Cruel treatment from the British caused the Civil

War

Essay submitted by Unknown

The American Revolution was forced upon the Americans by the cruel treatment from

the British. On May 10 of 1775 the Second Continental Congress gathered in

Philadelphia, one month after the fighting broke out. There, delegates from each of the

13 colonies would decide on independence. A Declaration of Independence was required

to state why the 13 colonies were separating from the British Empire. With this, POW's

could demand to be treated as prisoners instead of traitors and aid coul d be sought

from Britain's enemies. The Declaration of Independence consisted of the preamble, the

middle section and a section declaring independence. The most important part, the

preamble, justifies the rights of the American citizens. It declar es that "men are

created equal[and]...are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that

among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." That sentence still remains

a truth with the Americans today. Jefferson wrote the preamble with the help of John

Locke and Rousteu. Within the preamble Jefferson writes that the people, "to secure

these rights...whenever any form of government becomes destructive...it is the right of

the people to alter or abolish it." It gives the people of America the freedom to impeach

untrustworthy rulers and dictators if they wish to. The freedom that Thomas Jefferson

gave us is still in practice today. The middle section justified why the colonists were

revolting against the Britis h Empire. Here Jefferson writes that the King of Great Britain

"is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations." He reminds the reader that the King

has refused to allow the Governors to pass important laws "necessary for the public

good," obstru cted the administration and that the king is sending over large armies to

"complete the works of death." The third section officially declares independence in

writing. The entire effort to complete the Declaration of Independence was done by

Thomas Jefferso n, John Adams, Ben Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. In

order to pass the declaration all of the representatives had to vote yes for

independence. In one of the earlier drafts a statement roughly 175 words gave black

slaves independence . The south however did not agree and threatened not to pass

the declaration. Knowing that nothing would get done if it was not passed, John Adams

gave up the war to allow for that to clause remain in the declaration. The declaration

was officiall in effect on July 4, 1776.