Declaration of Indepdence

The Declaration of Independence is a document created by the congress of the United States that proclaimed that the thirteen different colonies in America were completely independent states. This proclamation ultimately began America's revolution and separation from Great Britain. The document justified the independence of the United States and ended Great Britain's control of the United States. While The Declaration of Independence is indeed a historical document that is one of our nation's founding elements, it is also a Jeremiad. In Sacvan Bercovitch definition of a jeremiad, he states that a Jeremiad means "we have failed to live up to our founding principles, betrayed our sacred covenant as history (or 
God's) chosen nation, and must rededicate ourselves to our ideals, reclaim our founding 
promise." This definition and further explanation will reveal how The Declaration of Independence is ultimately a jeremiad.

The Declaration Independence is a concrete example of jeremiad because it involves the United States establishing its own rights and values. This is evident when the declaration states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." This statement in the declaration shows the America establishing its founding principles and dedicating itself to its ideals. These principles of equality and liberty completely relate to Bercovitch's definition of a Jeremiad. 
 The Declaration of Independence is proven to be a jeremiad through several other examples. One manner in which the declaration is a jeremiad is when it discusses about rights that were unattainable under British rule. The document clearly states that these rights that were unavailable under British rule will change once the colonies achieve independence. This also completely relates to Scavan Bercovitch's definition of a jeremiad, as the declaration reclaims America's unalienable rights that were non-existent under the British. In addition, the declaration states what ails the thirteen colonies and how it these problems can solved. This solution is clearly stated as a succession from Great Britain power. This intention is clear when the declaration states, "whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government" Scavan Bercovtich also further defines a jeremiad as "the jeremiad nonetheless can't imagine a future on any other terms. It yearns to repair the breach." The Declaration of Independence completely relates to this quote as it yearns to repair the breach of our ideals and values that were eroded under Britain rule. The declaration also repairs this breach of rights by promising to defend individual

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