Each day I receive via email the American Minute with Bill Federer. He shares a minute, actually more like 10 minutes, of a noteworthy event in America’s history.
Today Bill was commemorating Independence Day, by sharing a piece of little-known history about the Declaration of Independence. I hope you find the following piece to be an eye-opener in light of those who would like to say America was founded on slavery.
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The Declaration of Independence was signed JULY 4,1776.
It listed 27 reasons why Americans declared their independence from the 38-year-old King:
“… He has made judges dependent on his will alone …
… He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
… He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies …
…To subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution …
… For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us …
… For imposing taxes on us without our consent …
… For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of trial by jury …
… For …establishing … an arbitrary government …
… For … altering fundamentally the forms of our governments …
… He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
… He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign
mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny …
… He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.”
33-year-old Thomas Jefferson’s original rough draft of the Declaration contained a line condemning slavery, as the King of England was part owner of the Royal African Company:
“He has waged cruel war against human nature itself … in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither …
… suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce determining to keep open a market where MEN should be bought and sold.” Unfortunately, a few delegates from southern states objected to this line. Since everyone was in a panic as the British were invading New York and the city was in flames, and since the Declaration needed to pass unanimously, the line in Jefferson’s original draft condemning slavery was tragically set aside…
Bill also pointed out the four times the Declaration referred to God, and its significance.
The Declaration referred to God:
“Laws of Nature and of NATURE’S GOD …”
“All Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain unalienable Rights ..”
“Appealing to the SUPREME JUDGE OF THE WORLD for the rectitude of our intentions …”
“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of DIVINE PROVIDENCE, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
This was revolutionary, as kings did not believe everyone was created equal. They believed they were created extra special. Their believe was called “the divine right of kings,” namely, that the Creator gives rights to the king and he dispenses them at his discretion to whoever he wishes. The Declaration of Independence bypassed the King, declaring that the Creator gives rights directly to each individual person.
To read the whole article please go here.
