Many people point to the Declaration of Independence as the most important document in American history. While that is debatable, the DOI was certainly a turning point in the development of our nation.
The question is...does the DOI really matter? What if we didn't write that document but fought the war anyway? Would we not have been free because we did not declare it in writing?
What if we had lost the war? Would this document have set us free anyway?
Check out this funny parody video, read this "kid's version" and look at this website to gain some background on the document and its writers.
For the comment section, explain how important you think the DOI is. Could/would we be the nation we are today without it?
I think the Declaration of Independence is very important! It lays out our standards for our country. It is literally the reason we wanted to be our own country in the first place. It says why we wanted to be a free country because of our God given rights, the fact that all men are created equal, and that we all have and deserve the rights life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It talks of the things England and the king did to make us want to be our own country or at least have more rights as British citizens. It is also very important how much the Declaration of Independence is based on God. Our country would be quite a bit different if we didn't have the Declaration of Independence. We would probably be very behind where we are right now. As in we probably wouldn't be as advanced as we are in war and government and stuff like that. (162)
ReplyDeleteI think the Declaration of Independence was very important. It is basically the document that made our country free. It says all men have their own rights given from God. Some of those rights were the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Which cannot be taken away by anyone except God. It tells all of the things England and the King did to make them want become independent. If we did not right this the British would our country we know today would be under the rule of a king. We would have no rights to be free. Our country would not be free. We would get punished for the rebellion against England. So that’s why this is one of the most famous documents of American history. (130)
ReplyDeleteThe declaration of independence is very important to our country, without it we may not have the constitution. The declaration of independence was kind of like a foundation for the constitution. Without it we may not be a free country still or even be a country or we would still be under control of England. Or women may still not have rights like being able to buy land or vote and not be able to be in the army or navy or marinas. So that is why I think the decloration of independence is important to our country.(105)
ReplyDeleteThe declaration of independence was very important. One reason is we wouldn’t have been free without writing it. With out declaring freedom you can’t have it. But we also couldn’t have been free by just writing it, there has to be some sort of action that happens to back it up. For example if we would have lost the war we couldn’t ask to be free we lost. A piece of paper couldn’t free us. The writers knew if we lost asking to be free would just make us sound like a bunch of idiots. This is just like how you can’t lose the Super Bowl and still call yourselves the champions.
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I think the Declaration of Independence is very important! I think it was very good for those men to stand up and say what they think. All men are created equal, all men have rights given to them by God, and that among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! If those men did not stand up for what they believe in, they probably would have never gotten the rights they deserve! Everyone needs rights and we have the right to say what we believe! However, the people who wrote the declaration were white, rich men. So, they had to decide who they wanted the rights to apply to such as women, poor people, black people, and Native Americans! Although I think that they should not have even had to think about the people it should apply to, it should just automatically apply to everyone because everyone deserves those right! Anyhow, it ended up being that only rich men signed it, and it only applied to some people, ( which I think is wrong.) However, I think it was so very important for those men to stand up for their rights! I think the Declaration of Independence was very important because everyone deserves rights! (207)
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Declaration of Independence is very important to our country and its independence. Many people think that because we won the war the Declaration of Independence does not matter. I think it does because when you state something on paper and the recipient see it then you can't take it back, and I think that showed England that we were serious about independence. If we would have lost the war I don't think this document would have mattered as much as it does now. After winning the war it backed up the seriousness of the Declaration of Independence. So after all that I think the war was vital to our independence. I don't think we would be the nation we are today if I weren't for the Declaration of independence. This documents sets out our countries government and what we stand for and believe in. This document is vital to our countries independence. (156)
ReplyDeleteThe declaration of independence is a very debatable topic. Most people will say that without this document we would not have won the war. I think that the document only gave the rebels an inspiration and gave them something to fight for. The document alone did not give the rebels physical ability to defeat the British. Even if the article said that they should have rights those rights would not have happened if they would have not won the war. If they would have not won the war the British would have taken over the colonies and the rights that the colonist would have would be as or less of the British citizen. I think that they still could have been free without the writing but they would not be as “official” as they are today.
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The DOI is pretty dang important in my opinion. First, it can be made into a pretty sick parody. Second, it states all our rights as an american Citizen. if it didn't exist, we would be like North Korea and run around like its the Purge every day. Also, we wouldn't be who we are now, we would have more wars for one thing, because the African-Americans and other races in America wouldn't be treated equal to us because the law " All men are created equal" wouldn't exist. Our govt. would lock down on newspapers, Businesses, and even people for speaking against them because freedom of speech wouldn't exist. ALSO, if we dint have it, where would the rebellion have come to spark the colonies to fight against England? This document aloud the colonies to have something to fight for and hope they gain it, if they didn't win, we would be like England and have a king/queen. I believe this document was very important and without it we wouldn't be who we are today. (176)
ReplyDeleteAmerica IS America because of the Declaration of Independence as well as other reasons. Think about it. America isn’t a free country just because we wrote down—what I might add—great, fair ideas on paper. We had to build up before we could write the document. It’s like football. You can’t expect to win a game by only getting one touchdown (we are assuming that the other team is pretty powerful and dominating) because you have to work for a victory. In the case of the colonists, they DID work for it, and by that I mean in MANY ways. There were the Sons/Daughters of Liberty who rallied the people to rebel. There was also writers and reporters, as well as the pamphlet “Common Sense”. Words on paper were used to help bring colonists to the rebelling against the king. Now that America had patriots, they had to prepare to fight. England wasn’t just going to give up their land. So many lives were lost in battles, protest, and many of the other rebelling aspects of the fight for freedom. But the Declaration of Independence was needed. Why? Because it’s like the finishing pass in a football play. During those last final seconds—or in the case, the last parts of a war—something has to top it off. Something. Must. Happen to allow a victory. The Declaration of Independence was that final pass, that final touchdown after a long and hard game. This document is what finally proved that we were serious about being our own nation. We weren’t just “running and shoving across a football field”. We were striving for the final score. That’s why the Declaration was EXTREMELY necessary in our country becoming free. We. Could. Not. Be the nation we are today without it. (299)
ReplyDeleteI think the Declaration of Independence is important, but not as important as we give it credit for. Most people say it is why we are free, but that is not true. All it did was told the British we want to be free. It did no more than me saying that I want to be free. On the other hand, it was basically a declaration of war because it was told the British that if you don’t meet our demands, we will fight. But in 1776, they were already fighting. I included ideas on stuff they could do after the war, such as having independence. In short, the Declaration of Independence is important, but not as important as we give it credit for. (125)
ReplyDeleteThe Declaration of Independent was important yes but it was not needed to right it on a piece of paper. They could of just told everybody this I mean yes in a way it was good to write it down to remind people about it. They could of just said it there was no point in writing it down on a piece of paper that like saying a piece of paper has more power over us then actual people do, But on the other hand it is the thing that declared are independents well the war did but it was kind of the thing the set the Bergen way high. I think we would still have are freedom yes because we still won the war the DOI was just the laws. So I do think that the world would be crazy without any laws.(144)
ReplyDeleteThe Culper Spy Ring was started in 1778 by a young cavalry officer named Benjamin Tallmadge and a small group of men and women in Setauket, Long Island. Spying had many dangers. This was shown when Nathan Hale was hanged for spying. George Washington put Tallmadge the head of the secret service. His job was to establish a permanent spy ring that could work behind enemy lines. The ring worked by Woodhul receiving information, then he would give the information to Brewster, Brewster would give the information to Tallmadge, and then Tallmadge would give the information to George Washington. The spy ring accomplished many things. One accomplishment was, without the information, the Franco-American fleet would have been destroyed, or severely damaged. The Culper Spy Ring also was behind the capture of Benedict Arnold and John Andre. In short, we might’ve lost the war without the spy ring.(147)
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