On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress felt the need to break all ties with Great Britain had been stronger than ever. On July 4, 1776, Thomas Jefferson brought forth to the Continental Congress the Declaration of Independence, which explained the reasons for the Colonies need for independence. The British government had only a selfish intent in keeping the colonies, it needed the resources that they provided, which included raw materials and money, and they helped strengthen the British economy. The British harassed and used the 13 colonies in order to get what they needed from them. The Declaration of Independence gave the colonists the basic freedoms that we live by today. If I had the choice to sign the Declaration of Independence, I would have willingly signed it because the King and Parliament had set up an unjust government for the colonists to live by, they had taken control of trade, and had heavily taxed and added duties to the colonists" main imports in orde!.
r to increase revenues.
The first such reason for signing the document was that the British government had made a tyranny in the colonies. It had taken control of all the decisions and overthrew and overpowered many charters and organizations that opposed them. The Declaration of Independence set down the basis for out government, which would be a democracy. It laid down the foundation for our country for years to come. "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." (Declaration). Under British rule, the colonists were denied these simple rights and were forced to coincide with the Parliamentary laws. They did everything they could to keep the colonial governments oppressed. "The list accused the king of dissolving colonial governments, controlling judges, sending "swarms of Officers to harass our people," (Zinn 72).
