Kathleen Lunskis Minooka Community High School

The Declaration of Independence has long been characterized as one of the sacred texts of our founding fathers. With its eloquent, yet understandable language, it is no wonder its message has continued to touch the lives of people who read it 226 years after its drafting. In her book American Scripture, Pauline Maier takes the Declaration down from its heavenly status and allows for its practicality to shine through. This practicality is evident through her vivid depiction of the Second Constitutional Convention, its members, and the turmoil that was occurring in America before, during and after its drafting. She truly takes a stand against the notion that the document was written solely for France and stays away from trying to conceptualize the whole event.

Why is the Declaration of Independence so important? According to Maier, the last paragraph of the declaration was the most important at the time to the revolutionary generation. The last paragraph called for independence, which was a treasonous act. Later generations, after 1815, looked to the second paragraph as the most memorable. It is the second paragraph which all generations have looked to for inspiration.

According to Maier, Jefferson intended the Declaration to be read in public forums. He therefore spent hours drafting the document so it could eloquently be expressed aloud. Jefferson drew on earlier documents to express what was in the minds of American revolutionaries. Those earlier documents were the very same documents that each state declaration turned to -- primarily the English Declaration of Rights adopted after the "Glorious Revolution". From this document the structure and original purpose of the Declaration was taken. Americans, as Maier points out, imitated a practice of their English forefathers: they made their declaration a formal statement. This meant that the wording of the Declaration had to be carefully drafted.

The members of the "committee of five" turned to Jefferson as primary author. John Adams contributed, as did members of the Second Continental Congress. The Congress made major changes toward the end of the original draft. Jefferson, working with little time, spent most of his efforts on the introductory paragraphs. John Adams is highlighted along with Thomas Jefferson because both men lived long enough to tell the story to future generations of their central roles in the Declaration's development.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, although they experienced a falling out, spent their lives contemplating the issue of revolution and essentially turned their necessity driven constitutional accomplishments into extraordinary feats to be admired by future generations. The notion of the document being seen as sacred scripture can be traced back as early as the 1820s when revolutionary movements swept through Spain, Portugal, Naples, Piedmont, Sicily, Greece, and Latin America (187). The impact of the document had to be felt by the committee into their later years, as was the significance of the date of its adoption, when both Jefferson and Adams passed away on July 4, 1826.

Today the importance of the document continues to grow, although few know the historical significance behind it. Reading this book opens up that significance by masterfully looking into the influences of the Declaration as felt by the people during the revolution. Its impact after the revolutionary period, as well as in the present, is better understood although not rooted in the document's original purpose.

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