Adopted on July 4, 1776, the Declaration severed the 13 American colonies’ political ties to Great Britain and articulated the motivations for independence through principles such as liberty, equality, and self-government. But have these ideals always held up throughout our history—and how do they hold up today? To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Professor Michael Genovese convened faculty from across the university for “The Declaration of Independence: A 250th Examination,” a series of panels and keynote events held throughout February. In this Q&A, he shares his take on the Declaration’s lasting influence, reflecting on the conversations that unfolded, what they revealed about America’s complex history and politics, and how this founding document has continued to shape and challenge the nation over time.
What did the Declaration of Independence originally stand for, and has its meaning evolved over the last 250 years?
Originally, the Declaration was a sending of “divorce” papers, severing ties between the colonies and the British. In declaring independence, the Founders were also declaring war with Britain. As the Founders were men of the Enlightenment, they felt compelled to present their case to the world for judgment. Thus, the beginning of the Declaration is a statement of principles and beliefs, or as the Founders stated it, “truths” upon which their case rested. It is here that the most lasting elements of the Declaration can be found: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal”. It soon became our “mission statement,” the reason for our existence and the ideal towards which we should always strive. After that, the Declaration is a laundry list of accusations against the King for injustices perpetrated against the colonies. The Declaration is widely considered the single clearest expression of “who we are” and what we strive to become.
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, what do the panels and keynotes in this forum explore?
We had four presentations; the first was a panel of distinguished members of our faculty who discussed the role of women at the time of the Declaration, and why they were largely excluded from both the document and the politics of the times. Our second panel, again with LMU faculty members, discussed the role of slavery in the colonies and why Jefferson’s original document condemned the King for imposing slavery on the colonies, yet this key statement was taken out of the document when it was brought up for its final approval. Next was a lecture dissecting the Declaration and its meaning. Finally, Professor Jessica Levinson of Loyola Law School discussed the legal and political implications of the Declaration for the founding era and for our times.
What gaps exist between the ideals articulated in the Declaration of Independence and historical realities such as slavery and women’s long struggle for full political equality?
One thing you’ll notice in the presentations is the gap between our high ideals and the political realities of the day. Women were left out, and slaves were property. How could these men of the Enlightenment fail to include over half the population in their experiment with a rights-based political vision?
Why should Americans continue to study the Declaration of Independence, and how does it still connect to issues we face today?
As the Declaration is our mission statement, it behooves us to examine and reexamine what this experiment in self-government meant at its founding, and how we can face the challenges, paradoxes, and dilemmas of governing a diverse population that, over time was embraced into the experiment (e.g. slaves freed, women given the right to vote, native-Americans brought into the system, and the marginal and poor, who could not vote in the early days of the republic).
How did you decide on the topics and panelists?
My goal in setting up this series was to get the very finest of our faculty to address challenging and controversial issues. We are not afraid to face reality; we fully confront reality. We hold our past up to the light to see how well or poorly we have lived up to our ideas. In doing so, I tried to have a wide range of issues examined. Clearly, many important things are left out, necessitated by the normal constraints of the calendar and competing activities on our campus. We tried to highlight some of the most enduring challenges posed by the Declaration and see if we could bring its ideals and promises into the 21st century, at a time when we are being torn apart as a nation. Can the values of the Declaration help see us through these dark times? What enduring lessons can we glean from the Declaration? How far have we come since the writing of the Declaration, and how far have we yet to go before we truly bring to life the guiding principles of the Declaration?