Declaration of Independence Preamble
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary
for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have
connected them with another and to assume, among the powers
of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the
laws of nature and nature’s God entitle them, a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should
declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are
created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed; that, 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 a new government, laying its foundation on such
principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to
them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness...
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Declaration of Independence Preamble: Lyrical Footnotes
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary
for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have
connected them with another (1) and to assume, among the powers
of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the
laws of nature and nature’s God (2) entitle them, a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should
declare the causes which impel them to the separation. (3)
We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are
created equal (4); that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness (5). That, to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed (6); that, 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 a new government (7), laying its foundation on such
principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to
them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness...
Notes
1) Connected Them With Another: This refers to the American colonies dissolving
their bonds with the mother country, England.
2) Natural Law: The claim that it was a natural condition for a colony to become an
independent nation was a new idea. This vision of American independence was truly
revolutionary.
3) Declare the Causes: Part of the Declaration of Independence not included in this song
is a list of grievances against King George III of England.
4) All Men Are Created Equal: This is perhaps the most famous and challenging line in
the Declaration. It pronounces the equal rights of all humans, but the author of the phrase
was a slave owner. Thomas Jefferson chaired a committee of five chosen by the
Continental Congress to write the Declaration of Independence. He owned a sizable
plantation in Virginia with a large number of slaves.
5) “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” was an adaptation of John Locke’s “life,
liberty and property.” Locke was an English political philosopher whose ideas about
natural rights supported the American claims of independence. The part of the
© 2009, Musical Media for Education (www.mm-ed.com)
declaration listing grievances against the King specified all the ways that, according to
the colonists, England had violated their rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness.
6) Consent of the Governed: Jefferson is making a statement about the legitimacy of
government. Governments are only valid when the people being governed agree that
they are valid. This was a revolutionary idea at the time when most governments were
monarchies. Before the American Revolution, it was not for people to question their
governments.
7) A New Government: Jefferson announces a revolution against the Crown. The
Declaration had several important effects. First, it gave the colonists a strong cause in the
coming war--independence. Second, it increased the possibility of foreign assistance
from powers like France. While the French might avoid getting involved in the internal
affairs of another colonial power, with the Declaration, the colonies could now be seen as
an independent nation. Ultimately, the Declaration became a model for independence
struggles throughout the world. Even into the 20th Century, it would serve as a source of
inspiration for those fighting for freedom and independence.
© 2009, Musical Media for Education (www.mm-ed.com)