Replies

>"the Declaration of Independence is not a legally binding document of the United States"

I have often seen this statement, and it's simply wrong. The Declaration of Independence is an exptremely important and formally binding document which was debated and voted on during the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. (I refer those who doubt this to the recent biography of John Adams).

Interesting, in what year did this occur?
I've always thought that the DoI was an important historical document, I wasn't aware that it had any legal provisions within.

It was formally adopted by Congress, and was a the proximate cause of the war between the United States and Great Britain.

The war of 1812? There were no wars between the USA and Great Britian before then.

You may mean that the Declaration is not the framework of our laws, as the Constitution is. That is true and immaterial. The Declaration is not a letter, essay, newspaper article, or the expression of a single individual. It was drafted initially by Thomas Jeffeson, and each phrase was debated and voted on by Congress. In the end each member of congress signed it, giving it the force of law. It's what the subsequent war was about.

Again, I wasn't aware that there was a Congress -- at least not in the same sense of a Congress that existed after 1788 -- when the Declaration was drafted. I find it interesting because the rules for the formation and selection of Congress and its members are written in the Constitution, which was penned well after the DoI.
Tell me, if the Declaration of Independence is a binding document, what effect does it have on the country and its laws?

"[I stated]...The Declaration of Independence is an exptremely important and formally binding document which was debated and voted on during the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. (I refer those who doubt this to the recent biography of John Adams).

[you replied]Interesting, in what year did this occur? I've always thought that the DoI was an important historical document, I wasn't aware that it had any legal provisions within."

The Declaration of Independence as passed on July 2, 1776, and printed and published on July 4th. Didn't you ever wonder what the 4th of July was all about?

It was passed by the Continental Congress after much debate. In fact, prior to the Declaration, there were months of debate as to whether the 13 colonies should declare their independence. There was a lot of resistance, due to the fact that the British dealt harshly with rebels, primarily by hanging them.

[I said]"It was formally adopted by Congress, and was a the proximate cause of the war between the United States and Great Britain.

[you replied] The war of 1812? There were no wars between the USA and Great Britian before then."

Just who do you thing we fought during the Revolution? You have to be kidding with this question.