Declaration of Independence DBQ Essay

The ideals of The Declaration of Independence
By Kyndall Johnson
10/14/20
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” These
famous words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. resonates very loudly within today’s political
climate. America’s Founding Fathers were not silent about the need to secede from Great
Britain’s monarchy, their grievances against the British, nor were they silent about their ideal
government structure. They were not silent about their belief that governments are instituted
among men, deriving their powers from the consent of the governed- that whenever any form
of government becomes destructive it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it. Thus, the
proposition then becomes which of the principals in the of The Declaration of Independence is
the most important. The “statement of ideals” expressed in The Declaration of Independence
are equality, unalienable rights, the right to alter or abolish government, and the consent of the
governed; these ideals are all important to society, however consent of the governed is the
most important ideal of all.
The first ideal in The Declaration of Independence is equality. It explains “That all men
are created equal” but, what defines equality? Equality is defined as “the quality or state of
being equal.” While The Declaration of Independence does state all men are created equal,
men were explicitly defined as white males who owned property; therefore, women, enslaved
black people, and immigrants were not treated with equality. It was not until 1848 at the
Women’s Rights convention in Seneca Falls when approximately 260 women and 40 men wrote
The Declaration of Sentiments. Expressing women's rights stating that “all men and women are
created equal” (Doc. A1.). The belief in equality prevents the infringement of inalienable rights,
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: however, equality must apply to all citizens.
“With certain unalienable rights, that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of
happiness” (Doc. B1.). The unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,
ensures that the natural rights of American citizens will always be protected by their
government as liberation was a key idea in the statement of ideals. “I believe in a system of
government that places liberty at the center of its concerns.” (Doc. B2.) As the founding fathers
sought liberation from the British Monarchy, they wanted to create a government that
empowered and protected, its citizens, and gave them the right to vote. Although they were
successful in achieving liberation, and establishing a new form of government, those
unalienable rights did not apply to equally to all. Once again raising the question which of these
four ideals is the most important. Not everyone is treated equally; not everyone has
unalienable rights.
If equality and unalienable rights are not equally distributed, then the people have the
right to “alter or abolish the government” as one of the four ideas expressed in the “statement
of ideals.” In 2003 there was a movement in Vermont launched by the people over the
“bigness of the federal government” as an attempt to secede from the United States. In 2010
the Tea party decided to declare its independence, an attempt to altering the government.
These are both rights given to citizens through the statement of ideals. Considering Vermont is
still part of the United States and the Tea Party is still existent, the question remains which of
the four is the most important ideal.
“They condemned government corruption and called for a change to democracy.” (Doc.
C1.) The government makes and enforces the law, if the people do not have a say about who is
in office and who is in power then it is a highly likely chance that the government will end up
working against and not for the people, creating a dictatorship. “The most fundamental
concept of democracy is the idea that the government exists to secure the rights of the people
and must be based on the consent of the governed” (Doc. C2.) The term implies that the people
of a country or territory, consent in a vote or through elected representatives, to the
establishment of their own government. Therefore, this ideal is the most important as the
citizens are empowered through their ability to vote.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Dr. King
made this statement in response to the hypocrisy of our federal government. A people that
seceded from its leaders and promised liberty for all citizens, did not fulfill the ideals set
forward in The Declaration of Independence. While each of these ideals were key to outlining
the principles of American government, “consent of the governed” remains the most important
because the citizens are able to express their consent or dissent through voting and protesting.
America has several years of historical injustices based on race and gender; the right to protest,
vote, and the “consent to be governed” has helped to evolve these injustices. Thus, one can
conclude that The “statement of ideals” expressed in The Declaration of Independence are
equality, unalienable rights, the right to alter or abolish government, and the consent of the
governed; these ideals are all important to society, however consent of the governed is the
most important ideal of all.

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The ideals of The Declaration of Independence

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