In Pauline Maier’s American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence it is possible to see two arguments pertaining to the near mythical document. The first being that the document and the ideas surrounding it are owned by the American people and that they are for the American people. The second argument is that the document is malleable and that it and other texts can be changed to fit the ideals of the American people, but only if they do not lose sight of the documents true purpose.
The idea that the Declaration of Independence is owned by the American people comes from a few facts about the colonists that Maier discusses. While Congress and the signers of the Declaration were mostly in on the American experiment, by forming armies and holding meetings, many of the people or masses were still skeptical. Maier points towards Thomas Paine’s Common Sense as one work that helped convince the people. Many colonists were still loyal to England. The people had doubts and fears that America could not maintain Independence and would either revert to English rule or become a subject of France, who at the time were allies. Maier quotes Reverend Ashbel Green discussing Common Sense, “The country was ripe for independence, and only needed somebody to tell the people so, with decision, boldness, and plausibility” (Maier 1997). Maier’s point seems to be that for American independence to work, the people needed to be involved. A governing body such as congress needs the support of the people. In chapter 2 of American Scripture Maier discusses the other “Declarations of Independence” which were other localized documents and declarations of rights drafted by towns, cities, and states independently from the Continental congress. These local meetings helped mobilize the people in their own localities to the idea of declaring independence. Maier points out that timing was important as, “A similar attempt six months earlier would have failed since the ‘ripening’ of opinion on Independence was, in the spring of 1776, a recent occurrence” (Maier 1997). Maier makes the point that independence would have failed without the support of the American people and that it was not an idea taken lightly by them. It is possible to conclude that Maier is putting across the idea that American independence (and the declaration that came with it) was only possible through the inclusion of all Americans. Earlier ratifications of rights in England seemingly stopped at the rights of those with property or status. Maier’s observation is that Americas Declaration of independence is owned by Americans and at the time of creation represented their ideas.
Chapter four of American Scripture goes on to discuss a little of the impact the declaration had at the time. It is here that Maier also exhibits the malleability of the text and its meanings. Maier indicates that the Declaration’s original use of equality was, “…generally between rich and poor white men…its application to women or people of other races or persons with conflicting religious convictions would open whole new fields of conflict” (Maier 1997). The book discusses the arguments surrounding slavery at the time which included debates on what constituted equal rights and on what constituted “man”. Opponents of slavery cited the Declaration’s assertion that all men are created equal. Abolitionists wished to extend this equality to slaves and many northern states followed this ideology by getting rid of slavery rather quickly after independence. Maier also points out that proponents of slavery argued that, “…the Declarations assertion on unalienable rights was not literally true, and disputed the notion that all men were created equal” (Maier 1997). The goal of discussion in the book here seems to be that the text and meaning of the declaration have always been up to interpretation. Americans have been debating the meaning of the document’s words since its inception, and to only consider the literal interpretation does the American people a disservice. What constitutes “men” and what constitutes “equality” can and have been changed throughout history and repeatedly throughout American history.
Maier continues the book by describing Abraham Lincoln’s role in preserving the Declaration of Independence and his combating of opponents of its message, who also happened to be proponents of slavery. Many advocates of slavery eschewed the idea that all men are created equal, and according to Maier, compared the American slaves to Russian serfs and that neither were born equal to their masters. Maier shows that opponents to slavery such as Lincoln saw this way of thinking as direct contradiction to the Declaration of Independence’s assertions. Maier writes, “Lincoln saw the Declaration of Independence’s statements on equality and rights as setting a standard for the future” (Maier 1997). The author’s goal in this seems to be that it is possible to argue over what the Declaration says and what some people think it means. But it is hard to argue against the purpose of the document which reveals its true meaning. That meaning being a caustic scrutiny of monarchy and a declaration of human liberty from such hierarchy. And while the Declaration itself doesn’t formulate a specific government it does put forth the idea that all people (men) are born with the same rights as others even if some may be lucky to have been born into wealth and power, while others are born into less fortunate circumstances.
The Declaration is one of the United States first written documents, and while it is not perfect it does (under Lincoln) become the basis of American idealism. Maier seems to make the points that the document is both the product and the property of the American people, and that while the text itself is controversial the specific purpose and goals are not. The goals and ideals of human liberty and freedom are not uniquely American, but Americans who ascribe to the Declaration should be dedicated to these ideals.
Works Cited
Maier, Pauline. American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence. 1st ed. United
States. Vintage Books, 1997.
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