What led
to the writing of
the
Declaration
Of
Independence
and the
Revolutionary
War?
French and Indian War
• Britain helped
colonists defeat
French in war
• Britain needed
money to pay for
war expenses
• Taxed colonists,
restricted
settlements and
limited self-govt.
Sugar Act and Stamp Act
• British taxed
colonists on many
of the goods
coming into the
colonies from other
places
• British imposed
taxes upon all
paper products and
stamped the item
once the tax had
been played.
“No Taxation
Without
Representation!
”
Colonists react…
Various protests:
•Patrick Henry’s
speech
•Sons and
Daughters of
Liberty
•Benjamin
Franklin’s visit to
Parliament
•Boston
Massacre
Boston Tea Party
• Lower price on
British tea
• Colonists still pay
taxes
• Boycotted British
tea
• Sons of Liberty
dressed in disguise
and dumped British
tea overboard
King George III passes the
“Intolerable Acts”
• The Royal Navy
blockades the Boston
Harbor so no colonial
goods could be sent
out until tea was paid
for.
• Colonists had to
quarter the British
soldiers.
• The King assigned
British General Gage
to be Massachusetts
First
Continental
Congress
meets in
Philadelphia
Conflict at Lexington and
Concord
•British General Gage
learns of hidden weapons
in Concord
•Two lanterns hung in
church tower to warn
the British coming by
“sea” (Charles River)
•Paul Revere and William
Dawes make midnight
ride to warn Minutemen
of approaching British
soldiers
Second Continental
Congress
Representatives
brought money
to help
establish…
the Continental
Army
(i.e. pay soldiers,
buy guns,
bullets, food,
and uniforms
Second Continental Congress
• Also decided to create a committee to write
a document declaring the colonies’
independence….called the
Declaration of
independence
FREEDOM!!
Representatives
of the colonies
met to decide
how to break
free from
England.
Solution: The
Declaration of
Independence!
declaration : (n)
an official statement
independence : (n)
the freedom to govern on
one’s own.
Enlightenment Ideas
• The basis of the Declaration of
Independence are the ideas from the
Enlightenment
– A time period in which ideas about freedom,
human rights and limitations on government
were freely exchange
– Occurring mainly in Europe, but the ideas were
spreading to the new world
Enlightenment Thinkers
Thomas Hobbes
John Locke
Enlightenment Thinkers
Thomas Hobbes
• Began idea of the SOCIAL
CONTRACT
– Idea: governments exist
to protect its citizens and
their rights. In return, the
citizens surrender their
power to the
government.
• Believed that man could be
brutish and cruel
John Locke
• Enhanced the idea of the
SOCIAL CONTRACT
– Idea: in addition to
Hobbes’ idea, thought
that the people had the
right to overthrow the
government if it failed to
protect its citizens
• Believed that each person
has a right to “LIFE,
LIBERTY AND
PROPERTY”
Ideas of John Locke
Had the greatest influence on the
development of the Declaration of
Independence – especially the idea of
“unalienable rights”
Ideas of Thomas Paine
• Released a pamphlet titled “Common
Sense” on January 9, 1776
– 47 pages
– Argued for breaking away from Great Britain
– Popular because it was written as a common
person speaking = wider audience
– Sold 500,000 copies
Ideas of Thomas Paine
• Ideas:
– Monarchies are not fair
– People – not kings or
queens – should make
the laws
– “A government of our
own is our natural right”
– Colonies should demand
their independence from
Great Britain
Members of the Committee
• Benjamin
Franklin
• John Adams
• Robert R.
Livingston
• Roger Sherman
• Thomas
Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson’s Role
• Main author of the document
• Heavily influenced by Locke’s ideas
– Unalienable rights
– Rights include: “Life, Liberty and
the Pursuit of Happiness”
• Wrote that King George III had
violated colonists’ rights
– Unfair laws
– Interfering with self-government
– Taxation with representation
– Keeping an army present
Jefferson’s Key Argument
• The colonies have the right to break away
from Great Britain
– Idea found in the SOCIAL CONTRACT
• Remember – from Hobbes – rulers
should protect the rights of their
citizens and in exchange the citizens
agree to be governed
• Because King George III broke the
SOCIAL CONTRACT, the colonists no
longer had to obey him
Where did it all take place?
This is a replica of
the Graff house
where Jefferson
wrote the majority
of the 1st draft of
the Declaration of
Independence. The
original building (at
this location) was
destroyed in 1888.
What did
it look
like?
Who wrote
the first
draft?
Approved on
July 4, 1776
Who signed
it first?
The Two Sides
Patriots
Loyalists
• “Give me liberty, or
give me death!” –
Patrick Henry
• Very vocal in their
opinions
• Circulated many
pamphlets supporting
the break from Great
Britain
•
•
•
•
Also called “Tories”
Targets of Patriot abuse
100,000 fled the colonies
Did not think
independence was
necessary
• British rule as the best
way to maintain peace