Declaration of Independence Analysis.

Essay by scion October 2005

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What assumptions are at work in this piece of writing?

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson assumes that all people are the same and talks in this piece as if the people are a crowd and doesn't consider everyone as an individual. The crowd can consist of people with difference races, backgrounds, history, disabilities, whether they are rich or poor, and many other things. He probably thinks that the people all are the same, but in reality, any population is diverse in the types of people that it consists of and the leaders fail to recognize or acknowledge this.

What does Jefferson leave out? Why? What details does he leave out?

Jefferson leaves out details such as examples. I think that by incorporating examples of events in history can support all the general statements that he's posing throughout the whole piece. He leaves out how the colonists have been treating the Natives; this is so not to say that they are doing similar deeds as the crown is.

Where is he general and where is he specific? Why?

He talks very much about people suffering through war, people's rights, the government and anything that is political. Some things that he didn't mention are important aspects of people's lives such as health, safety (other than invasion by British), education and more personal things that are very important for a successful nation. By adding these important details, the declaration would sound more caring more about the people which is what is important. He is also specific in mentioning the idea that people had the right to consent to their government and that the power of law making resides with the people. Jefferson included this theory when he writes "to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men deriving their just...