Rights of the People A democracy is a system of government controlled by the people, not by one certain group or individual. In the it states that “all men are created equal,” an idea which leads to the concept that all citizens should have the same rights, responsibilities, and influence in the governing of their country. In writing the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson was trying to break his ties with the harsh and non-democratic rule of the British and begin a new, equal society and government for America. Democracy is defined as “A system of government in which ultimate political authority is vested in the People.” The Declaration’s statement of equality and unalienable rights is very closely connected to the idea of democracy. To have a democracy that works well you must have equality between people, and the citizens must feel that the government represents their concerns. Jefferson knew this when he began writing the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence states that all men were, “endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” By eliminating the control of a monarchy, Jefferson envisioned a country where all men would have the opportunity to control their own destinies. Jefferson foresaw a government where individual rights would be recognized and the new government would represent the interests of all its citizens. In a democracy all these are possible to achieve. By writing this document, Thomas Jefferson was trying to separate himself and the great country he lived in from the unfair and controlling British. He believed that it was time for America to break away from Britain’s rule and become its own nation, which could govern itself. To do this, though, it was necessary to write some sort of document which would state to the world the basic beliefs on which the nation’s new government would be built.
This document was the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson felt that Britain was doing nothing but hurting America with unfair rules and all sorts of ridiculous taxes. The colonies and colonists had no rights in determining the very laws which dictated the way they led their lives. The Declaration of Independence was a formal document stating that the people of America were breaking away from Britain and that the American colonies were now “Free and Independent States.” The Declaration of Independence was the cornerstone of American freedom and equality. By writing this document, the American Colonies could now begin the process of starting a new way of life and a new government.
Obviously, at the time the Declaration of Independence was written the concept of “equality” was more limited than it is today. Certainly, all members of colonial America did not share equal status. However the concepts of the Declaration of Independence have evolved more fully over the centuries which has allowed our democracy to grow and become stronger. The Declaration of Independence was a step towards the democracy and equality we have today.