"The Declaration of Independence"

Declaration of Independence

"The Declaration of Independence"was written mostly by Thomas Jefferson, along with the help of fellow colonists, to King George III demanding the colonies' independence from England. It was formally adopted on July 4, 1776 by the Continental Congress, but it was officially signed on August 2. Although, this document is written to King George III, it was also published in all the newspapers in the colonies; therefore he is not the only audience. The Declaration was also directed towards all the American colonists in an attempt to convince them that they were all in this together. The purpose of "The Declaration of Independence" was first, to persuade King George III to allow the the colonies to be an independent state, and second, to inform the colonists of what measures the Continental Congress is taking and to inspire all of them to join the revolution and become one united group with the same goal. The tone shifts in this particular document play a huge role in how it is constructed. The document starts off with a very demanding tone that states all the wrongdoings of the British monarchy, and how the colonists want their freedom. It demands their right to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" (Thomas Jefferson), capitalizing certain words to put added emphasis on them, and using literary devices such as, parallelism, to get its point across. "The Declaration of Independence" then shifts into a more inspiring tone that is more directed at the colonists. It mentions all the struggles that the colonists have faced against the English, everything that they have overcome, and the reason for their separation. The third tone shift is from inspiring to conclusive. This section of the document sums up everything and declares that the colonies will be their own state and that they have every right that any other country in the world possesses.