Jefferson and the Committee of Five made sure the Declaration of Independence didn't just, you know, declare independence, but gave a multitude of legitimate reasons for doing so. Jefferson also threw in some lines showing that the colonists' knew what they wanted (or didn't want) from a government, proving that these uppity rebels understood what a government should be, and therefore were capable of governing themselves.
The Declaration was the first official document of the United States, and it had to prove that the United States had a legitimate cause and right to exist as an independent nation, and should be considered an equal.
Questions About Legitimacy
- Do you think the colonies had a legitimate claim to independence and to be recognized as an independent nation? Why or why not?
- Does Jefferson successfully give the impression of legitimacy to the case of colonial independence?
- Why would it be important to emphasize legitimacy in a document like the Declaration of Independence? What other documents or types of documents might benefit from this theme?
Chew on This
Jefferson needed to prove that the colonies were a legitimate nation, because otherwise the Declaration of Independence would merely be seen as part of their angsty teenage rebellion against the Crown.
Jefferson provides lots and lots of evidence to support the legitimacy of the colonists' argument. His effort implies that either the colonies felt that their complaints had been ignored, or that they weren't confident that the British government would take their claim seriously.