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Why the Declaration?

The Declaration of Independence didn’t design a government. Nevertheless, the Fourth of July has magical status.
Why the Declaration?
A reproduction of a painting by Clyde DeLand that shows Thomas Jefferson reading the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence to Benjamin Franklin. Library of Congress, Public Domain
Mark Bauerlein
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Commentary

As we approach the 250th anniversary of July 4, 1776, the sticklers of historical fact have a quick correction to make. It is this: The Declaration of Independence did not create the United States as we understand it. That didn’t happen until the Constitution was drafted and fully ratified a dozen years later. Why celebrate 1776 so much more than 1787?

Mark Bauerlein
Mark Bauerlein
Author
Mark Bauerlein is an emeritus professor of English at Emory University. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard, The Washington Post, the TLS, and the Chronicle of Higher Education.