The Birth of a Democratic Nation Chapter 2 Section 2 Notes

Declaration of Independence The document that declared that the American colonies were independent from the government of Great Britain. It established America as its own nation.

What led to the Declaration of Independence? Mercantilism – the British wanted to raise money by charging the colonists high taxes. The colonists said it was unfair to be taxed by Parliament without representation in Parliament. “No Taxation Without Representation!” Stamp Act – It placed a tax on all important documents. This caused the colonists to boycott British goods. Declaratory Act – It declared that England could make all of the decisions for the colonies

What led to the Declaration of Independence? 4. Townshend Act – It taxed all goods imported to the colonies like paper, glass, tea, and lead. 5. Tea Act – It allowed the British East India Tea Company to sell tea tax free. This hurt the colonial tea companies because they were forced to charge a higher price. 6. Coercive or Intolerable Acts – They suspended the individual rights of colonists and allowed British soldiers to search and move into the colonists’ homes.

Boston Tea Party 1773 The colonists were outraged by the Tea Act. A group of colonists dressed up like Native Americans and dumped 342 chests of British tea into the Boston Harbor. Parliament was angry and so they passed the Intolerable Acts.

The Boston Tea Party

In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense to try and raise support for independence.

1st Continental Congress Sept. 1774 Twelve of the colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia to discuss the problems with Britain. They sent a document to King George asking him to give the colonists rights, and they extended the boycott of British goods.

2nd Continental Congress May 1775 Delegates discussed how to stop Britain’s mistreatment of the colonies. Some colonists favored independence, but others did not want to declare independence because they thought the colonies would lose a war with Britain. The delegates appointed a committee to write a document to declare independence from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson did most of the writing.

What did the Declaration of Independence do? 1. It explained the colonists needed to be independent because the British government treated the colonists unfairly.

What did the Declaration of Independence do? 2. It explained that the colonists believed every person had certain unalienable rights, rights that could not be taken away.

What did the Declaration of Independence do? 3. It declared that the purpose of government was to protect the rights of the people and that the people had the right to overthrow government if it did not protect their rights.

What did the Declaration of Independence do? 4. It declared the colonies were free states, independent of Great Britain.

John Locke, a philosopher who heavily influenced Thomas Jefferson’s writing in the Declaration of Independence. John Locke believed that all people had the rights to “life, liberty, and property.” He believed that the power of the government comes from the Consent of the Governed

The Social Contract Theory developed by John Locke It holds that government is a contract between citizens and government. The people agree to give up some of their freedoms and submit to the decisions of the government. In return, the citizens get protection from the government.

Independence Day On July 4th, 1776 the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. The United States became an independent nation at that time, but Great Britain did not recognize the U.S. as a country until after the Revolutionary War.