A Creed to Uphold

“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.” This is perhaps the best-known phrase in American history, as the phrase is generally considered the American creed and the foundation of democracy.   The American creed represents our need for independence and equality of life.   The American creed which appears in the Declaration of Independence written by our great leaders has been a statement that we have seen reinforced over history by our most influential leaders.   Some of these statements are the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I have a dream speech.  
The Declaration of Independence is considered to be the founding document of the United States of America.   At the time the declaration was introduced, the colonies were “united” in declaring independence from Great Britain. They wanted to declare their freedom from taxation and from the civil rights abuses from the King. The Declaration was created after King George III and Parliament sought to establish firm control over the land obtained from France during the French and Indian War.   To help pay off war debts, King George III began to tax the colonies. Colonists began to get increasingly more rebellious, resulting in actions like the Boston Tea Party.   In response to the rebellion the King and Parliament exacted the “Intolerable Acts,” which caused the colonies to call the First Continental Congress together, who met in September of 1774 in Philadelphia.   The First Continental Congress met again in May of 1775 setting up the Second Continental Congress. The Second Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft a declaration of independence. The Declaration of Independence was completed and signed in July of 1776.   It marked the official separation between the 13 colonies and Great Britain.... [continues]

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