The Compromise Of The Declaration Of Independence Essay

It was a Thursday in 1776; the Second Continental Congress was meeting to sign the Declaration of Independence. In the very words of the document, Americans agreed to the ideas that all men were created equal with unalienable rights; among these were Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. The young country, even though there were different opinions and ideas had compromised for the betterment of all Americans. Compromise; the definition is the agreement or settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions. The country had extensive opportunities to compromise on laws, territories, societies, and industrializations. By 1860, the sense of compromise started to disappear, and America stood on the verge of monumental discord. The Compromise of 1820 brought both sides of the slavery debate to an agreement. In 1819, Missouri proposed to join the Union as a slave state. If Missouri joined as a slave state, this would teeter the balance in the House of Rep resentatives with a greater number of pro-slavery Congressman. In the compromise, Congress initiated a two-part plan; to admit Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state and a new boundary line was drawn at longitude 36ââ€" ¦ 30’ through the former Louisiana Territory separating free and slave states.1 The compromise settled each side for a time, but the sectional and political conflicts continued to escalate. Consequently, after the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the country neededShow MoreRelatedHistory of the Declaration of Independence738 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿The Declaration of Independence: A brief history The Declaration of Independence is not a formal, legal document like the U.S. Constitution. However, it is often cited as setting forth the principles of the American system of government and used as a defense of the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the American political discourse. While not officially binding like a body of law, because of its ideological and emotional significance, the Declaration still remains relevantRead MoreBehind The United States Constitution1040 Words   |  5 PagesConstitution create stronger guidelines for the new country, but it also partnered with the Declaration of Independence in relieving some grievances of the people. One other important deal that occurred to enable the drafting of the Constitution is The Great Compromise. Without it, we may not have the Constitution as we know it today. Grievances in the Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence was partly drafted in retaliation to King George III and his tyranny. The people had manyRead MoreThe Necessary Evil That United The Colonies. Slavery Is1508 Words   |  7 Pagesall mankind. This is at least the way it would seem according to the very document declaring freedom from England, The Declaration of Independence. According to The Declaration of Independence (US 1776) â€Å"all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.† The Declaration does not dictate these equalities and rights to a specific group of people nor does it single any group out, it declaresRead MoreShermans Great Compromise Essay912 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica. According to Thomas Kindig in the article, Signers of the Declaration of Independence; Sherman was one of the most outspoken and persistent members in the convention. In Madison’s notes, he is credited with approximately one hundred and thirty-eight speeches in where he preached strongly about federalism. He proposed what is presently known as â€Å"The Great Compromise† or â€Å"The Connecticut Compromise†. With his compromise, he shaped our government and steered America towards becoming the largeRead MoreEssay about The 4th of July vs. Justice Taney in Dred Scott Ruling1144 Words   |  5 Pagesas the irony and hypocracy, that was especially evident on that day. He explained that this hypocracy aimed at the black population was evident on several fronts, and so, he refers to the fourth of July as the birthday of your National Independence and your political freedom. However, Frederick Douglas never lost hope. Although in his speeches and writing he aludes greatly to the detestable and horrid facts black enslavement, he nonetheless saw a silver lining. There isRead MoreSlavery1001 Words   |  5 Pagesthe North and South were unable to reconcile their differences through conventional diplomatic means. In 1850, the south started to violate the Missouri compromise, push laws referencing slavery into new western lands, as well as northern territory. As a result, a new compromise, dubbed the â€Å"Compromise of 1850† was established. This compromise would include a law that most Northerners saw as an endeavor to extend the southern limitation of freedom into their land, called the â€Å"Slave Act of 1850†Read MoreThe Declaration Of Independence And Independence877 Words   |  4 PagesThe Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is without a doubt one of the most important documents ever to be written in American history so far. It was signed by fifty-six different men, all who were representatives from different states. The person who wrote the Declaration of Independence is someone who we all know and grew up learning about, the famous Thomas Jefferson. The purpose of it was to declare the 13 colonies in America free and independent from Great Britain, getRead MoreThe Importance Of The Declaration Of Independence911 Words   |  4 Pagesyear 1776 was the official proclamation of the independence of the colonies. The film 1776 directed by Peter H. Hunt accurately displays the battle of ideas between Northern and Southern Congressional delegates over the official Declaration of Independence and the task of procuring the document. The process of writing the Declaration of Independence was no easy task, as demonstrated in the film 1776. Before detailing the dealings of the Independence Committee tasked with writing the document, itRead MoreJean Jacques Rousseau And The Declaration Of Independence Essay1459 Words   |  6 Pagespeople should decide how they are governed. Like The Social Contract, the Declaration of Independence is a document that sets out to explain the relationship between a government and its people based on an an understanding of that relationship. The Declaration of Independence was composed by Thomas Jefferson in 1766, and shares many of the same ideals as The Social Contract. The Social Contract and the Declaration of Independence are more similar than different because Jean-Jacques Rousseau influencedRead MoreThe Most Reasons For Becoming Independent1057 Words   |  5 Pagesjust like those and more. Our land of the free and home of the brave would become the independent United States of America on July 4th, 1776. Before the leading battles in the Revolutionary War emerged, very little of the colonists wanted full independence from Great Britain. Toward the beginning there were little problems between the colonies and Great Britain. A lot happened though between the years of 1763 and 1776 that would help push the colonist. The colonist were taxed unfairly and they were