The Declaration of Independence: A Product of its time (Classicism)

The Declaration of Independence: A Product of its time (Classicism)

Classicism refers to a particular genre of philosophy which expresses itself in art, literature, music and architecture and has Roman and Ancient Greek sources that place great emphasis on the society. Classicism focuses on law, allegiance, integrity or moral value, symmetry and logic and was common during the age of enlightenment when focus was placed on intellectualism and reason. Thomas Jefferson is one of the American authors that made use of literary classicism in the writing of the Declaration of Independence since he placed major emphasis on the significance of logic as well as the need for the nation to come together for the sole purpose of fighting the British tyranny. Jefferson, a highly intellectual being, is observed to emphasize on logic more than anything when he speaks of the unalienable rights and freedom that the British colony had denied the nation by ruling it tyrannically and calls on the unity of individuals against the tyrannical British colony, thereby qualifying the Declaration of Independence as a product of its own classical time since classicism put emphasis on reason and nationalism.

The classicism period was marked by increased focus on divine intervention in which God was presupposed to have been involved in personal affairs. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson claims that every man was created equal and endowed with particular unalienable rights by their Creator (Wilhelm et al 122). The British governance was enforcing problematic laws and taxes on the colonies, which caused many to become frustrated by Great Britain and their ruling. Jefferson calls on the equality of all men as a reason for abolishment of a tyrannical rule that enhances suffering among people under a tyrannical rule. By referring to God in the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson recognizes the fact that God plays a role in the affairs of people (creating them equal) and this is an aspect that was common during the classical era.

Integrity and moral value were also key features during the classicism period. The wellbeing of the people was outside of the own people’s hands because they were essentially un-empowered under the British monarchy. Jefferson claims that they had strived to appeal to the magnanimity and native justice of the British government to disavow the usurpations but they had been deaf to “voice of justice and consanguinity” (Wilhelm et al 124). Jefferson points out the cruelty and barbarity of the British colony which was indulging in works of tyranny, death and desolation and declared him unfit as head of a civilized nation (Wilhelm et al 124). He strived to appeal to moral value and integrity in the hope that the British colony would treat Americans as free individuals.

The most outstanding characteristic of literary classicism was its emphasis on reason which was considered as the primary source of authority. Jefferson was a highly intellectual person with over six professions, among them being law and architecture (Wilhelm et al 120). His intelligence as well as profession must have played a role in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Individuals in the classical era believed that social needs were of greater importance than individuals’ needs and there was need for finding meaning in order, government, literary, social, religious forms and order of nature. Jefferson makes use of facts when he outlines such things as the refusal by the British colony to approve laws that are meant for the public good, making judges subject to his will and obstructing justice by refusing the establishment of judiciary powers among others (Jefferson 122-123). After recording all the injustices perpetuated by the British colony, Jefferson claims, “A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant is unfit to be ruler of a free people (124). Furthermore, when Franklin edits Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence, he strikes out “We hold these truths to be sacred and unalienable” and writes “self-evident” in place of sacred so as to draw on the rationality and reasoning common during classicism (Wilhelm et al 129).  By appealing to reason through known facts, Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence stirs the desire to act against the injustices of the British colony and be rid of tyrannical leadership through nationalism, also a key aspect during the classicism period.

Jefferson also employs the classicism logical structure of problem and solution. For instance, he begins by stating the unalienable rights that all individuals possess and claims that it is important for a government to derive its powers from the people and in the event that it fails to do so, then the solution is for the people to abolish or alter such a government. In the “Declaration of Independence,” Jefferson aims to express the problems the colonists were having under the British government, and offers a new perspective of a nation that is empowered by the people. Furthermore, after giving the facts about the tyrannical rule of the British colony, Jefferson declares the need for the US to be declared free and independent.

In sum, the Declaration of Independence was a product of the time it was written in, that is classicism. This was a time marked by increased emphasis on reason, logic or intellectualism moral value as well as nationalism. Jefferson was himself a highly intellectual being with over six professions and his mastery played a role in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. He made use of reason to emphasize the need for unity against a tyrannical rule that had denied Americans their unalienable rights and freedom.