Enlightened

The American Declaration of Independence was unique in many ways. However the guiding principles tended to gravitate toward the idea of a Sovereign individual. Locke had proposed the idea that in nature all men were equal and independent. This is quite the opposite of the Divine Right of Kings, which had been the prevailing thought of many European standards of the time. The idea as proposed in the Declaration that it is the right of an individual to " the pursuit of happiness " shows how radical the founders were in their time. It is radical in this time as well.
                                                               Even in our day in age we are not pursuing policies that are designed for the freedom of the individual, but rather for the collective, or the Federal Government itself. Much of the current discussion of the balanced budget for example is the cost of what programs ? Medicare. Medicaid. Social Security. They are ideas promulgated from Socialist Systems adapted to the American Republic. To consider adopting a complete elimination of these three programs would be considered unthinkable in our time. In England during the 1600's there were poverty laws enacted much as we have a welfare state today ( and for much the same reason ) yet thru our Declaration the American experience was to be different. We have com full circle, have we not ?
                                                               The idea that each individual born has " inalienable " rights is a radical idea, the common thought at the inception of the Declaration was those rights included Life,Liberty, and Property. Today we have advocates for the right to Health care, a Job, Housing. A striking difference. It was enlightenment that brought the founders to there conclusions. They were students of History. Well versed in the Tyrants of the past, and in their time the present. We would be wise as well to study this Tyranny. It can come in many forms, it can come in many shapes, but a well rounded view of freedom is essential to knowing the difference.
                                                             After the French and Indian War, there were many disgruntled colonists. The central theme was taxation without representation. In our time we face a similar dilemma, try influencing your Congressman with your block club for example, while Lobbyists fill the pockets of your " Representative ". The siege of Boston took place because of the Boston Tea Party. This lead to events that took the Colonies to Declare Independence. The guiding principles were the enlightened idea of the sovereign individual. The idea that no authority could lay claim over you as a person because in nature we  all exist in equality. That would make today's legislator's appear to be dictators by comparison, and in fact many ways are. It would depend of course on how you wish to define freedom. It does not come thru the security offered by the state, but rather thru the absence of the state. Natural Rights preexist any form of government. That was the view of the founders.
                                                      In the period that lay between the Seven Years War, and the Declaration of Independence there was much reflection on the nature of government, and what role it played in the lives of individuals, that reflection .... that enlightened view of that role lead to the conclusion that a man has the right to live for his own sake. I would encourage all to reflect on that as well, it is indeed what the signing was about, our Republic if it is to flourish must reflect on what the rebellion was really about, it is what the 4th of July is about.


For further reading check out these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_and_legal_rights




http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd1010a.asp



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment