The declaration of independence in the US is the greatest historic achievement for the Americans. The decision was reached at in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 4, 1776, when 13 American colonies were declared independent from the British colonialists. The Declaration of Independence was done through a written document that contained theories from the works of world’s most influential philosophers such as John Locke (Spielvogel 478).
Thomas Jefferson was the leading person in the declaration of independence, and he cites John Locke as an influential individual in the establishment of the American politics as well as independence from the British colonists. The declaration of independence is supported by the written document that as made on July 4, 1776. Even though the Americans have had issues with the dates aligned to signatories, it is official that July 4 is the US Independence Day.
On the other hand, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen in France is a fundamental historical milestone in the French political history. The document was passed on August 1789 by the National Constituent Assembly, and it is cited as the greatest achievement of the French Revolution in the history of human and civil rights (Spielvogel 580). Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson played a major role in the establishment of the Declaration.
He cited the works of greatest philosophers such as John Locke in the development of that document. Hence, these two documents have some similarities attributed to their development and purpose whereby they played a major role in the development of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Moreover, the two declarations were developed in the same period even through France was already an independent nation.
Works Cited
Spielvogel, Jackson. Western Civilization: 1300 to 1815, Boston: Wadsworth Publishing, 2008. Print.