The Declaration of Independence

The battles of Lexington and Concord shocked most Americans and more urgently than ever, they debated what the colonies should do.

We should Declare our Independen

ce

Maybe we should just

keep sending letters?

No one was more outspoken in his support for independence than Patrick Henry.

Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace – but there is no peace. I

know not what course others may take; but as

for me, GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME

DEATH!

Despite passionate words of Patriots like Patrick Henry most colonists….

A. Sided with the Loyalists against the Patriots

B. Were reluctant to start a war

May 10, 1775 – Second Continental Congress meet in Philadelphia

John Adams proposed Congress create a Continental Army made up of troops from all the colonies. To lead this army Adams nominated “a gentlemen whose skill and experience as an officer, whose…. Great talents and excellent universal character would unite the colonies better than any other person alive. That person was…….

George Washington

The delegates agreed. They unanimously elected Washington to be commander in

chief of the Continental Army.

The Battle of Bunker Hill

Meanwhile….. Militiamen near Boston were trying to protect Boston from further attacks.

On June 16, 1775, Israel Putnam led a few hundred men up Breed’s Hill and built a fort on the top of the hill.

The Fort worried British General William Howe.

Howe ordered an immediate attack. The British troops formed two long lines at the base of Breed’s Hill and marched up the slope. As the men got closer to the Americans, Putnam told his militiamen…

Don’t Fire Until you See the

Whites of their eyes!!

Only when the British were almost on top of them did the militia pull their triggers.

The British lines broke and fell back in confusion. The British attacked again, but the Americans stopped their

advance. Not until the 3rd try did the redcoats take the hill – but only because the Americans ran out of

gunpowder.

This clash which became known as the Battle of Bunker Hill, was short but bloody.

M

More than 1,000 British troops and only half that many Americans were killed or wounded.

Which of the following best describe the outcome of the Battle of Bunker Hill?

A. The British won decisively

B. The militia won by a narrow margin

C. The militia surrendered to the British

D. The British won but suffered many losses

General Washington takes command

Washington took command of the army shortly after Bunker Hill. His militia consisted of troops from all 13 colonies.

Washington worked hard to teach discipline and train troops for battle.

However, Washington soon learned that the army only had 36 barrels of gunpowder- enough for each soldier to fire just nine shots.

Washington starts a rumor

Washington started a rumor that he had 1,800 barrels of gunpowder and luckily the British believed it!

Meanwhile Washington sent desperate letters to the colonies begging for gunpowder.

Urgent: Please send gunpowder! NOW! - General Washington

Washington got his gunpowder, but still needed artillery –heavy guns, such as cannons to defend themselves against the British.

Washington sent Henry Knox to Fort Ticonderoga. Knox loaded 59 cannons onto huge sleds and dragged them 300 miles back to Boston. Knox’s sled also carried 2,300 pounds of lead for making bullets.

The British Abandon Boston

On march 4, 1776, the British in Boston awoke to a frightening sight. The ridges of Boston were filled with the continental cannons aimed at Boston.

What did the British do?A. Form Ranks and charge the colonists

B. The British left Boston and headed to Canada

C. The British convinced the King to stop taxing the colonists

Within days, General Howe abandoned Boston. More than 100 ships carrying ___________ British troops and 1,100 Loyalists left Boston Harbor.

Some Americans hoped the war was over, Washington knew it was only the _________

9,000

beginning.

Independence

A year passes with little talk of independence.

Many colonists still saw themselves as loyal British subjects. Then in early 1776 Thomas Paine published a pamphlet called Common Sense. Colonists

owe NO Loyalty to King George

American trade has suffered under British

ControlAmericans have been hurt by

being dragged into Britain’s European

WarsIf you love

mankind, you must oppose the

king. He is a tyrant!

Within a few months, more than 12,000 copies of Common Sense were printed in the colonies. Paine’s arguments helped persuade

thousands of colonists that independence was the key to a brighter future.

A Declaration is Drafted

A few weeks after the British left Boston, the 2nd continental congress appointed a committee to write a declaration, or formal statement of independence. The committee asked their youngest member –

Thomas Jefferson

When in the course of human events, one group of people find it necessary to break its ties with another…a decent respect to mankind requires

that they explain their actions

Jefferson’s job was to explain to the world why the colonies were choosing to separate from Britain and become independent.

Principles on which to base a new government

Jefferson’s explanation was simple but revolutionary

Jefferson based his thoughts on the principle (idea) of natural rights first stated by John Locke.

People have natural rights to life, liberty,

and property. ▫ Government is

created to protect the rights of

people ...

Jefferson was inspired by John Locke’s ideas

Natural rights - All people are born equal in God’s sight and all are entitled to the same basic rights

Jefferson wrote, “ 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.”

How are natural rights different from other rights?

A - People are born with natural rights

B – The government gives citizens natural rights

New GovernmentJefferson said, governments are formed “to secure these rights.” (Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness)

The governments power to rule comes from “the consent of the governed.” (THE POWER TO RULE COMES FROM THE PEOPLE (CITIZENS)

We have the POWER!!

The Declaration States…

If a government fails to protect people’s rights, “it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.”

The people can then create a new government that will protect “their safety and Happiness.”

The King’s CrimesJefferson claimed the King had shown no concern for the rights of the colonists and his policies created an absolute tyranny over the colonies.

As proof, Jefferson included a long list of the King’s abuses.

The time has come for the colonies’ ties to Great Britain to be broken. These United Colonies ought to be free and Independent States!!

The Final BreakOn July 1, 1776 – the 2nd Continental Congress met to decide the details of the Declaration of Independence.

The delegates liked most of what Jefferson wrote, except for a passage on slavery.

Jefferson had claimed King George had violated the “sacred rights of life and liberty…. Of a distant people by carrying them into slavery”

Why do you think the delegates didn’t like this passage?

A. Southerners feared it may lead to demands to free the slaves

B. New England merchants, who profited from the slave trade, might be offended

C. All delegates felt it was unfair to blame the King for enslaving Africans

D. All of the Above

There is no mention of slavery in the Declaration of Independence

The slave trade was important to the economy of many of the colonies.

TRIANGULAR TRADE

Which of the following best illustrates the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

It is a …

• A. framework for a new government

• B. long list of responsibilities for citizens

• C. Proclamation of freedom of religion, speech and assembly

• Statement of grievances and reasons for revolution

July, 4, 1776

The delegates approved the final version of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. When they signed the document they knew they were committing an act of ________________ against Great Britain.

treason