Adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 , the Declaration of Independence is a document that proclaims the independence of the thirteen British colonies in America. Signed in Philadelphia, it paves the way for the founding of a new nation:the United States. This declaration shook the world at the end of the 18th century:in some ways, it is the culmination and concretization of the spirit of the Enlightenment . However, it remains deeply “American”. Along with other American historical documents, this statement is today preserved in the National Archives Exhibition Hall in Washington in a sealed case of glass and bronze filled with inert helium. The 4th of July has become Independence Day in the United States.
At the origins of the American declaration of independence
This declaration is the culmination of a revolutionary process, pitting subjects from the 13 colonies of North America against the British crown. If this process can be linked to the beginnings of American national consciousness following the Seven Years' War, it essentially relates to fiscal and economic questions. Historians point to the role of England in this rupture. The political measures of George III strongly contributed to the advent of the secession of the thirteen colonies. Seen from London, the colonies would have contributed little to the war effort during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) and would prefer to trade with the enemy rather than with the metropolis. London is therefore trying to establish stricter and more authoritarian control of these colonies. However, the American identity emerges at the same time.
In the years 1760-1770 the British Parliament imposed on the 13 colonies new taxes (on sugar, tea, stamps) responding in this to a mercantilist logic. Such measures underlined the inequality of economic relations between the colonies and the metropolis, an inequality coupled with a feeling of injustice born of the non-representation of American settlers in the House of Commons. Added to this is the fact that settlers cannot cross and settle beyond the famous limit of the Proclamation Line of 1763. This border had been established to, among other things, avoid conflicts with the Amerindians. This act halted the conquest of the West for a time. Some settlers who had already settled in these Indian territories had to return to the Thirteen Colonies in a context of strong population growth.
American discontent was expressed by the creation of organizations of opponents in London, the most famous of which remains that of the Sons of Liberty. The latter at the origin of the Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773) provoked vigorous repression by the British authorities. The situation then quickly evolved into an insurrection. Imbued with the spirit of the Enlightenment, American settlers claimed a new spirit of freedom in the face of a British crown that was supposed to deprive them of their natural rights and curb their development (economic and territorial).
Rising tensions and claims
The colonial opposition will organize itself within the framework of Continental Congresses, bringing together deputies from the 13 colonies. A way of American government before its time and by force of circumstance, these Congresses saw the emergence of the idea of American independence (originally a minority). When the second Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, the situation was already out of control for London, which was facing a real guerrilla war. It is then clear that the point of no return has been crossed and the Congressmen finally agree to let the world know it through a Declaration of Independence.
This is the work of a committee of five members (John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson) chaired by Jefferson. This Virginian owner with an extremely vast culture, is also a brilliant jurist open to the most modern political ideas. Jefferson will leave his mark on this text, which has been revised several times. In these few lines:“We hold the following truths to be self-evident:all men are created equal; they are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights; among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Governments are established among men to secure these rights, and their just power emanates from the consent of the governed. the Declaration of Independence, largely transcends the American framework to give itself a universal and founding scope.
July 4, 1776:the birth of a nation?
Sanctioning the final break with Great Britain United colonies are and have the right to be free and independent states; that they are released from all obedience to the Crown of Great Britain; that all political ties between them and the State of Great Britain are and must be entirely dissolved…” the declaration sees the emergence of a new actor on the international scene, an actor whom the enemies of the British will hasten to to help. Thus in France, it arouses the enthusiasm and admiration of a liberal elite whose most illustrious representatives, such as Lafayette, will fight alongside the American insurgents.
However, does this declaration create an American nation? It may be doubted:"Therefore we, the representatives of the United States of America, assembled in General Congress, calling the Supreme Judge of the universe to witness the righteousness of our intentions, issue and solemnly declare in the name and by the authority of the good people of these Colonies, that these united Colonies are and have the right to be free and independent States. From the outset, there was ambiguity about the future of the colonies:should each colony be independent or should we create a federation and share a common destiny? The text does not settle. Many subjects are absent or passed over in silence:slavery or the place of the Indians in the future state(s) are emblematic of these omissions.
A founding act of American democracy, the Declaration should not make us forget that in the summer of 1776, British troops control much of the Thirteen Colonies. London can also count on the support of a large part of the colonial population (the Loyalists) who refuse the idea of a break with Great Britain. Consequently, it will take another seven long years of war led by George Washington before the independence of the United States is recognized in international law by the Treaty of Paris (September 3, 1783).
The Declaration of Independence, founding text of the United States
In France, the storming of the Bastille and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen are the tipping point between the modern world and the contemporary world. However, as Condorcet remarked in his On the influence of the American revolution on Europe , part of the French Revolution cannot be explained without the American precedent. This text was also a source of inspiration for many separatists. For Americans, this text is indeed a source always to be reinterpreted.
On October 16, 1854, Lincoln in his fight against slavery said in the Peoria speech:"Nearly eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men were created equal, but now we have regressed to another statement, that for some men the right to enslave others is a sacred right of self-government”. The American president has relied on this text on many other occasions and has highlighted its importance. The American feminist movements also seized on this text, as did Martin Luther King in his speech I have a dream . Finally, popular culture often mentions this text directly or indirectly (Liberty Bell for example).
The American Declaration of Independence is a fundamental text. Despite its shortcomings (and perhaps also thanks to them), it is a formidable combat tool. We have not noted the quality and clarity of the text which contribute to its hard-hitting and virulent character. Conceived as a universal text, it is nevertheless an American text influenced by the English Enlightenment. This text signs the birth certificate of a nation. The American Revolution is a theme that is always present in people's minds. The Tea Party claims ideas that led to the Boston Tea Party. Contemporary media have captured this era in multiple ways:The Simpsons , How I Met Your Mother , The Patriot , Benjamin Gates and the Treasure of the Templars or even the video game Assassin’s Creed III illustrate this enthusiasm.
Bibliography
- COTTRET Bernard, The American Revolution:The Quest for Happiness , Perrin, Paris, 2003.
- COULON Claude, America in the 18th Century, The Birth of the United States , The Beautiful Letters, Paris, 2010.
- KASPI André, The Americans:Birth and Rise of the United States 1607-1945 , Volume 1, Seuil, Paris, 2002.