The modern American’s idea of democracy and freedom usually involves freedom of choice and being able to have a voice in the decisions of the community. Though it is not well-known, these principles come from the document that freed this nation: The Declaration of Independence. This famous document, written by Thomas Jefferson, is what separated the thirteen colonies from Great Britain and created what is now known as The United States of America. Therefore, this document is very important in the history of the United States. To write the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson had to give substantial reasons that fully justified the demand for separation. As listed in the document, there were many causes for the Americans wanting independence: “They wanted to control their own economic and political affairs, which for the most part were firmly dominated by the government in England” (“The Declaration of Independence” 210). Basically, the American people just wanted to do things for themselves and not be controlled by the English government. To justify the divide, Jefferson explained the necessity of democracy and freedom for society and the American individual in his document. To do this, he talked about equality for all people and their three God-given rights, the role of the government in the lives of the people, and ideas from Enlightenment philosophers. These ideas show the core values of democracy and freedom and how Thomas Jefferson used them in his argument for freedom. The Declaration of Independence displays major principles of the American ideas of democracy and freedom by presenting the three natural rights and the idea that all men are created equal, stating the government’s role in the people’s lives, and expressing ideas from the Enlightenment period.

As displayed in the Declaration, the idea that all men are created equal is an essential aspect of the freedom of the American people. In the first few lines of the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” (Jefferson). By saying this, Jefferson focuses mainly on equality for all. He implies that everyone has the same rights and no one has any more freedom because of social status. To further explain equality and the American’s rights as a human, Jefferson presents the three natural rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He says, “that they [American citizens] are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these rights are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson). In simpler terms, this means that all people, no matter what, have a right to life and freedom. The pursuit of happiness means that “people are free to pursue happiness as they wish, by their own lights, provided only that they respect the equal rights of others in the process” (“Declaration of Independence, U.S.”). This means that citizens can do whatever they please as long as they respect the rights of others in doing so. Not only does Jefferson state the three rights that are given to humans, but he also mentions that they are “inalienable “and “given by our Creator,” which means that they were given to humans by God and are unable to be taken away.  Thomas Jefferson’s ideas of equality for all and the three natural rights are basic principles of the values of democracy and freedom.

Thomas Jefferson’s opinions on the government’s role in the people’s lives directly reflect the characteristics of a democracy. He believed that the government must protect the peoples’ freedom and God-given rights: “To secure that freedom, however, government is the natural instrument” (“The Declaration of Independence, U.S.”). This means that the government’s job is to protect the freedom and rights of the people. Another belief of Jefferson’s was that the government recieved its power from the people. He states, “to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” (Jefferson). By saying this, Jefferson means that the government only gets its power from the consent of the people. He even felt that the citizens should control the government by choosing their leaders and electing people to represent their country. This idea is a principle of democracy. After mentioning the three natural rights in the Declaration, Jefferson goes on to explain the government’s job and what should happen if it is not fulfilled. He says, “whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government” (Jefferson). Here, Jefferson explains that if the government does not do what it is supposed to, it is the right of the people to make changes. Another point is that the government’s power comes only from the people: “the power of the government thus comes from the people who can and should seize this power if a government begins to abuse it” (“The Declaration of Independence” 97). The message here is that people give the government its power, but if it is abused, it is the peoples’ right to remove it. Thomas Jefferson, referring to his personal experiences with Great Britain, says, “But when a long train of abuses and unsurpations pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government and to provide new Guards for their future security” (Jefferson). Here, Jefferson goes into more detail, suggesting that the King of Britain and the British Government were abusing their power. He also says that in that situation, it is the duty of the citizens to change the government. Lastly, the idea that people should be entitled to live without government interference is implied in the Declaration: “Because of the God-given right to ‘Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,’ all people are entitled to live without interference from the government and are free to strive for whatever it is that will make them content” (“The Declaration of Independence” 214). Thomas Jefferson’s ideas of the government’s role in society greatly shows principles of democracy and freedom.

Thomas Jefferson composed the Declaration of Independence mainly using ideas from the Enlightenment period, a period of time in the 18th century in which people made discoveries through reason and logic. During this time, people started to think for themselves and question beliefs instead of blindly following those of others: “Americans were beginning to understand the importance of self-goverance, practicing their rights, and using their own resources to benefit themselves” (Qasier 32). This statement means that Americans started to understand what it was like to have freedom and democracy, which is what led them to wanting separation. Americans were also finding out new information and coming up with new ideas, leading them to question having a ruler that would keep them from growing, such as the king of Great Britain. Along with many other American citizens, Thomas Jefferson was influenced by Enlightenment thinkers, so he based his document on those ideas: “Thomas Jefferson and other colonial intellectuals used Enlightenment ideas as the backbone of their political philosophy” (“The Declaration of Independence” 96). These Enlightenment ideas were first introduced by John Locke, an English philosopher. The famous statement, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” in the Declaration came from Locke’s idea that men have a natural right to “preserve their lives, liberties, and fortunes.” Another one of Jefferson’s ideas that originated from Locke was that “civilians have the right to select their government and help create the laws they live by” (Qasier 34), which is a major aspect of democracy. Thomas Jefferson’s ideas of democracy and freedom stemmed mainly from those of the Enlightenment period and the philosophers of that time.

By presenting the three natural rights and the idea that all men are equal, stating the role of the government in the people’s lives, and expressing Enlightenment ideas, the Declaration of Independence displays major principles of the ideas of freedom and democracy. The three natural rights given to humans by God are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and they cannot be taken away. It is the government’s job to protect them. The ideas displayed in the Declaration come from those of the Enlightenment period and philosopher John Locke. These ideas have become the principles of American democracy. These principles have also become part of the modern idea of the “American dream”: “Foremost among the Declaration’s association with the American dream is its firm statement about the ‘inalienable rights’ of all the people including ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ Over time this phrase has become a simple summary of what this country stands for and a statement of the basic principles of American democracy” (“The Declaration of Independence” 209). American ideas of democracy and freedom came from the Declaration of Independence and are major aspects of what this country stands for today.