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Causes of the RevolutionSocial Studies Unit 5 Lesson 3

+Lesson 3

Big Question: Why did the colonists declare independence?

Main Ideas: Colonists felt they were being deprived of their rights. Many Patriots worked together to draft the Declaration of

Independence.

+Key Terms & People

Patriot: someone who felt the colonies should separate from Britain.

Loyalist: someone who felt the colonies should remain loyal to Britain.

Propaganda: information written to persuade others to change their way of thinking.

+Thomas Paine

Patriot whose writings supported American Independence.

Wrote Common Sense in January 1776, arguing that people have the right to rule themselves.

Convinced many colonists that the time had come to declare independence.

+Thomas Jefferson

Main author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States. Wrote in the Declaration of Independence that the colonies

ought to be “free and independent states.” Served as President from 1801-1809.

+John Hancock

American leader during the Revolution who was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. Was the only delegate to sign the

Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Became the first elected governor of Massachusetts in 1780.

+Textbook Answers

1. They were British citizens but didn’t have the same rights as those who lived in Great Britain. The colonies weren’t allowed to send representatives to Parliament. They couldn’t vote on issues and taxes that directly affected them. Colonists had asked many times for greater freedom but Britain always refused.

2. As conflicts arose… In June 1776… This document was called… Congress approved the…

3. Summary: It was important because the document explained why the colonists wanted freedom from Britain. It gave them a reason to fight for independence, and its ideas about government had a lasting influence.

+Timeline

July 1776: The Declaration of Independence is approved.

+The Risks of Freedom

1. John Hancock

2. Franklin talked about being hanged; the Declaration says that its signers are pledging their lives, fortunes, and honor in support of its ideas.

+Worksheet Answers

1. Jefferson wrote that “all men are created equal” and have “unalienable rights.” Colonists thought the British had abused their rights. Jefferson wrote that the colonies ought to be “free and independent states.”

2. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense argued that people should have the right to govern themselves rather than be ruled by a king.

3. Possible Answer: The colonists risked war with Britain, a powerful nation. They risked losing their homes and lives.

4. Possible Answer: Right: The colonists felt they didn’t have any input in how they were being ruled. Wrong: The Revolutionary War caused many lives to be lost.

+Another Video to Summarize

The Causes of the American Revolutionary War