In this book, author, Carl Lotus Becker, examines the political ideas behind the Declaration of Independence. In this thorough analysis of the most famous political document in the American history, Becker covers several important aspects of the Declaration: the theory of natural rights, the view the colonists had of their place in the British Empire, and the literary qualities of the document. The Declaration of Independence Historical Antecedents of the Declaration: The Natural Rights Philosophy Historical Antecedents of the Declaration: Theory of the British Empire Drafting the Declaration The Literary Qualities of the Declaration The Philosophy of the Declaration in the Nineteenth Century