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Julian Bell
Mr. Mendez
Social Science
13 October 2015
Interview with Family on the Significance of the Declaration of Independence
Upon inquiring members of my family, namely my mother and father, on the
significance of the Declaration of Independence and the documents relevance to America today,
varying opinions were recorded. On some issues, my parents completely agreed with each
others responses as often times their answers were almost identical. In other areas however, my
parents differed greatly especially in regards to the documents place in modern American
society. Nevertheless, abundant amounts of information was gathered that as a result, provided
me with a better understanding of the objective as well as the cultural practices that the founding
fathers were engaged in around the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In
total, six questions were presented to my family which covered a wide array of topics regarding
the Declarations eminent significance in American society. The first question required my
parents to state whether this historical document holds significance in current American society
and to expound upon their view. The second question I presented asked them if they believe the
Declaration has influenced past leaders in America in specifically improving the lives of others.
My parents were then asked to further explain their positions. Thirdly, I asked them whether the
Declaration of Independence has had any profound effect or personal impact on them in any way.
The fourth question dealt with whether my parents considered the signers of the Declaration to
be heroes and if not, what would they consider them to be.

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I then asked them how the idea of Enemies in War, in Peace Friends, an excerpt taken directly
from the Declaration of Independence, holds true in regards to U.S. foreign relations. The final
question in which my mother and father were asked was whether or not as a whole, the United
States currently upholds the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence. In other words,
if the founding fathers were alive today, would they be proud of America in its current state of
affairs? The following are brief answers to the above topics, keeping in mind that some of the
responses might contradict the information recently discussed in class.
In response to the first question, my father stated that the Declaration of Independence
only holds historical relevance. He went on to say that the document has no relevance in modern
politics unlike the Constitution. The Declaration had a limited purpose which was to separate
from England, my father said. It was formal and typical of that time period and thus, the
document serves no other purposes today. On the other hand, the Constitution is a living,
breathing document that is interpreted in various ways as time goes on. Upon asking my
mother the same question, she said that the Declaration is still significant in current American
society because it is the basis on which the country was formed and that the basic premise of
it should still be adhered to. Based on these two responses, my mother and father varied greatly
on these issues as my father views the document as being outdated while my mother still believes
the Declaration serves an important purpose. In response to the second question, my father
stated that the Declaration has not really influenced past leaders in improving the lives of others.
He went on to say that the Declaration was created with only whites in mind. He further
explained, At the time, it did not address people of color. When I brought up the fact that Dr.
Martin Luther King in his I Have a Dream speech, made various allusions to the Declaration,
my father responded by stating that this was more of a rhetorical technique than anything else.

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My father specifically stated, Dr. King was alluding to Anglo-American hypocrisy as well as
appealing to Anglo-Americans.

My father further stated that the founding fathers made a

conscious decision to own slaves mainly for economic benefits. Upon asking my mother this
same question, she stated that past leaders have been influenced by the Declaration, but only to a
certain extent. My mother goes on to state that many leaders of America have not practiced the
portion of the Declaration that states, All men are created equal. From his personal standpoint,
my father responded to the third question by claiming that, The Declaration has had no
profound effect on me. It is a formal document that was only relevant to the revolutionaries and
England. My mother on the other hand, responded by stating that the document has had an
effect on how she views the country. She continued by saying, Having been born and raised in
this country, some of the basic premises of the Declaration have served as the framework and
support of the country. I do not consider them to be heroes, my father immediately said in
response to the fourth question. Firstly, the signers of the Declaration were either white
supremacists or slave owners.

Secondly, they began genocide against Native Americans.

Thirdly, England viewed American militant activity as revolutionary, by todays standards it

qualifies as terrorism. My mother had a similar response to this question. She stated that she
also did not view them as heroes but instead, a group of upper class people who were on a quest
for money and in the pursuit of their own empowerment. In response to the question about U.S.
foreign relations with other countries, my father responded by stating that the quote, Enemies in
War, in Peace Friends from the Declaration, sometimes holds true. Heres why, he said.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are considered frenemies to the United States. (That is they are
considered friends and enemies at the same time). For example, Saudi Arabia is considered a
major financer to the 9/11 attacks.

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Yet they are supposed to be our ally. My mother responded to this same question by stating that
the excerpt does hold true in regards to American foreign relations. She said, At certain points
your enemy in war becomes your ally in peace. Germany is an obvious example. We also
bombed Japan and now they are our allies. The sixth and final question was one in which my
parents fully agreed upon. They both maintain that the founding fathers would not be proud of
modern America due to the current progression of rights for various groups of people. My
parents maintain that without slavery, the founding fathers would be unsatisfied with the current
culture. In other words, my parents believe that the signers of the Declaration only considered
white males to be respected individuals that were to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. In summation, it was a very interesting as well as rewarding experience to have my
parents comment on such controversial issues.

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Original Interview Questions

1. Is the Declaration of Independence still significant to America today? Explain why or
why not.
2. Do you think this document has influenced past leaders of America in improving the lives
of others? Explain why or why not.
3. Has the declaration had any profound effect on you (maybe inspired you in any way).
Explain why or why not.
4. Would you consider the signers of the declaration to be heroes? If not what would you
consider them to be?
5. Towards the end of the declaration it states, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. Does
this excerpt hold true to U.S. foreign relations? Explain.
6. As a whole, do you think the United States today upholds the ideas in the Declaration of
Independence? In other words, if the founding fathers were alive today, do you think
they would be proud of America in its current state?