Introduction:
Hook, Thesis Statement, Main Ideas/Reasons
Where would the world be today if the United States did not declare independence from
Great Britain? It would be a much different world. Still, it did happen and the colonists were
justified in declaring independence for two reasons. First, the colonists were not even part of
the decisions Great Britain made about America. Second, Great Britain made decisions that did
not benefit the colonists but instead hurt them.
Body:
Main Idea/Reason #1 and Supporting Details
The first reason the colonists had the right to declare independence was Great Britain did
not allow the colonists to have a say in the decisions that were made about them.
For example, Patrick Henry made a speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses in May 1765. He
was angry about the Stamp Act the British enforced on the colonists. In the speech, Henry
called the Stamp Act illegal because the colonists did not have representatives in the British
Parliament. Clearly he was saying any decision made by the British Parliament must include
what the colonists believe should happen. The British Parliament enacted other decisions on
the colonists without their say. This included ordering the colonists to provide housing to
British soldiers in America. Colonists were not allowed to voice their opinions with this
decision.
Body:
Main Idea/Reason #2 and Supporting Details
The second reason the colonists had the right to declare independence was Great Britain
made decisions that harmed the colonists. For example, in the Declaration of Independence
written on July 4, 1776, Thomas Jefferson said the people have the right to throw out the
government if it harms them. Jefferson said Great Britain harmed us in many ways.
He said the British, “plundered our seas, ravaged our towns, and destroyed the lives of our
people” (Declaration of Independence). He even went on to say that the British also took away
trial by jury in many cases. Like the “Declaration of Independence” says, anytime someone or
something harms the people, the people should have the right to defend themselves. This is
what the colonists did by declaring independence.
Body:
Rebuttal/Counterargument and Supporting Details
Many people were against the colonists declaring independence. For example, Peter
Oliver in his paper “The Origin and Progress of the American Revolution to the year 1777, a
history by Peter Oliver of Massachusetts, 1781”, stated that the colonists should not have
declared independence because Great Britain was only trying to protect them. He also said
most people did not want independence or were being lied to by the colonial leaders. Even
though it is true Great Britain was the country that started the colonies and protected them, it
is important to understand that there is a time when people must act on their own. This is a lot
like children who move out of their homes. They become more independent and do not rely on
their parents anymore. The colonies were like the children leaving home to lead their own
lives.
Conclusion:
Restatement of Thesis Statement and Main Ideas/Reasons, Call to Action/So What?
People need to act when they are being mistreated. This is what the colonists did. They
declared independence because their viewpoints were not respected, and they were being
harmed by the British government. The colonists had every right to break away from Great
Britain.
Directions: Read and arrange the sentences deciding where they belong in the Argumentative Essay. Keep in mind the essay
includes an Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. Some sentences are topic sentences while others are supporting details.
Introduction: Hook, Thesis Statement, Main Ideas/Reasons
Body: Main Idea/Reason 1 and Supporting Details
Body: Main Idea/Reason 2 and Supporting Details
Body: Rebuttal/Counterargument and Supporting Details
Conclusion: Restatement of Thesis Statement and Main
Ideas/Reasons, Call to Action, So What?