Independence, Only on Paper?

“American Independence was declared on paper only after it was established in fact” It is a common-known fact that the Declaration of Independence was recognized on July 4th, 1776, marking the official birth of America. However, it is debatable whether the original Founding Fathers had simply declared this independence, years after its establishment. Colonial discontent and rebellion towards the British monarchy was eclectically derived from a number of sources: the acts established to increase taxes and limit to only British products, such as tea, paper, sugar, etc., and the Intolerance Acts: which limited the colonial freedoms of trade, privacy, property rights, and political judgment. In 1774, the British government sent troops to confiscate the weaponry/ammunition of Massachusetts, the consequences of which called for offense from the colonies, and decreased the chances of reconciliation. The Second Continental Congress, which consisted of the 13 British colonies, including the newly supportive Georgia, had taken a failed attempt at negotiation with King George.

Accordingly, the “time had come for war” in the decision of independence, leading the Battle of Bunker in which resulted numerous fatalities and the British flight from the South. Political independence is defined as the freedom from the control and manipulative influence from other constitutions and/or countries. After the fighting in the North and South, the Second Continental Congress became an official government in 1775, one of the first actual steps toward the documented the American independence. The journey to liberation was concretely confirmed, as relations between Great Britain and the colonists had heavily deteriorated due to the ponderous casualties of the Battle of Bunker. “The congress took further steps toward e facto independence when it authorized contracts with foreign powers through its agents in Europe”- Out of Many, Third Edition, page 157. Such allied connections were aided with Spain and France, sending supplies to the colonies, inaugurating the official opening of foreign trade, except Britain.

On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia presented a cue to the Continental Congress for the united colonies to be “free and independent states.” Following this time was the writing of the Declaration of Independence, which was appointed to Thomas Jefferson. Thus, the point at which independence could have declared was delayed by the drafting and voting, the people’s inalienable rights were defined. The written document of the declaration wasn’t completed, until July 4, 1776. However, within this independence, lied hypocrisy, as the only people who were allowed equality were white males, while women and African Americans did not receive the full extent of their rights, until the 20th century.