Preview

Comparing Thomas Jefferson And The Declaration Of Independence

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
119 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Comparing Thomas Jefferson And The Declaration Of Independence
Thomas Jefferson’s writings and The Declaration of Independence are similar to the Federalist papers written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. The Federalist papers reflect the same American themes that Thomas Jefferson wrote about like all men have inalienable rights. McMichael states, “The arguments reflect, as does the Constitution itself, the ideas of John Locke and the concepts of ‘social contract’ and of the natural rights of man” (McMichael 355). The arguments in the Federalist papers have themes like the natural rights of man from John Locke. The natural rights of man are life, liberty, and property, and these are like Thomas Jefferson’s inalienable rights (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) in The Declaration

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence which released the 13 colonies from the control of Great Britain. The 13 colonies named themselves independent and formed a new nation called the United States of America. By releasing the 13 colonies from Great Britain's control, it gave birth to the United States of America. In 1815, Jefferson sold his 6,700 volume personal library to Congress to replace books that have been burned by the British. Jefferson's book formed the foundation of the rebuilt Library of Congress’s foundation.…

    • 181 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    On July 16 1790, a compromise between Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison let George Washington choose the location.…

    • 79 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The use of unique grammar, antithesis, and passive diction all has a persuasive impact on the implications that The Declaration of Independence beseeches. The entirety of the Declaration’s argument is based on the notion that “All men are created equal” (1). However, that is not proper grammar, proper grammar would call for ‘equal’ to be an adverb ‘equally’ modifying created. But, Jefferson wants to explain that all men are equal. Traditionally, the ‘equal’ would then come after ‘men’ instead of ‘created.’ This grammatically construct now appears like ‘equal’ is modifying both verb and noun. This alludes to an equal creation and being. And due to its man’s equality in all forms, the government does not have a right to be tyrannical. This assumption…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Declaration of Independence,” written by Thomas Jefferson, is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. “The Origin of Civil Society” is an article written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Jefferson writes about human rights because all men shall be equal and free; Rousseau writes about social contracts because by understanding the concepts of social contracts, the people will live with better security and significance. By analyzing these two articles, readers can see how important it is for a writer to understand the concepts from previous generation of writers, how much Rousseau’s ideas have influenced Jefferson’s statement, and how Jefferson has expanded Rousseau’s concepts.…

    • 845 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "The Declaration of Independence" was written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson to declare the colonies free and independent from Great Britain. Jefferson used deductive reasoning in the form of a syllogism to argue his claim that because the colonist's "unalienable rights" (612) were being denied by Great Britain, the colonies were breaking free from Great Britain's rule to form their own free and independent states. Jefferson gave evidence of the king's tyranny against the colonies to effectively support his claim. Jefferson's firm and rational tone helped further the effectiveness of the document. In "The Declaration of Independence," Thomas Jefferson gave an effective argument stating his claim using deductive reasoning, by supporting his claim with evidence, and by using a firm and rational tone throughout the document.…

    • 521 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Comparing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, it is clear that there are many differences in things such as interests and intentions. As I have read through the documents and researched others insight on the documents I have found the differences very interesting.…

    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One such thing that was similar to the works of Thomas Paine and John Locke would be the line that states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that 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….That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…” (Jefferson). Jefferson’s line relating to the equality of all men was taken from Locke’s idea that no person should have authority over another because all men are created equal. “The state of nature is also a state of equality. No one has more power or authority than another. Since all human beings have the same advantages and the use of the same skills, they should be equal to each other” (Locke). Additionally, Jefferson develops his ideas of “unalienable rights,” again, from John Locke’s “Two Treatises of Government.” Locke states that, “The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it. Reason is the law. It teaches that all men are equal and independent, and that no one ought to harm another in his life, liberty, or possessions” (Locke). Jefferson takes his statement about life, liberty, and possessions, and forms what he calls the “unalienable rights” to life, liberty, and the pursuit of…

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    reedom from Britain barely more than twenty years earlier, and the danger of failure still posed a potential threat. The Federalist Party looked to diminish this risk of failure by strengthening the United States' central government. As Alexander Hamilton said, "A firm Union will be of the utmost moment to the peace and liberty of the states, as a barrier against domestic faction and insurrection." In Hamilton's mind, strengthening the central government would guarantee opportunity for each American citizen by uniting the general population to think and talk with a solitary voice. Hamilton had seen firsthand the political and economic confusion brought about by states' clashing intrigues and degenerate tax collection arrangements under the…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    I. On Monday, August 18th, you will turn in a typed three page (double-spaced) reaction to your selected summer reading book. You may choose any fiction or non-fiction book to read related to United States history. The book must be at a college level (no Johnny Tremain or Fever) and be a minimum of 250 pages. This is a reaction paper, not a summary. A reaction should be written in first person and could include items such as:…

    • 338 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Though Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were contemporaries, their views, backgrounds and modes of influence were very different. Benjamin Franklin was born of a large and poor family and rose to become a model of the emerging bourgeois classes in the American Colonies. Throughout his long and life, Franklin succeeded in business, science, and excellent statesmanship. Thomas Jefferson, however, rose out of an affluent family to become the second President of the United States. These two seemingly separate lives nevertheless overlapped each other on many occasions. Jefferson succeeded Benjamin Franklin as the minister to France in 1785, and both men were present and influential…

    • 1107 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were originally defined by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson constructed his definitions from inspirations he received from John Locke‘s writings, primarily from his book Two Treaties. John Locke’s principles slightly differed from the ones in the Declaration and consisted of the principles life, liberty, and property. He called these principles the people’s…

    • 2008 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Locke, famous political philosopher, once stated, “All mankind… being equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, happiness, or possessions”. From this one possibly could discover a basis for the three most infamous rights of all history, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but when Jefferson quilled in these famous declarations of the rights of humans worldwide, what precisely did he intend them to say? Jefferson’s Declaration from almost a quarter of a millennium ago continues to mold the process in which America governs itself and its citizens. Therefore, it is beneficial to study these and determine what they signify to us personally and altogether.…

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Welfare Vs Common Welfare

    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages

    He developed the idea that everyone should have the right of “life, liberty, and property” for just being human. Thomas Jefferson used John Locke’s ideas about natural rights in the making of the Declaration of Independence where his ideas were modified to the right of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The law of Habeas Corpus is a court order requiring the jailer to prove to a judge, in court, that there is a reason for holding the arrested person. In context, this means that without individual rights or the Writ of Habeas Corpus, anyone could be held in jail for no particular reason without a proper court trial. Laws like Habeas Corpus and individual rights are put in place so “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable…

    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Norton Anthology of American Literature includes a selection of ‘queries’ from Thomas Jefferson’s “Notes on the State of Virginia.” Moreover, it includes Thomas Jefferson’s personal view of the state of Virginia in terms of landscape, slavery, religion, and manufactures. Jefferson describes Virginia through his eyes with detailed descriptions of his thoughts and views of his surroundings. Supplementing his writings with information he has gathered in his life.…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Procedural Due Process

    • 721 Words
    • 2 Pages

    John Locke, and influential English man during the Revolutionary war introduced natural rights. Locke described them as rights that because all men are created equal all men should get. Among these rights were the right to life, liberty and property. Thomas Jefferson, who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence, then took Locke’s idea of natural rights and placed the idea into the Declaration. Jefferson though, subbed “pursuit of happiness” in for “property” in the second section of the Declaration.…

    • 721 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays