Declaring Independence

Write a break up letter (general)  Pretend the colonies and the British Empire are dating  The colonies feel like the British Empire isn’t treating them well  Write a break up letter that includes at least 4-5 specific details as to why the colonies are breaking up with the British Empire  Sign your name large at the bottom  Put your name in the upper right hand corner of the sheet of paper and turn it into our homework bin

What should we do?? (honors)  Divide into 5 groups  Sit with your group  When you are in groups I will give you one issue to handle  Look at your notes and the textbook to see what all the colonists had to deal with, regarding your issue  Spend time thinking about how you would address the various issues the colonists are dealing with (What would you do, how would you finance it, what would you do if your initial plan failed?)

The Second Continental Congress  Met in 1775  “No Taxation Without Representation”  Said British didn’t address the first congress’s complaints  Key Leaders  Massachusetts: John Adams, Sam Adams  Virginia: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry  Pennsylvania: Ben Franklin Did not discuss leaving the British Empire at first

Key Actions of Second Continental Congress  Printed money  Set up post office  Made committees for Native American relationships  Made foreign affairs committees  Made Continental Army (Put Washington in charge)

Olive Branch Petition  Congress sent petition to George III  Told king they wanted peace  Asked him to protect colonists’ rights  King rejected petition and prepared for war!  King hired 30,000 German troops (Hessians) to help fight

War Heats Up  Colonists defend New York from an attack from British forces in Canada  Washington realizes his troops were undisciplined and undersupplied  March After getting reorganized, Washington surprise attacks British forces in Boston and wins  British retreat to Canada

Moving Toward Independence  Thomas Paine published “Common Sense” in 1776  Gave reasons why America should obviously declare independence  Greatly influenced opinion across colonies

Declaring Independence  Richard Henry Lee (VA) proposes Congress to vote for independence  Congress debated Lee’s proposal  While Congress debated they had John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and others work on a declaration

Writing the Declaration  Jefferson did the writing  Believed people had unalienable rights that governments couldn’t take  Listed complaints colonies had against the king  Congress approved the Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776 after making some edits  First signer: John Hancock