Declaration of
Independence
Why did this come up?
• no taxation without
representation!
• Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
– break away from Great Britain
because they will not
compromise or work with the
colonies
• John Locke & the Rights of
Man:
• Life, liberty, property
Who Wrote It?
•Thomas Jefferson
•Thomas Paine? (hand
print on back)  not
allowed to come, too
radical
• Committee of 5
menhttp://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=U0_3KzuYuh0
Why was it written?
•to become independent
from England
The Declaration is
adopted…
•July 4, 1776
Core Idea
•people have rights that the
govt. cannot take away
•and if they do… the people
have the right to abolish
unjust govt.
If govt. ignores this idea…
•it loses its right to govern
Who were the “people”
described in the Declaration?
•FWM – Free White Males
Women were viewed…
•weaker and less intelligent (had
no place in politics)
•Chattel (property)
•Not citizens
Slaves…
•made up 20% of population;
they are not mentioned in
Dec.
Why did they list reasons
for breaking away?
•was a VERY SERIOUS step; they
needed to write the Dec. in order
to justify why they were breaking
away
SUMMARY
QUIZ TIME
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18
-vHbMBr7M
• 1. Which individual wrote
Common Sense – describing to
people that government loses
its right to govern if they are not
representing the people?
•
•
•
•
A.
B.
C.
D.
John Adams
Thomas Paine
Thomas Jefferson
Ben Franklin
• 2. Who was the main author of
the Declaration of
Independence?
•
•
•
•
A.
B.
C.
D.
John Adams
Thomas Paine
Thomas Jefferson
Ben Franklin
• 3. When was the Declaration of
Independence officially
adopted?
•
•
•
•
A.
B.
C.
D.
July 2, 1776
July 4, 1776
May 3, 1781
May 4, 1787
• 4. What is the core idea of the
Declaration of Independence?
• A. To break away from Britain
• B. People have natural rights
• C. A victory proclamation during
the Revolutionary War
• D. To create laws for the newly
formed states
• 5. T/F All white men were part
of the “men” discussed in the
Declaration of Independence.