sketches-of-signers-of.html, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.cotknorwalk.org/blog/FoundingFathers/2005/09/george-clymer-signer-of-declaration.html, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.slideshare.net/tanyaahogan/Tanya-Hogan-FFFINAL, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://constitution.laws.com/elbridge-gerry, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.revolutionary-war.net/john-hancock.html, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://virtualology.com/StephenHopkins.com/, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://articles.mcall.com/1984-07-15/news/2436116_1_george-taylor-iron-furnace/3, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/tu_amistad_bio_baldwin.html, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p458.html , accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.constitution.org/tp/afri.htm, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2011/07/joseph-hewes-first-secretary-of-the-navy-and-signer-of-the-declaration-of-independence/, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/john-hancock-facts-biography-history.html#lesson, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/, accessed 10 Sep 2019
https://tifwe.org/four-principles-of-biblical-stewardship/, accessed 10 Sep 2019
https://www.theologyofwork.org, accessed 10 Sep 2019
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Declaration of Independence – Chapter 1

- How many people signed the Declaration of Independence?
- When was the Declaration ratified by Congress and when was it signed?
- How many grievances are listed in the Declaration?
- What were the issues [grievances] that led up to the point where Congress decided it was time to declare Independence?
- How many of the signers were born outside of the 13 colonies?
- Who was the youngest person to sign the Declaration?
- Who was the oldest person to sign the Declaration?
- Who was the last person that signed the Declaration?
- How many of the signers were ministers?
- What are the biblical roots of the Declaration of Independence?
- Was the country already at war with Britain at the time the Declaration was signed?
- Who was the Declaration designed for?
- How many members were assigned to write the Declaration? Who were they?
- What defines an American? The Declaration or the US Constitution?
- How many signers did not have formal college education?
- Who embossed the Declaration of Independence? (who actually penned the document you can find in the archives).
- Do we have unalienable or inalienable Rights?
- Did everyone who voted for the Declaration actually sign the document? Did everyone who signed the document vote for it?
- Was declaring Independence unanimous or were there also dissenters?
References:
Allen Jayne, (2015). Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence: Origins, Philosophy, and Theology. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 48
Benson J. Lossing, (1870). Lives of the signers of the Declaration of American independence. Evans, Stoddart & Co. p. 292.
Benson J. Lossing, (1888). Our Country: A Household History for All Readers, from the Discovery of America to the Present Time, Volume 3. Appendix: Amies Publishing Company. p. 1-10.
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, P.162
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, Pg. 180-182
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, Pg. 200-202
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, Pg. 224–225
David McCullough, (2015). 1776, Simon and Schuster
The Declaration of Independence: A History, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
Dumas Malone, (1948). Jefferson the Virginian (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 1 , Little, Brown and Company; 17th ptg. Edition, p. 221
Federalist No. 39, paragraph 2
Ian Christie and Benjamin Labaree, (1976). Empire or independence, 1760-1776: A British-American dialogue on the coming of the American Revolution, Phaidon Press; 1st Edition edition, p. 31
John Adams, (1776). “Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume: 3 January 1, 1776 – May 15, 1776”. Letter to James Warren
John M. Murrin, Paul E. Johnson, James M. McPherson, Alice Fahs, Gary Gerstle, (2013). Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People, Volume I: To 1877, Concise Edition. Cengage Learning. p. 121
Joseph Ellis, (2007). American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies in the Founding of the Republic, Knopf Publishing, pg. 55–56
Pauline Maier, (1998). American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence, Vintage; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition, pg. 53-57
Pauline Maier, (1998). American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence, Vintage; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition, pg. 125-128
Richard Kollen, (2004). Lexington: From Liberty’s Birthplace to Progressive Suburb. Arcadia Publishing. p. 27
Robert Middlekauff, (2007). The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789, Oxford University Press; Revised, Expanded edition, pg. 241–242
Stephen E. Lucas, (1989). Justifying America: The Declaration of Independence as a Rhetorical Document, Southern Illinois University Press, p. 85
Stephen E. Lucas, (2012). The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson, (1825). TO HENRY LEE – Thomas Jefferson The Works, vol. 12 (Correspondence and Papers 1816–1826
https://www.charismanews.com/us/40100-the-christian-influence-behind-the-declaration-of-independence, accessed 9 Sep 2019
https://nccs.net/blogs/articles/biblical-roots-of-the-declaration-of-independence, accessed 9 Sep 2019
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/declaration/bioa.htm, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://www.ushistory.org/DECLARATION/, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://colonialhall.com/biodoi.php, accessed 9 Sep 2019
https://www.americanheritage.com/abraham-lincoln-and-second-american-revolution, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/educational-resources/article-rise-and-fall-of-slave-trade-part2.shtml, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://www.dsdi1776.com/signers-by-state/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://dansamericanrevolutionblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/biographical-sketches-of-signers-of.html, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.cotknorwalk.org/blog/FoundingFathers/2005/09/george-clymer-signer-of-declaration.html, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.slideshare.net/tanyaahogan/Tanya-Hogan-FFFINAL, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://constitution.laws.com/elbridge-gerry, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.revolutionary-war.net/john-hancock.html, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://virtualology.com/StephenHopkins.com/, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://articles.mcall.com/1984-07-15/news/2436116_1_george-taylor-iron-furnace/3, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/tu_amistad_bio_baldwin.html, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p458.html , accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.constitution.org/tp/afri.htm, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2011/07/joseph-hewes-first-secretary-of-the-navy-and-signer-of-the-declaration-of-independence/, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/john-hancock-facts-biography-history.html#lesson, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/, accessed 10 Sep 2019
https://tifwe.org/four-principles-of-biblical-stewardship/, accessed 10 Sep 2019
https://www.theologyofwork.org, accessed 10 Sep 2019
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Declaration of Independence – Intro

It is the mission of FHGH Ministries to facilitate the intersection of faith, church, and culture by helping to steward a movement for people across the nation to be encouraged and empowered to be involved and live their purpose in Faith, Honor, Glory and Hope. In support of that mission, we are kicking off a new series on the topic of the Declaration of Independence. It will likely take a few months to get through it.
Introduction
How does the Declaration of Independence fit a topic for ministry? Why is this a subject worth covering?
As a Christian, the bible is our foundation, we live it, we live by it, and we swear by it. It tells us how to guarantee a position as a citizen of heaven, it sets our belief systems – it tells us why we exist. The bible also tells us what our responsibilities are, it serves as our guide as stewards, and helps to define our relationships with both people and the earth.
1 Peter 4:10. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.
Genesis 1:28. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
The fundamental principle of biblical stewardship is that God owns everything, we are simply managers or administrators acting on His behalf. Biblical stewardship expresses our obedience regarding the administration of everything God has placed under our control, which is all encompassing. Included in this is our responsibility to be good stewards of the nation in which we currently “dwell”. We are citizens of heaven serving as ambassadors while living [dwelling] in the nation – our residence on earth.
Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who “dwell” in it.
Many of us are familiar with the admonition in 2 Corinthians 5:20 to be “ambassadors for Christ.” This does not mean that we are to become distracted from what the Bible has to say about our nation and what our attitude towards our national heritage should be. The Scriptures also encourage us to study the past: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning” (Romans 15:4). When Paul wrote this, he was encouraging the reader to continue to study the Old Testament for instruction. While not necessarily applicable to new covenant discipleship, everything in the Old Testament does point to Jesus. But, what about the nation or country that we occupy on earth? I believe that, as Christians, we must study and be aware of our national past so that we understand what makes it worth protecting, saving, and sharing.
Bill Peel from The Theology of Work Project said it best when he wrote, “Although God gives us “all things richly to enjoy,” nothing is ours. Nothing really belongs to us. God owns everything; we’re responsible for how we treat it and what we do with it. While we complain about our rights here on earth, the Bible constantly asks, What about your responsibilities? Owners have rights; stewards have responsibilities.” In combination with biblical principals as well as the written works of theological thought leaders, we, as Christians, are responsible to be good stewards of our country. The United States is unique, never has a nation like ours existed in recorded history – and this is good news. The United States was founded almost 250 years ago with the premise of our nation outlined and discussed across four separate documents: 1) the Declaration of Independence, 2) The US Constitution, 3) the Bill of Rights, and 4) the Federalist/Anti-Federalist papers.
At the forefront is the Declaration of Independence. While most attention is typically given to the US Constitution, we would not have a Constitution if not for the Declaration. The Declaration of Independence is the foundational document for our US Constitution, it is our true Birth Certificate. If we as Christians are to be biblically minded and stewards of the land in which we “dwell”, it might be a good idea to understand the document that serves as the foundation for our earthly nation – just as we do with the bible which is the cornerstone and foundational document for our faith and belief system.
Many people will read the Declaration of Independence as a general interest item, but how many have actually taken time to actually understand it? How did it come about? What does it mean? Why? The Declaration of Independence is so imbued with a biblical worldview that it would be controversial to read it aloud in many public schools, as well as other venues, because of the current secular movement toward removing Christianity from the public square – there are strong efforts ongoing to remove anything that relates to Christian/Judeo values from our American heritage. The fingerprint of God was firmly placed on our nation during its founding. As Christians, and as stewards of our nation, we should do our part to preserve what I believe the Lord ordained.
FHGH Ministries is committed to not only discussing and sharing items of cultural relevance for Christians, but also sharing the truth of our American history, our heritage, with other Christians. Therefore, we will be kicking off a new series on the Declaration of Independence. We will discuss and share some interesting items of trivia about the document, how the document came about (background), the biblical roots of the Declaration, how to read the document, the 27 grievances outlined in the document, and a bio of each person who signed the Declaration.
We pray that, as each iteration of the series is shared with you, that you find it not only interesting, but also enlightening. We were not experts about the Declaration of Independence before we took on this project nor will we claim to be experts about it once the project is completed. However, the research completed thus far was eye opening. This is our prayer for you. Perhaps, maybe, hopefully, you will come to a new understanding of how our nation was founded and why it is paramount that we do our part to protect it.
References:
Allen Jayne, (2015). Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence: Origins, Philosophy, and Theology. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 48
Benson J. Lossing, (1870). Lives of the signers of the Declaration of American independence. Evans, Stoddart & Co. p. 292.
Benson J. Lossing, (1888). Our Country: A Household History for All Readers, from the Discovery of America to the Present Time, Volume 3. Appendix: Amies Publishing Company. p. 1-10.
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, P.162
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, Pg. 180-182
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, Pg. 200-202
Bernard Bailyn, (2017). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Anniversary edition, Pg. 224–225.
The Declaration of Independence: A History, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
Dumas Malone, (1948). Jefferson the Virginian (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 1 , Little, Brown and Company; 17th ptg. Edition, p. 221
Federalist No. 39, paragraph 2
Ian Christie and Benjamin Labaree, (1976). Empire or independence, 1760-1776: A British-American dialogue on the coming of the American Revolution, Phaidon Press; 1st Edition edition, p. 31
John Adams, (1776). “Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume: 3 January 1, 1776 – May 15, 1776”. Letter to James Warren
John M. Murrin, Paul E. Johnson, James M. McPherson, Alice Fahs, Gary Gerstle, (2013). Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People, Volume I: To 1877, Concise Edition. Cengage Learning. p. 121
Joseph Ellis, (2007). American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies in the Founding of the Republic, Knopf Publishing, pg. 55–56
Pauline Maier, (1998). American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence, Vintage; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition, pg. 53-57
Pauline Maier, (1998). American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence, Vintage; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition, pg. 125-128
Richard Kollen, (2004). Lexington: From Liberty’s Birthplace to Progressive Suburb. Arcadia Publishing. p. 27
Robert Middlekauff, (2007). The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789, Oxford University Press; Revised, Expanded edition, pg. 241–242
Thomas Jefferson, (1825). TO HENRY LEE – Thomas Jefferson The Works, vol. 12 (Correspondence and Papers 1816–1826
https://www.charismanews.com/us/40100-the-christian-influence-behind-the-declaration-of-independence, accessed 9 Sep 2019
https://nccs.net/blogs/articles/biblical-roots-of-the-declaration-of-independence, accessed 9 Sep 2019
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/declaration/bioa.htm, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://www.ushistory.org/DECLARATION/, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://colonialhall.com/biodoi.php, accessed 9 Sep 2019
https://www.americanheritage.com/abraham-lincoln-and-second-american-revolution, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/educational-resources/article-rise-and-fall-of-slave-trade-part2.shtml, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://www.dsdi1776.com/signers-by-state/charles-carroll-of-carrollton/, accessed 9 Sep 2019
http://dansamericanrevolutionblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/biographical-sketches-of-signers-of.html, accessed 10 Sep 2019
http://www.cotknorwalk.org/blog/FoundingFathers/2005/09/george-clymer-signer-of-declaration.html, accessed 10 Sep 2019
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