The Evolution Of The Declaration Of Independence

The Declaration of Independence” changed from the early drafts to the final document signed in 1776 because of the need to eliminate some aspects. There was a need to delete the attack on slavery in the initial drafts of “The Declaration of Independence” . The issue sparked a heated debate among the delegates who gathered in Philadelphia. The clause was instead replaced with a different passage about domestic insurrection. According to Walton, Hall and Gwinnett, the deletion of the passage on slavery was deliberately supported because the delegates who hailed from both Georgia and South Carolina were actively involved in the Trans-Atlantic trade (p.3). The change of the initial draft of “The Declaration of Independence” was a compromise, on the whole, aspect of independence because the reviews of the initial document negated the principle of freedom and justice. The persistence of slavery was no independence at all.
Besides getting free from the reign and governance of England, the thirteen states had the need to maintain slavery because of the vested interest in the cotton plantations. The Europeans were in high demand for cotton for their textile industries at the time. In this regard, the demand for slaves was also high (Walton, Hall and Gwinnett 1-3). They were required to work in the huge plantations. Additionally, the aspect of taxation without representation also caused uproar among the thirteen delegates from the thirteen states (Chamberlain 37). This issue was also another reason for the preparation of the final document in 1776. The taxation without representation was a manifestation of impunity and insubordination on the part of the Americans (Walton, Hall and Gwinnett