Celebrate Freedom Week

Oklahoma students join together in November to Celebrate our Freedoms!

What ARE our Freedoms?

We can find them in a very important paper…

Written many years ago in 1776…

The Declaration of Independence

When American was young,

we were ruled by England’s king.

But in July of 1776,

leaders from the

Americans colonies met

to declare we wanted

our independenc

e!

They sent a written message to the king,

asking for freedoms and the right to rule

themselves!

Several American leaders

helped write the

Declaration of

Independence, like John Adams and Benjamin Franklin…

But the final job

was done by

Thomas Jefferson

of Virginia.

Americans wanted to

explain why ruling themselves

was important.

On July 4th, the Declaration of Independence was read

aloud to everyone!

This is why we celebrate the 4th of July and why

we study the Declaration of Independence this

November during Celebrate Freedom Week!

So, what does the

Declaration of

Independence say?

Here are some of its most important words and

ideas…

Americans believed that they should be treated

equally…

“We hold these truths to be

self-evident, that all men

are created equal …”

Americans believe we all have rights to be free…

What are these “rights”

?The right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

These basic rights are unalienable-

this means that everyone is born with them and

no one can take them away.

“…that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable

Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the

pursuit of Happiness.”

And what is one of the most important jobs for our government ?

“…That to secure these rights,

Governments are instituted among

Men,”

Americans believe that governments should protect our freedoms (our rights.)

Americans also believe that we are the ones

who say what government should do for us…

We have the POWER!

“…deriving their just powers

from the consent of the

governed.”

So what happened after the colonies declared their independence?

The colonists had to fight a war to get their independence!

Since then, other countries have read our Declaration of Independence

and have made sure their government

protect their freedoms!

Let’s recite the Declaration of Independence together!

“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.”

“…That to secure these rights,

Governments are instituted among

Men,”

“…deriving their just powers

from the consent of the

governed.”

Celebrate Freedom Week

Created for Edmond Public Schools

Sources:Documents of Freedom, by Judith

Yero and theNational Archives and Records

Administration