Work Cited

Adams, Willi. The Declaration of Independence of the United

States. Deutsches Histori sches Museum. April 11,
2010
<http://www.dhm.de/magazine/unabhaengig/adams3_e.htm>

This article from the Deutsches Historisches Museum tells of the events
leading up to the drafting of the Declaration, not just events like the
Intolerable Acts, but also documents like the Virginia Bill of Rights,
which may directly influence the Declaration. It also explains about
the Whig theory of government-”the idea of a social contract among
citizens with equal rights”.

A Multitude of Amendments, Alterations and Additions The Declaration of

Independence. Jan 17 2003 Park Net: National Park
Service. April 11,
2010
<http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/dube/inde2.htm>.

An article of the National Park Service, a reputable history based

foundation that gives little background of the uprising of factors that
lead the thirst for indepe ndence. Also goes on to show Jefferson’s
process of drafting the Declaration and the different drafts he had
created. The reasons, people, and process of distribu tion are stated in
article.

Armitage, David. "The Declaration of Independence in World Context."

Magazine of History 3(2004):61. eLibrary. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.
http://www.elibrary.com/

Written by a Harvard University professor, David Armitage focuses heavily on the

revolutionary part of our main theme and proved itself to be valuable. It
helped ob tain a more in depth understanding of the primary intention of this
document. In addition to that, it briefly addresses the reaction of foreign nations
in Europe to the Declaration of Independence, which is a major focus of our
definition of reaction.

Barton, David. July 4th:The Birthday of America. July 2, 2001 Human Events
Publishing. April 17, 2010. <http://www.elibrary.com/

In this article, Barton marks the 225th year since the founding fathers declared
 independence. However, his main point revolves around the idea that the
found ing fathers achieved independence on the principles of Christianity.
Barton says, according to John Adams the 4th of July should be a religious
holiday. We can conclude from this that some of the key ideas within are
based on religion. It de velops our thinking in how the people of America started
a revolution.

Böge, Sascha . Declaration of Independence. LAbusinessjournal.org. May 2,

2010 <http://www.labusinessjournal.org/article-20-declaration-of-
indepence.html>.

Published by the LA business journal, this article focused mostly on the reactions
of the colonists. While it would seem that the colonists would react positively
to the Declaration, this article focused mostly on the negative reaction, which will
help us on the aspect of reaction we were hoping to expand on. The
southerners and northerners were mostly upset about the hypocrisy they
thought were evident in the Declaration.

Bushman, Richard. Declaration of Independence. 1991 A&E Television Network. April

11, 2010 <http://www.history.com/topics/declaration-of-independence>.

This article was more of an overview of the Declaration of Independence.

Bushman divides the article into different sections with titles like “Drafting the
Dec laration” “Jefferson’s Influences” “Equality and the Slavery Question” and
“Signifi cance of the Declaration of Independence”. While it was mostly a brief
overview, there was interesting information, like the fact that Jefferson was
influenced by John Locke and Francis Hutcheson. The opening paragraph of the
Declaration re sembled that of John Locke’s “Two Treaties of Government”,
which wasn’t surpris ing since the Declaration was a summary of Whiggish
political thought.

Chronology of Event. July 4, 1995 Independence Hall Association. April 17, 2010
<http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/timeline.htm>

A chronology that states events from the beginning of when the idea of declaring
independence emerged until the order for all the states to be sent a printed
version of the Declaration of Independence was put into effect. Dates Congress’
decisions of acceptance, reading, revision, and reproductions of the Declaration of
Inde pendence through the years 1776 and 1777. It also gives information on how
the Declaration was developed over time.

Cox, Nelson. "The Declaration of Independence for Dummies." Saturday Evening Post.
01 Mar. 2005: 46. eLibrary. Web. 11 Apr. 2010. http://www.elibrary.com/

Nelson Cox discusses the Declaration of Independence in the source "The Decla
ration of Independence for Dummies." This source tries to break up
important parts of the document into very simplistic language. Although this
source seems to be very reliable it did not expand my knowledge of this topic
and instead just pro vided an overview of the topic.

Consent of the Governed: Antecedent Documents. 10/21/09 Library of

Congress.
<http://www.myloc.gov/Exhibitions/CreatingtheUS/interactives/declaration/HTML/consen
t/documents.html>.

Lists all the documents that were influential to the Declaration of Independence
like the Virginia Declaration of Independence, Common Sense, and Two
Treatises of Government. Also gives the description of each document and how
cer tain ideas represented in those documents ended up being worked in
the Declara tion of Independence. Shows that the Declaration takes from many
different American ideas that they had developed as a society together.

Declaration of Independence. Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, 29 Jun. 1999. Video

Clip. eLibrary. Web. 25 Apr. 2010.

A secondary source whose focal points are the Declaration of Independence,

along with the road to independence (timeline of events). Gives background
knowledge, along with impressive accomplishments of some of the signers of
the Declaration of Independence. Gives information of why colonists came up
with a revolutionary idea of independence against Britain.

Declaration of Independence: Right to Institute New Government. March 20, 2006.

Library of Congress. April 11, 2010 <http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/
jeffdec.html>.
 This source lists “influential precedents” that would later affect how the Declaration
was formed. It follows up by listing the drafting process along with the location of
the final draft when it was finished; and the “aftermath” of the Declaration of
Inde pendence.

Faculty. 2010 Harvard University Department of History. May 9,

2010
<http://history.fas.harvard.edu/people/faculty/armitage.php>.

Harvard University professor David Armitage is a possible interview

candidate. Specializing in British and International history he would
be able to provide us with a deep understanding of the reaction in
Britain to the Declaration of Independ ence from an un-
American point of view. Although we have not received a reply yet we
are patiently and eagerly waiting to hear from him.

Hickman, Diana. The Declaration of Independence. Mar 20, 2009. 12 Apr. 2010
<http://colonial-america.suite101.com/article.cfm/
the_declaration_of_independence>.

Although this source mainly speaks about the background and history of why the
Declaration of Independence was created it was still a helpful source. At one
point it concentrates on why the document was edited so carefully and how
the docu ment was structured. This gives us a better understanding on why some
had op posite reactions to the document.

Independence: A Solemn Duty. July 4, 1995. Independence Hall Association.

April 17, 2010 <http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/more/independence-
lee.htm>.

In Richard Henry Lee’s letter, he articulates that it is our Solemn Duty to

declare independence from Britain. He states that the people of the
colonies should no longer delay in declaring independence from
Britain. He talks about the tyranny of Britain in his letter and how it
is also our duty to be virtuous and good citizens.
Jefferson, Thomas. Jefferson's Autobiography. 2008 Lillian Goldman Law
Library. May 9,
2010 <http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/jeffauto.asp>.

An autobiography written by the writer of the Declaration of

Independence- Tho mas Jefferson. Primary source, a diary of Thomas
Jefferson, elucidating what had happened in the Continental Congress,
and why some people such as Dick inson did not like the proposal
of declaring independence. Some of the reasons that people did not
like it were because they sought out for compromise with Brit ain,
or liked the way it was now, or even wanted to change back to their normal
standards.

Kindig, Thomas. Declaration of Independence text. July 4, 1995 us history.org

12 Apr. 2010
<http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm>.

The text of the Declaration of Independence aids us in understanding

what the colonists where trying to accomplish by creating the
document. The intro to the declaration provided us with the “self-
evident truths” the colonists were taking hold of and the list of
grievances gives us insight to what ideas the colonists didn’t want
in their new nation.

Lucas, Stephen E. “The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence”

<http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters>

“The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence” is an

extremely valuable and helpful source. It breaks up the most crucial
parts of the document and ex plains how it made the Declaration a
revolutionary idea. Not only does it interpret the revolutionary aspect
of our theme, it also focuses on the way the document was written. For
example, how the words that Jefferson chose were there for a
reason. Over all, the source really cleared our understanding and how it
could cause reactions that do not support it.
Maier, Pauline. American Scripture: Making the Declaration of
Independence. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Inc. , 1997

Explains how the Declaration of Independence came to be, as well as

the effects of it, such as the revolutionary idea of a republic and the
rights that it gave the people. A very helpful aspect of this book is its
insight of how some representa tives from different states in the
Continental Congress disagreed with the idea of declaring
independence from Britain. Authoritative, written by a professor from
MIT.

Middleton, Henry. The Olive Branch Petition. May 9,

2010
<http://www.constitution.org/primarysourcesolive.html>.

The Olive Branch Petition was created by the colonists to ask for peace,
liberty, and safety. they wanted to settle their arguments with the
British government. The colonists asked to make peace with the
British because they wanted to compro mise with them rather than
break ties with them, declaring independence.

Mount, Steve. "Constitutional Topic: Declaration of Independence."

USConstitution.net. 30 Nov 2001.
http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_decl.html (3 Dec 2001)

An interesting source that gives more insight into the reasons for the
Declaration of Independence. This webpage stresses that the colonists
not only tried to break ties with Britain because they desired freedom,
but because of economic reasons as well. Britain was determined to
squash this rebellion, and the Declaration did not produce a big reaction
from them, mostly because they already knew the colonists wanted
independence. The website offered a different perspective on how
the British felt about the colonists declaring independence.

Mount, Steve. The United States Constitution . April 10, 2010 May 9,
2010 <http://www.usconstitution.netconst.html>.
 A primary source since it is the original version of the United States
Constitution. This is our main idea that supports that reform part of the
theme. It does this be cause people who had negative reactions to the
Declaration of Independence mainly had those reactions because
they didn’t believe that the country had a solid base to support
themselves and were afraid that the country would fall apart. Many
members of the Continental Congress could see why this was such a
concern so they created a compromise: the Constitution. The
Constitution created a firm base for the country and made it
possible for citizens to feel more comfortable with de claring
independence.

The National Archives, The Charters of Freedom "A New World is at

Hand". The Na tional Archives. April 11,
2010 <http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/
declaration_history.html>.

An in-depth article created by the National Archives Museum about how

the Decla ration of Independence came to be; starting from the
Pennsylvania State House all the way to today’s locations of different
reproductions of the document. Helps guide how the idea of liberty
was revolutionized between colonists through docu ments such as
Common Sense along with intolerable acts of tyranny by the King
of England.

Pappas, Max. The Declaration of Independence: A Look at the Meaning. Jan

19, 2004 FreedomWorks. April 11, 2010
<http://www.freedomworks.org/publications/the-declaration-of-
independence-a-look-at-the-mean>.

An insightful source where Pappas, an activist from a non-profit

organization stationed in D.C., breaks down the opening paragraph of
the Declaration to explain the significance of the specific word choice of the
opening paragraph used by Thomas Jefferson. This article showed
how revolutionary the idea of the Declara tion really was and how
the ideas it represented are still, even now, the basis for our
government today.
Patrick, John. Teaching the Declaration of Independence. May 2, 2010
<http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-4/independence.html>.

This source is about the origins of the Declaration of Independence and

the struc ture and keys ideas in it. Patrick starts with the origins of
the Declaration, which can help us understand what the colonists
wanted from the Declaration and what new ideas were going to
emerge from it. After the origins he focuses on the struc ture and
key ideas. Like how all humans are born with certain unalienable rights,
and presents these ideas in the declaration. He also explains about
the list of grievances which show what the colonists won’t be
including in their new govern ment.

The Purpose of the Declaration of Independence. Revolutionary War and

Beyond. May 2, 2010 <http://www.revolutionary-war-and-
beyond.com/purpose-of-declaration-of-independence.html>.

A page on a website that shows the purpose of the Declaration. Mostly

explains parts of the Declaration. Shows how middle colonies were not
ready to break ties with Britain and were seeking reconciliation and
the first part of the Declaration lists why independence is necessary. It
signifies how people have the unalienable rights, “life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness,” and how people also have the right to
break down unrepresentative government. Lists the grievances of the colo
nists towards King George and elaborates on the idea of foreign
intervention, look ing for alliance against the upcoming war against
Britain.

Rickard, J. (25 May 2003), American War of Independence (1775-1782)

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_american_independence.html

Although a secondary source, this was extremely detailed and helpful.

This source had all the events before the Declaration was
signed to the many years af ter, giving an idea of the revolutionary
and reactionary aspects of it, like how Brit ain and colonists reacted.
This was a very informative source, one that could be helpful to our
overall project.

Schwarz, Frederic. 1776: "We hold these truths...". July 1, 2001. May 2, 2010
<http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/>.
 In Frederick Schwarz’s writing he portrays the idea that the Declaration
of Inde pendence is both a modest apology and a bold
pronouncement. Schwarz says that the balancing act of bold and modest
was necessary because of the Declaration’s many purposes. He then
goes on to explain that the true soul of the declaration of
independence lies in the list of grievances, rather than the beginning or
end. This helps us with the idea of the colonists starting a new
nation based on the principles they brought forth in the list of grievances.

Uzgalis, William. John Locke. 2007 Stanford. April 11, 2010

<http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/>.

While this source by an expert at Stanford University is focused on John

Locke and not the Declaration of Independence, we decided it was a
source well worth looking into since it summarizes the beliefs and
thoughts of John Locke, who many believe influenced Thomas Jefferson in
his drafting of the Declaration of Inde pendence. The ideas of the
Declaration were around for a long time, taken from the philosophies
of influential Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke.

Viegas, Jennifer. The Declaration of Independence. New York City: The Rosen
Publishing Incorporated, 2003.

Primary source which explains how America came to be along with

events preced ing it. Goes on to show the different factors that could
have influenced Jefferson’s writing of the Declaration, such as the
document Common Sense. Explains the different parts of the
Declaration of Independence as well. Also contains a list of sources
from where the information was given, which could possibly lead to better
sources.

Warren, Joseph. Oration. May 9, 2010 <http://www.constitution.org/

primarysources/warren.html>.

Joseph Warren, in his oration on March 5, 1772 in boston, talks about

how the colonists are not really free. He asks how the colonists can be
free when they are forced to obey laws made by men 3,000 miles
off. Warren also thinks that the colonists are absolute slaves and they
have no property of their own. This primary source focuses on the
reasons the colonists had to declare independence. Insight ful due to
the aid given by increasing knowledge of the “absurdities” the British
government placed upon colonists.
Wood, Gordon. The American Revolution. Modern Library, 2002.

Informative source from Gordon Wood who earned his B.A. from Tufts
and his PhD from Harvard. He has written other books on the American
Revolution that have won prizes and been nominated for the National
Book Award. This book fo cuses on the main theme of the project:
revolution, reaction, and reform. Empha sizing the idea that the
revolution had started before the war and ideas had changed, “in the
minds and hearts of people”. Also introduces the idea of revolu
tionaries believing that all Americans had the ability to remake
themselves and how Americans reformed their culture to bring their
ideas and manners into their new government.

Wood, Gordon. The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Alfred A.

Knopf.1991.

An essential source with really important information about the idea of

reform. The professor of history at Brown University, Gordon Wood
explains how the revo lution of American led “transformed a
monarchical society into a democratic one unlike any that had
ever existed”. Our group wants to compare how monarchy and the
new government of America shown through the Constitution were very differ
ent. The idea of equality is also evident and how it was the most
powerful idea that the Americans had during the revolutionary era.