What were the specific motives and framework that guided our Founders? There appears to be a movement to transform our current Constitutional Republic into something of ambiguous scope but resolute intention. The movement has an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with the status quo, but lacks the motivation and structure that our Founders had when deciding to write the Declaration of Independence.
Founders’ Motives Explained
The Founders had at least three motives for wanting to declare independence:
1) They didn’t want to be bound only to England, but form alliances with other supportive global powers as well. They would eventually need foreign support for their cause.
2) The Founders wanted to advise the colonists of their intentions to declare independence from the British Crown.
3) They wanted to address potential colonial or global opposition (such as those who might want reconciliation with King George III) by making their intentions known to the world. This was showing “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind.”
The Founders were NOT spearheading a revolution. They were NOT promoting anarchy. A simple reading of their grievances in the Declaration proves this. They were trying to establish America as an independent nation. They sought to be free and independent states, governing themselves as they had demonstrated they were quite capable of doing through royal, proprietary, and self-governing colonies that included elections.
Differences Between Founders’ Framework and Modern Activism
When I compare the Founders’ motives and the framework of separation from England to the undercurrents of our contemporary country, I see profound differences. Yes, we have freedom of speech and the right to dissent. However, modern activists provide no formal declaration of a movement, nor any document of intent and framework, to fundamentally transform our nation. There is no formal intent to separate; instead, I see activists creating opportunities to distract and disrupt our government and to disregard the rule of law and the traditions of our uniquely American culture.
Civics and Citizenship Lessons from the Declaration
As we become familiar with the Declaration of Independence, we come to understand our nation’s foundations and the noble cause of freedom, independence, and self-governance from foreign powers. Today’s modern activists could benefit from our Founders’ emphasis on documenting their intentions, providing a framework for organizing the government, and publishing them for the world to see.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸
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