1. Declaration of Independence
Chapter 6

2. Common Sense
By the winter of 1775, the Patriots had been fighting Britain for months.
They were fighting to get Britain to repeal the Intolerable Acts and to stop taxes when they were not represented.
Many colonists were still reluctant to make the war about independence and cut their ties with Britain.
I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense . . .
A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine and published in 1776 changed that. It was called Common Sense.

3. Paine made his argument against British rule in two main points:
In Common Sense, Thomas Paine, urged colonists to cut their ties with Britain.
Hereditary succession has no claim. For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have the right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others forever, and tho’ himself might deserve some decent degree of honors of his cotemporaries, yet his descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them.
There is something exceedingly ridiculous in the composition of Monarchy; it first excludes a man from the means of information, yet empowers him to act in cases where the highest judgment is required.
Paine made his argument against British rule in two main points:
1. He said that the idea of having monarchs was wrong.

4. 2. Paine said that the colonists did not owe anything to Britain because any help that the British had given to the colonies was done so for their own profit.
Small islands not capable of protecting themselves are the proper objects for kingdoms to take under their care; but there is something very absurd in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.

5. Declaration of Independence
Common Sense changed many colonists minds on the idea of independence and it also changed many of the delegates to the Continental Congress minds as well.
Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced the idea of independence to Congress in June 1776.
The delegates faced a difficult decision. Once they declared independence there would be no turning back they would be traitors to Britain and if caught they would be hanged.

6. The Continental Congress set up a committee to draw up a formal declaration of independence.
Thomas Jefferson
John Adams
Benjamin Franklin
Roger Sherman
Robert Livingston
Sherman
Franklin
Jefferson
Adams
Livingston

7. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to draft the declaration.
Jefferson was chosen because he was a good writer, he was well respected and he was from Virginia.
Franklin and Adams added some points to Declaration before presenting it to the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776

8. Congress debated the Declaration and made some revisions, such as taking out the slavery clause.
Congress voted to accept the Declaration on July 4, 1776.
John Hancock, the president of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration first.

9. Richard Henry Lee Thomas Jefferson Roger Sherman Benjamin Franklin
Robert Livingston
Benjamin Franklin
John Adams
John Hancock
Richard Henry Lee

11. Preamble: introduction to the Declaration
“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 entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.”

12. Main part #1 Natural Rights
This section describes the rights that belong to all people from birth and why we have governments.
“WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Truths
self-evident
endowed
unalienable

13. “That, to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.”
People form governments in order to protect their natural rights and liberties.
These governments can only exist if the people have given them this power.

14. “that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…”
If a government does not protect the natural rights of the people then they have the right to abolish that government and set up a new government.

15. Laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn , that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
You should not rebel for “light and transient” causes – you should not rebel for the little things
Man is more likely to continue to live in sufferable terms because they are used to it then to right the situation by rebelling.

16. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is they duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
When a government is abusing its people it is the people right and duty to overthrow that government and provide security for the people

17. The colonies have suffered at the hand of the King of Great Britain.
Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is the history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this let facts be submitted to a candid world.
The colonies have suffered at the hand of the King of Great Britain.
We will prove how….

18. Main part #2 British Wrongs
The second part of the Declaration lists the wrongs that led the Americans to break away from Britain.
All of the blame is put on the King of Britain, King George III.

19. Problems with Great Britain:
The Declaration lists 27 grievances with the king.
Problems with Great Britain:
Not allowing colonial legislatures to meet
Limiting the trade of the colonies
Taxes without the consent of the people
Quartering troops

20. In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
The colonists had petitioned the king to correct these injustices yet nothing changed.
And a ruler who did this was a tyrant and not fit to rule.

21. Main part #3 Independence
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved….

22. The last part of the Declaration announces that the colonies are the United States of America.
They cut all political ties with Britain.
They appeal to the world to recognize them as an independent nation.