1. Declaring Independence
Guiding Question:
By signing the Declaration of Independence the American Colonists became traitors to the British Empire. Why did they decide to do this when their chances of winning the Revolution were so weak?

2. Paine’s Common Sense
“A government of our own is our natural right; and when a man seriously reflects on the uncertainty of human affairs, he will become convinced that it is …wiser and safer to form a constitution of our own.”
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense sold 620,000 copies throughout the world.

3. Paine’s Common Sense
Paine’s message: Countries should be ruled by laws made by the people “not the monarchies.”
Paine’s ideas influenced the members of the Second Continental Congress so that they wanted independence from Britain.

4. The Declaration of Independence
In June John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman & Robert Livingston were asked to write a document declaring the America colonies independent.

5. The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson became the Declaration of Independence’s primary author.
July 4, 1776 – The Second Continental Congress declares independence from Britain - signing the Declaration. John Hancock, President of the Congress, was first to sign.

6. Preamble
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitled them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

7. The Declaration of Independence is a break up letter and list of complaints against King George. They included:
“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”
“ He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly for opposing his invasions on the rights of the people.” [Disbanding their colonial charters & legislatures]

8. King George III was therefore “unfit to be the ruler of a free people” … and it was “their duty to throw off such government.”

9. Writing Prompt:
What does the Declaration of Independence declare?