Reading the Declaration

Reading the Declaration

In 1776, they were fighting words.

Written by Thomas Jefferson and endorsed by a brave group of patriots, the words declared the independence of the American colonies from Great Britain.

Today, they remain words that can instruct and inspire, words well-worth repeating.

On this holiday, we asked a new generation of Americans to lend their voice to these words — a group of 10 students in grades five through nine who are taking art classes at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown.

We met with Elizabeth Becherer, Natalie Seppi, Mollie Pierson, Keeley Pierson, Alana Washington, Dominic Mattiussi, Monica Mattiussi, Michael Malenic, Taylor Gorski and Allie Sakacs at the Butler, in front of Junius Brutus Stearns’1849 painting depicting “The Marriage of Washington.”

Each was given a sentence or two to read, which they did with little or no rehearsal and few retakes.

They read parts of two long paragraphs of the Declaration, which contain its most readily recognizable phrases. There were some tough words for younger readers and the kids learned that the phrasing, capitalization and punctuation of 232 years ago was not what it is today. Still they soldiered on, reading these immortal words:

The Declaration

“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. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That 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, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. ...

“... We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

A lesson for all

It was signed by 56 patriots who by their endorsement of Jefferson’s prose set a standard for self governance that Americans have strived to meet for more than 230 years. Like our student readers, we as a nation sometimes stumble over a word or phrase. Sometimes we may not fully appreciate the beauty and importance of the message contained in the Declaration of Independence and other seminal documents of our republic. But it is important that we always keep reading, and never stop striving to reach the potential that the signers envisioned in 1776 for these united — and yet independent — states.