The Declaration of Arbroath

The Declaration of Arbroath is a declaration of Scottish independence. It was written in Latin in the form of a letter. It was submitted to Pope John XXII on 6 April 1320 with the intent of confirming Scotland's status as an independent, sovereign state. It also intended to defend Scotland's right to use military action when unjustly attacked. The Declaration was part of a broader diplomatic campaign which sought to assert Scotland's position as an independent kingdom, rather than being a feudal land controlled by England's Norman kings.

The First War of Scottish Independence was the initial chapter in a series of warring periods between English and Scottish forces. It lasted from the invasion by England in 1296 until the Treaty of Edinburgh- Northampton in 1328.

William Wallace was a man of faith. He grew up in a prominent Christian family, and he learned early to develop strong convictions toward prayer and the importance of seeking God’s will. Wallace rose to prominence in May 1297, when he killed Sir William Haselrig, the English sheriff of Lanark, and members of his garrison at Lanark. When news of Wallace's latest attack on the English rippled throughout Scotland, men rallied to him.

Well educated, spoke four languages Able to strategize tactically, strong leader Raised an army of countrymen to fight English Motivated by freedom

In March 1298, Wallace was knighted, reputedly by one of the leading nobles of Scotland, and was appointed Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland. Although the Scottish nobles accepted Wallace's leadership after the Battle of Stirling Bridge, he had little faith in their support and set about dismantling the system of feudal vassalage.

He is quoted as said, "No man holds his flesh and blood in hatred, and I am no exception. I must join my own people and the nation in whom I was born.“ William Wallace was finally captured at Robroyston near Glasgow on 3 August He was hanged, then drawn and quartered, and his head placed on a spike on London Bridge. De facto independence was established in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn.

Sir James Fergusson quoted Wallace to have said, “My son, freedom is best, I tell thee truth, of all things to be won. Then never live within the bond of slavery.” Wallace desired people to treasure and protect liberty with their own lives, seeing it as the only certainty for the continuance of the church, the family and the nation. His heroic martyrdom for freedom’s sake demonstrates the intensity of his passion for freedom.

 They were that Scotland had always been independent, indeed far longer than England;  that Edward I of England had unjustly attacked Scotland and perpetrated atrocities;  that Robert the Bruce had delivered the Scottish nation from this peril;  and, most controversially, that the independence of Scotland was the prerogative of the Scottish people, rather than the King of Scots.

Of the 56 signatories of the US Declaration of Independence, it is estimated that at the least a third were either Scots by birth or of Scottish descent. This number is estimated by some to rise to three-quarters. Jefferson was of Scottish descent, tracing his lineage back to King Robert I of Scotland. James Wilson, from a farming family in Fife, was influential in building America. He was one of only six to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution.

There are many similarities between the cries of freedom in both the Declaration of Arbroath and Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776

"As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself." Declaration of Arbroath, 6 April 1320

Two things make the Declaration of Arbroath the most important document in Scottish history. First it set the will and the wishes of the people above the King. Second, the manifesto affirmed the nation's independence without a battle. Instead, it justified it with a truth that is beyond nation and race. Man has a right to freedom and a duty to defend it with his life. Discuss this meaning of freedom.

John 8:31-32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” What does freedom mean to you? Are you willing to defend the truth?