Declaration of Independence

Audience

The Declaration of Independence essentially had three audiences: the American colonists, the British government, and the people of the world. In declaring the states' independence, the Continental Congress first sought to persuade as many colonists as possible to take part in the Revolution. Taking on the most powerful nation in the world was an enormous risk, and the chances for success seemed quite slim. This aspect of the document reveals an obvious narrow self-interest, but the Revolution was also to be fought for timeless and universal principles. No revolution can be successful without a significant portion of the population backing the rebels, and uncertainty remained regarding just how much support could be mustered for the revolt against Great Britain. In that sense, the Declaration of Independence was one grand piece of recruiting propaganda aimed at inspiring the people to take up arms against the British. As such, it indeed proved quite effective.

The Declaration of Independence was, of course, also aimed at the British government—but it was likewise aimed at the British people. Some sympathy for the American cause could be found both in the Parliament and among the British people, and the colonists were waging a battle for British public opinion as much as they were informing the government of Great Britain that they were declaring independence.

Finally, the Declaration of Independence was aimed at a worldwide audience. The framers were men of the Enlightenment—often referred to as the Age of Reason—and felt compelled to make the case for revolution to an audience of like-minded persons who might be persuaded that, indeed, their cause was just and their goals admirable. Believing that honorable men would rally to the cause of freedom, the Founding Fathers sought to make their case against the British government and for the rights for which they were fighting.