by Jason Herron

As America’s 250^th anniversary approaches, the Declaration of Independence will take center stage with celebrations all over the country. Many Americans still recognize parts of the document, such as All men are Created Equal, and Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

But what about the first paragraph? Can the same be said about the terms “one People” and “the Laws of Nature and of Natures God?”

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

To start with, the word unanimous is important to recognize. The delegates representing each state had to agree on the entire document, or there would be no document at all. (The Declaration lists 27 grievances, but there were more than 27 to start with, they didn’t all make the cut.)

To secure unanimous consent from all 56 signers, Thomas Jefferson had to choose his words wisely. Did you recognize his use of the word dissolve. It’s so unassuming and delicate while “cutting” right to the point. But what was Jefferson’s intent when he chose the words, “One People?” To answer this, it’s important to recognize that he was a lawyer. When Jefferson drafted the Declaration, he did it from a legal perspective. 

Jefferson was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1765 and specialized primarily in land disputes. By 1774, he had handled more than 900 matters, but they didn’t all involve land. In Howell v. Netherland (1770) he attempted to win the freedom of a mixed-race man he believed to be illegally bound to servitude. 

So, where does the concept of “one People” come from? Well, it is explained in John Locke’s “Second Treatise on Government.” Locke’s influence on Jefferson was immense as Thomas considered him one of “the three greatest men that have ever lived, without any exception, and as having laid the foundation of those superstructures which have been raised in the Physical and Moral sciences, (…)

To further illustrate Locke’s impact on Jefferson and the Declaration, just look to Richard Henry Lee. RH Lee is known for the “Lee Resolution,” where he motioned that the Second Continental Congress claim independence from Great Britain. Lee’s motion activated the committee to draft the Declaration. Lee noted that Jefferson had “borrowed from Locke’s writings,” particularly his “Second Treatise of Government.” 

Locke contends if individuals willingly unite and agree to relinquish some of their natural freedoms in exchange for the protection of their rights and property, they have become “One People.” 

Signing the Declaration was signing a Social Contract that established a collective identity and authority which would allow our Founders (and their posterity) to live together in a structured and just society. 

But how is a “just” society defined? What injustices were causing the separation from Great Brittan? Well, the signers all unanimously agreed it was “the Laws of Nature and of Natures God” that entitled them to the separation.

Sir William Blackstone wrote the “Commentaries on the Laws of England” where he divided the common laws of England into four volumes. The Rights of Persons, Things, Private Wrongs, and Public Wrongs. Blackston coined the phrase “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” It was a common legal term that Jefferson, as a lawyer, was intimately familiar with.

Blackstone claimed that certain rights and moral principles are inherent and can be understood through reason and observation of the natural world. The “laws” are fundamental moral principles that govern human conduct which was established by a divine Creator. 

In my feeble attempt to summarize Blackstone in a paragraph, he claims that the will of his Maker is called the Law of Nature. When God created matter, He established certain rules. He has enabled human reason to discover these principles: “that we should live honestly, should hurt nobody, and should render to everyone his due; to which three general precepts has reduced the whole doctrine of law.” 

So, where can you discover these laws of nature? Well, they are everywhere! It is a law of nature to defend yourself, your home, and your family. A tiny mouse will try to hurt you if you threaten its life, home, or offspring. It is a law of nature to peacefully assemble. Cows, horses, mules, pigs, birds, etc. peacefully assemble. It is a law of nature to accumulate things and disburse them as you choose. You will never see a chipmunk laying around waiting for some other creature to bring him nuts, but what you gatherer through your labor is rightfully yours. Abolitionists argued that slavery is not found in nature and therefore should not be perpetuated by men. 

The Laws of Nature were clear and observable to the British colonists. The king, they had pledged allegiance to, was no longer securing those rights, he was stripping them away, and it was purposeful, obvious, and direct. 

The Declaration is poetry, it is a lifetime’s worth of knowledge and understanding in very few words.