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The Declaration of Independence and Principles of Government

Towards a More Perfect Union: A Series

Delve into the Declaration of Independence with us. What power did it hold? How did it change the course of American history? Dr. Jim Gibb will present on this revolutionary document.

While not a legal document as such—it was a declaration of will and lacked the force of law—the Declaration asserted the Second Continental Congress’ theory of government. This theory proposed that government was a trust instrumentality of a society designed to secure members of that society in their persons and property, and to protect their rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. It says nothing about how the new nation would govern itself. This presentation is a conversation about those principles.

During this series, we will explore the deficiencies of the initial Articles of Confederation, the further refinement of such ideas as the sovereignty of the People, and the development of our Nation’s “owners’ manual,” the document that instructs government as to its role in American society and the US Constitution’s constraints on government.

This presentation will be held live over Zoom. It will also be recorded and uploaded to the St. Mary's County Library YouTube channel.

If you would like to attend this event live and/or watch the recording, please register with an email address to receive the Zoom link the day before the event. The YouTube link to the recording will be emailed to everyone who registers for this program.

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