United States Declaration of Independence

When asked to symbolize the United States of America with one, solitary document, one might immediately think of the Declaration of Independence. This powerful and sacred document not only represents America, but is also one of main reasons this great country exists. America has prided itself on being the “land of the free;” a place for people to have “unalienable rights,” in which they can pursue “happiness,” and are free from unjust oppression. Thomas Jefferson created the Declaration of Independence because the founding fathers and he were diligent and determined to obtain America’s freedom, liberty, and independence from Great Britain. Jefferson paved the way for freedom when he wrote this document; however, freedom was not granted to all. One might say that the Declaration of Independence is a very controversial piece of history because it dismisses many different groups from pursing liberty. At that time, white males were the only citizens who were permitted to seek freedom and gain independence. Women were not integrated in this historical document. Because of their isolation, women endured poor treatment and went through immense difficulties to acquire liberty.
In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments in hopes that the interpretations of the American beliefs of freedom and liberty can change and be reused for different purposes. When Stanton wrote this document, freedom still existed but the idea of it was distinctive from that of Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers. Independence was the desire to coexist not break away. While both the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of Sentiments exhibit the exact same framework and have similar, if not, the exact same language, the Declaration of Sentiments includes a different meaning of freedom, is non-violent, and contains a list of resolutions. While the Declaration of Sentiments and the Declaration of Independence have many similarities, they also have