The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are documents that provide the ideological foundations for the democratic government of the United States.
The Declaration of Independence provides a foundation for the concept of popular sovereignty, the idea that the government exists to serve the people, who elect representatives to express their will.
The US Constitution outlines the blueprint for the US governmental system, which strives to balance individual liberty with public order.
National treasures
In the US National Archives in Washington, DC, armed guards stand on constant watch in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. There, underneath bullet-proof glass and beneath the watchful eyes of a state-of-the-art system of cameras and sensors, the faded pages of three documents are enshrined: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. At night, the documents are stored in an underground vault, rumored to be strong enough to withstand a nuclear attack.
Photo showing visitors examining documents in cases at the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.
Photo showing visitors examining documents in cases at the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.
Interior of the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in Washington, DC. Image credit: National Archives
Why are these pieces of paper so highly protected and cherished? In short, it’s because they serve as the ideological foundations for the government of the United States. They express both the inspiration for American democracy and the blueprint for carrying it out.
In this article, you'll learn the origins of these documents, and we'll examine the democratic ideals found within them.
The Declaration of Independence
Setting the stage
In 1776, the thirteen British colonies in North America were rebelling against British rule, after more than a decade of strife over taxation and government representation. As the Revolutionary War got underway, representatives from each of the colonies agreed it was time to put forward a statement expressing the colonies’ reasons for desiring independence.
This momentous task fell upon Thomas Jefferson, a 33-year-old Virginia lawyer. Jefferson was inspired by the English Enlightenment philosopher John Locke, whose writings on government put forward two ideas that would become quite important to Jefferson:
That all humans are born with “natural rights,” including the right to protect their lives, liberty, and property
That government is a “social contract” between people and their rulers, which can be dissolved if rulers fail to promote the people’s welfare
Although these ideas seem pretty tame by modern standards, in the eighteenth century they were tantamount to treason. The nations of Europe were led by monarchs, who exercised the divine right of kings and owed little or no consideration to the will of their subjects. English citizens had some rights, certainly, but no one would dare to say that the English monarchy could simply be dissolved.
Portrait of Thomas Jefferson.
Portrait of Thomas Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson. Painted by Mather Brown, 1786. Image credit: WikimediaCommons
Nevertheless, Jefferson, in writing the Declaration, hoped to dissolve the relationship between the American colonies and Britain. He drafted the Declaration and gave it to his colleagues, John Adams of Massachusetts and Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, for revisions. After incorporating their suggestions, Jefferson submitted the Declaration to the colonial representatives for approval.
Read the full text of the Declaration of Independence
What is the Declaration of Independence?
At the most basic level, the Declaration of Independence is a list of grievances against the British Crown, seeking the sympathy of the international community for the cause of the colonies in revolting against their mother country. But at a higher level, the ideas expressed in the Declaration serve as the inspiration for American democratic values. They are some of the most poetic and meaningful words in all of American writing:
“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,
— That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”