A Declaration of Independence

Standard 1

• Justify the founding fathers rejection of British Rule and declaration of independence.

I. The Colonial PeriodII. Uniting for Independence

Thomas Jefferson

The Colonial Period

– Colonists were use to representative governments and laws written by the people for the people.

• Research the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, John Locke, Mayflower Compact, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and The Virginia House of Burgesses.

•After the settlement of the thirteen colonies…

Natural Rights

Based on the ideas of John Locke, colonist believed or were starting to believe:

1. People are born with Natural Rights2. People create gov’t to protect those rights3. If gov’t fails, people change it4. Life, liberty, and property

Sound familiar?

*More on Locke, read Two Treatise on Government

Uniting for Independence

Two Events Changed It All…

• French and Indian War weakened Britain's hold on the continent.– French driven out, colonists believed they did not

need British protection anymore…

• King George III disagreed.– Needed Colonists to pay war debt.– And who did those Colonists think they were

anyway!

TAXES, TAXES, TAXES

• King George’s answer was taxes on the most necessary items: tea, sugar, glass, paper, etc…

• The Colonists fought back.

Research – Stamp Act– Intolerable Acts– Boston Tea Party– Boston Massacre

Two Worlds

• As tensions grew, delegates from the colonies began to unite and brainstorm ways to deal with King George

• Also, at the same time incidents of physical conflicts between colonists and the British were growing.

Continental CongressFirst: 1776 Philadelphia, 12 Colonies

-Patrick Henry, George Washington, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee-Embargo on British Goods-Lexington and Concord April 1776

Research: “Shot heard ‘round the World” Battle of Lexington and Concord and “Give Me Liberty an Give Me Death” Speech of Patrick Henry.

Continental Congress

Second: Where the magic happened!- Three weeks after “The shot heard ‘round the

world” all 13 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia.

- Assumed powers of the CENTRAL GOV’T- Washington made commander of the

CONTINENTAL ARMY

It got real, real fast…. In came the BIG GUNS: Hancock, Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams were all there.

The Declaration CommitteeA committee was form to draft a declaration of

independence.

Jefferson wrote the first draft with Adams and Franklin by his side.

But immediately there was a problem….

SLAVERYJefferson included in the list of offenses the King had inflicted on the colonists was the oppression of slavery.

Virginia and the Southern delegates would NOT have it in the declaration and thus they DEBATED….

And prayed….

And DEBATED….

July 4, 1776

• In true form of the government the colonists were destined to create…

• THEY COMPROMISED and slavery was taken out, but of course not forgotten as US History sees 50 years late.

• John Hancock was the first sign and thus had the largest signature.

• By signing the Declaration the delegates were committing treason punishable by death.

• It was ratified on July 4, 1776 Independence Day.

The Film 1776

Watch the Broadway musical 1776-Not a 100% accurate-Fast-forward through the slow songs if you hate musicals

BUT it is a great portrayal of what the delegates went through to declare independence.

The Declaration of Independence

Three Parts:1. Begins with a statement of purpose

most Americans are familiar with this part:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

The Declaration of IndependenceRead a copy of the Declaration of Independence in it’s entirety.

Three Parts:1. Begins with a statement of purpose

most Americans are familiar with this part:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

2. Next is a middle section listing very specific complaints against King George. For example:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury

3. The concluding paragraph is the colonists formal statement of separation from the king.

Read “The Americans Who Risked Everything”

by Rush Limbaugh III

Assessment

• Time to answer Standard 1. • Do additional research and reading if you feel

you are not ready…• Essay, PowerPoint, Newspaper (5 min

articles), etc… are all means in which you can prove your mastery of the standard.

• If you have an additional idea get instructor approval first.

GOOD LUCK!