1. The Declaration of Independence

2. Warm Up: 11/20
What do you see in this image? What famous document is being drafted? Cite evidence from the image to support your idea.

3. The Declaration of Independence, John Trumbull
Background on Delegates
You may want to share this information with students:
Fifty-six delegates to the Second Continental Congress (mostly well-educated white men) signed the Declaration of Independence.
Among the groups not represented in the Congress were African Americans, women, working classes, Loyalists, and American Indians. Voting rights at the time were generally extended only to white male property owners, who made up one of every four colonists.
Background on the Painting
An assortment of colonial flags are displayed on the wall. Each flag bears the red cross of St. George, a symbol of the colonies' allegiance to Great Britain.
In the center of the flags is a drum, used in this era to keep a beat for marching soldiers. The drum symbolizes the state of war between Great Britain and the colonies.
The Declaration of Independence, John Trumbull
This famous painting shows the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In the center is the committee—including John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin—responsible for drafting the Declaration of Independence. Here, they present their final draft to the president of the Continental Congress, John Hancock.

4. The Declaration of Independence
The war with England begins after the blows at Lexington and Concord… and the Colonists need an officer to lead their Continental army.
You’ve probably seen me on the dollar bill…
(he was young and trim back then!)
He had experience! (from French and Indian war)
George Washington is
nominated to lead
the troops.

5. The Declaration of Independence
The feud was the British against the colonists,
fighting in the American colonies.
(Lobsterbacks)
(Patriots)
VS.
King George III
and the British
The Colonists
(Continental Army)

6. The Declaration of Independence
So battles began near Boston…
The Battle of Bunker Hill
The Siege of Boston
Washington rounded up guns, cannons,
and gunpowder
Patriots surrounded Boston
British troops in Boston retreated by
boat to Canada
“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
-General Israel Putnam, Patriots
1,000 British troops killed, 500 Patriots killed

7. The Declaration of Independence
Colonists realized they had to fight for their freedom.
Olive Branch Petition
Common Sense
Olive branch = symbol of peace
Petition sent to King George III to
ask him to end the fight between
Britain and the colonies.
King George called the colonists
traitors so the colonists decided
to fight for their freedom.
By Thomas Paine
Expressed outrage at the British
120,000 copies sold
Helped develop camaraderie in the
colonies and convinced colonists to fight
for their freedom.

8. The Declaration of Independence
A Formal Statement of Independence
Thomas Jefferson = main author
Benjamin Franklin
offered advice
John Adams
offered advice
July 4, 1776
God gives people certain rights
that can’t be taken away. King
George has been a tyrant and has
abused the rights of the colonists.
“The United Colonies are… free
and independent states.”
People are born with their rights!
They wrote this to formally separate from Great Britain and to EXPLAIN why they were doing so.

9. Imagine…
... you wake up to discover that 100 middle-schoolers have been stranded on an island. There is no boat, no plane, no way off. You hear the sound of a fresh-water stream, and you see a jungle where there is likely to be food and materials you can use to build shelter. You have no modern technology to help you and no adults to tell you what to do. There are no rules and no one in charge.
What happens?

10. State of Nature John Hobbes John Locke
Man is by nature selfishly individualistic
Man constantly at war with other men
Fear of violent death is sole motivation to create civilizations
Men need to be controlled by absolute sovereignty to avoid brutish behavior
John Locke
Men are by nature reasonable creatures
In a state of nature all men should be free to govern own actions
reason teaches that "no one ought to harm another in his life, liberty, and or property”
Harming another’s rights should be punished

11. What do you think?
Do people have natural rights? If so, what are they?

12. Scan the Declaration What does the Preamble say?
What are some key ideas expressed in the second paragraph?
Look at the long list beginning with the words “He has refused his Assent.” What is this a list of?
It says the Declaration will tell the world why the colonies believe they should be independent
All men are created equal and have such basic rights as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is a list of “grievances” charges that explain how the king has violated the colonists’ rights? It was included to prove that the king should not have the power to rule over the colonies.

13. Scan the Declaration (2)
Can you connect any of the charges to events you have learned about before?
What do the representatives solemnly declare in the last paragraph?
quartering, imposing taxes without consent
They declare these “united colonies are free and independent states”