Declaration of Independence

American History Hit

History Hit

America, History

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 22 September 2022

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

While the Revolutionary War was being fought in July 1776, the 13 British colonies in America came together to approve their Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the United States of America.

Shaped by the Enlightenment ideas of liberty, happiness and reason, the document has since influenced many causes in America and around the world.

In this episode, Don speaks to Reverend Byron Williams about how the Declaration of Independence came about, its meaning and endurance.

You can find out more about Byron's book here.

Produced and mixed by Benjie Guy. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	It's June 1776, and we're in the State House in Philadelphia.
0:07.0	Even as the Second Continental Congress meets to debate the merits of independence from the British. A committee of five men has been
0:14.9	tasked with writing a declaration of independence. The initial effort fell to a certain
0:19.6	delegate from Virginia, Thomas Jefferson.
0:24.1	Just a few blocks from the State House, in a quieter part of town, Jefferson works on a first
0:29.2	draft of what would become one of the most influential documents in the world.
0:34.4	As he writes, he has in mind the Virginia Declaration of Rights, written one month earlier,
0:39.6	which states that all men are by nature equally free and independent.
0:44.3	But in the final version of the Declaration of Independence, slavery and violence against indigenous
0:49.5	people do not get a mention.
0:52.1	In fact, Native Americans are dehumanized and anti-slavery
0:55.6	sentiments that Jefferson had included are removed by Congress to appease the Southern
1:00.4	States. While the Declaration sets out the principle the Southern states.
1:03.0	While the Declaration sets out the principle that everyone, or rather all men, have the right
1:08.1	to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the founding fathers were creating a country where that was by no means the case. Hi there I'm Don Wildman and this is American History Hit.
1:28.0	Welcome to the podcast. Today I'm discussing the founding document of America, the Declaration of Independence.
1:35.1	Approved by the Second Continental Congress in early July 1776, the United States were no longer
1:41.1	colonies of Britain, and every year since since the 4th of July has been
1:45.0	celebrated as America's Independence Day. With me to discuss the declaration, its
1:49.6	meaning, its history and endurance as America approaches its 250th anniversary, is a nationally recognized
1:56.4	theologian, pastor, professor, and author of a book called Radical Declaration, Reverend Byron
2:02.4	Williams.
	...

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