What you might not know about the Declaration of Independence - Kenneth C. Davis

Ovo možda ne znate o Deklaraciji nezavisnosti - Kenet K. Dejvis (Kenneth C. Davis)

Prevodilac: Mile Živković Lektor: Anca Dimovska

"All men are created equal

"Svi ljudi su stvoreni jednaki

and they are endowed with the rights to

i data su im prava

life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

na život, slobodu i težnju za srećom."

Not so fast, Mr. Jefferson!

Gde ste krenuli, gospodine Džeferson!

These words from the Declaration of Independence,

Ove reči iz Deklaracije nezavisnosti

and the facts behind them, are well known.

i činjenice iza njih, su dobro poznate.

In June of 1776,

Juna 1776,

a little more than a year after the war against England began

nešto više od godinu dana nakon što je počeo rat s Engleskom

with the shots fired at Lexington and Concord,

pucnjima u Leksingtonu i Konkordu,

the Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia

Kontinentalni kongres se sastao u Filadelfiji

to discuss American independence.

da priča o američkoj nezavisnosti.

After long debates, a resolution of independence

Nakon dugih rasprava, odluka o nezavisnosti

was approved on July 2, 1776.

odobrena je 2. jula 1776.

America was free!

Amerika je bila slobodna!

And men like John Adams thought we would celebrate that date forever.

Ljudi poput Džona Adamsa mislili su da ćemo zauvek slaviti taj datum.

But it was two days later that the gentlemen in Congress

Ali dva dana kasnije, gospoda iz Kongresa

voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence,

glasala su da se usvoji Deklaracija nezavisnosti,

largely written by Thomas Jefferson,

koju je većinom napisao Tomas Džeferson,

offering all the reasons why the country should be free.

pružajući sve razloge zašto bi zemlja trebala da bude slobodna.

More than 235 years later,

VIše od 235 godina kasnije,

we celebrate that day as America's birthday.

taj dan slavimo kao rođendan Amerike.

But there are some pieces of the story you may not know.

Ali postoje neki delovi priče koje možda ne znate.

First of all, Thomas Jefferson gets the credit

Pre svega, Tomas Džeferson dobija zasluge

for writing the Declaration,

za pisanje Deklaracije,

but five men had been given the job

ali petorici ljudi je poveren posao

to come up with a document explaining why

da smisle dokument koji objašnjava

America should be independent:

zašto Amerika treba da bude nezavisna:

Robert Livingston,

Robertu Livingstonu,

Roger Sherman,

Rodžeru Šermanu,

Benjamin Franklin and

Bendžaminu Frenklinu

John Adams were all named first.

i Džonu Adamsu.

And it was Adams who suggested that the young,

Adams je bio taj koji je predložio da im se pridruži

and little known, Thomas Jefferson join them

mladi i malo poznati Tomas Džeferson

because they needed a man from the influential Virginia Delegation,

jer im je bio potreban čovek iz uticajne delegacije iz Virdžinije

and Adams thought Jefferson was a much better writer than he was.

i Adams je mislio da je Džeferson dosta bolji pisac od njega.

Second, though Jefferson never used footnotes,

Drugo, iako Džeferson nikad nije koristio fusnote

or credited his sources,

ili navodio svoje izvore,

some of his memorable words and phrases were borrowed

neke od njegovih čuvenih reči i fraza bile su pozajmljene

from other writers and slightly tweaked.

od drugih pisaca i pomalo izmenjene.

Then, Franklin and Adams offered a few suggestions.

Onda su Frenklin i Adams izneli nekoliko predloga.

But the most important change came after the Declaration

Ali najbitnija promena nastala je nakon što je Deklaracija

was turned over to the full Congress.

prosleđena u pun Kongres.

For two days, a very unhappy Thomas Jefferson

Dva dana, veoma nesrećni Tomas Džeferson

sat and fumed while his words were picked over.

sedeo je i pušio dok su mu pretresali reči.

In the end, the Congress made a few, minor word changes,

Na kraju, Kongres je uneo nekoliko malih ispravki u rečima

and one big deletion.

i izbrisao jednu veliku stvar.

In the long list of charges that Jefferson made

Na dugoj listi optužbi koje je Džeferson izneo

against the King of England,

protiv engleskog kralja,

the author of the Declaration had included the idea

autor deklaracije uključio je ideju

that George the Third was responsible for the slave trade,

da je Džordž treći bio odgovoran za trgovinu robovima

and was preventing America from ending slavery.

i sprečavao Ameriku da zaustavi robovlasništvo.

That was not only untrue,

Ovo ne samo da je bilo neistinito,

but Congress wanted no mention of slavery

već Kongres nije želeo da se robovlasništvo

in the nation's founding document.

spominje u dokumentu o osnivanju nacije.

The reference was cut out

Referenca je izbačena

before the Declaration was approved and sent to the printer.

pre nego što je Deklaracija odobrena i poslata na štampanje.

But it leaves open the hard question:

Ali to ostavlja otvorenim teško pitanje:

How could the men,

kako su ljudi

who were about to sign a document,

koji su trebali da potpišu dokument

celebrating liberty and equality,

koji slavi slobodu i jednakost

accept a system in which some people owned others?

mogli da prihvate sistem u kom su neki ljudi posedovali druge?

It is a question that

To je pitanje koje će

would eventually bring the nation to civil war

na kraju dovesti naciju do građanskog rata

and one we can still ask today.

i pitanje koje postavljamo i danas.