The Original and the Edited Declarations of Independence Essay

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Updated: Mar 15th, 2024

The Declaration of Independence was an assertion that there was no more war between the thirteen states and Great Britain and that these states were free and sovereign states. The original draft was written by Thomas Jefferson and was approved on July 4 1776. However, this original document was revised after Congress adopted it. After much debating and consultations, twelve affirmative votes qualified the adoption of the resolution of independence despite one abstention, that is, the New York delegates. This implied that the colonies had cut ties with Great Britain. However, after this successful voting and breaking off from Great Britain, the Congress focused on the draft of independence that had been compiled by a select committee. It took several weeks to months of severe debating before the Congress made some changes in the draft. These changes involved altering some words and complete removal of some segments that made nearly a fourth of the original text.

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Similarities between the Two Documents

Both the Original Declaration and the Edited/official Declaration talked primarily on independence from Great Britain. They both start by asserting that people have the ability to usurp political independence, and that the basis of such sovereignty must be sensible. These two documents indicated that, as a matter of principle, people had rights and they should use these rights to change or abolish any form of governance that violates them. These two publications contained charges against King George III, regarding his violation of colonialist’s rights. These two documents talked about similar issues concerning the importance of sovereignty of people and diverse rights of people.

Differences between the Two Documents

The Congress reworded and deleted some words from the original draft prepared by Thomas Jefferson. For instance, the statement, “sacred and undeniable” became “self-evident” before publishing the final copy. The Congress deleted the clause that sought to end slave trade. Earlier on, Thomas Jefferson had strongly condemned slavery and called for its abolishment. The Congress also deleted a statement that had temperamentally described the Britons. Additionally, the word, “to arbitrary power” was changed to “under absolute despotism.” The congress changed the word “alone” to “only” and changed the phrase, “fellow-subjects” to ‘citizens.” On the issue of slavery, Thomas Jefferson had put no brackets in the phrase, “determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold,” however, the Congress put this statement in brackets. Finally, the words “everlasting Adieu” were altered to “eternal separation.” The congress made these changes among others before publishing the final document.

Importance

The knowledge about what really happened for the United States of America to attain independence enriches the writer. It is important to know the events that took place during those colonial times. Comparing and contrasting the original and the edited Declaration of independence helps the writer to know how people viewed and felt about colonization. It is interesting to note that Thomas Jefferson vehemently condemned slave trade while some people in the Congress felt it was not an important issue. Comparing these two documents, gives insights about how some people are rigid when making choices while others embrace change as it comes. For instance, the New York delegates refused to sign the resolution of independence as other states appended their signature on the document. This exercise also helps the writer to know that what may seem right to an individual may not always be so to others even if it is right. Jefferson was right in suggesting abolishment of slave trade; nevertheless, the Congress had a different view altogether.

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"The Original and the Edited Declarations of Independence." IvyPanda, 15 Mar. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/the-original-and-the-edited-declarations-of-independence/.

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IvyPanda. (2024) 'The Original and the Edited Declarations of Independence'. 15 March.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "The Original and the Edited Declarations of Independence." March 15, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-original-and-the-edited-declarations-of-independence/.

1. IvyPanda. "The Original and the Edited Declarations of Independence." March 15, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-original-and-the-edited-declarations-of-independence/.


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IvyPanda. "The Original and the Edited Declarations of Independence." March 15, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-original-and-the-edited-declarations-of-independence/.

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