THE PRELUDE TO REVOLUTION
…the Declaration of Independence
GREAT BRITAIN
…and her North American Colonies
VA in 1607 to GA in 1733
‘FEDERAL’ system evolved!
Rights of Englishmen?
* Ordered, LIMITED &
REPRESENTATIVE govt
‘RULE OF LAW,’ private
property rights (Magna
*
Carta, 1215)
Quartering of soldiers,
standing armies (Petition
*
of Right, 1628)
N.A. Colonists as ‘ENGLISHMEN’
“…an extension of English government.”
English Bill of Rights,
1688
*
SEVEN YEARS WAR
aka the “French & Indian War”
Battle Royale!
British vs. French
KING GEORGE III
…inherits the throne in 1760!
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Sends ‘regulars’ to impose order
Regulate & tax colonies
*
WAR ENDS IN 1763
DEBT, LAND & RESENTMENT…
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Why important?
…the beginning of hostilities!
KING GEORGE III
Moving Towards Revolution
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)
7.)
8.)
WAR ENDS IN 1763
Royal Proclamation of 1763
Sugar Act (1764) & Stamp Act (1765)
Quartering Act (1765)
‘STAMP ACT CONGRESS’ & Declaratory Act
Townshend Acts (1767)
‘BOSTON MASSACRE’ (1770)
Tea Act & the ‘BOSTON TEA PARTY’ (1773)
INTOLERABLE ACTS – 1774 ***
*
*
*
(1766) ***
Closed ‘Boston Harbor’ – Quartering of soldiers!
MA became under control of Parliament
Allowed Royal Governors to move trials to London
FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
Moving Towards Revolution
Sept. – Oct. 1774
* Meeting of delegates (56) from 12 of 13 colonies (GA) – in
response to the ‘Intolerable Acts’
* MET TO CONSIDER OPTIONS – economic boycott of
British trade; rights & grievances; petitioned KGIII for
redress of those grievances
SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
…and the start of the American Revolution
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS meets again (May
1775) after start of the Revolution (April 19, 1775)
What to do with fighting? – COORDINATED WAR EFFORT
 Created the CONTINENTAL ARMY (June 1775)
 Appointed GEORGE WASHINGTON as COMMANDER-INCHIEF
 Issued the OLIVE BRANCH PETITION (July 1775)
 Created currency – the CONTINENTAL

SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
…and the Declaration of Independence!
JOHN ADAMS & RICHARD HENRY LEE


Thomas Paine’s COMMON SENSE (January 1776)
May Preamble
LEE RESOLUTION (June 7, 1776)
‘Resolved, 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. That it is
expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming
FOREIGN ALLIANCES. That a PLAN OF CONFEDERATION be prepared and
transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and
approbation.’
LEE RESOLUTION DID THREE THINGS…
SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
…and the Committee of Five!
COMMITTEE OF FIVE – commissioned to
create a statement to the world the reasons
for declaring independence (June 11, 1776)
TOMAS JEFFERSON, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin,
Roger Sherman & Robert Livingston

June 28, 1776 TJ’s final text of the ‘DOI’ is presented to the Cont.
Cong.
July 2, 1776 ‘LEE RESOLUTION’ is adopted by the Cont. Cong.
July 4, 1776 ‘DOI’ is adopted by the Cont. Cong.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Preamble
“What reason(s) did the Founding Fathers
give for their decision to write out a declaration?”
Sec. 1.)
(think Locke, Hobbes, Enlightenment, etc.)
…THE REASONS FOR WRITING
AND ISSUING THE DECLARATION.
THINK “PRINCIPLES on which the U.S. was founded upon.”
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What is the point of the PREAMBLE?
LAWS OF NATURE – Nature’s God
‘DECLARE THE CAUSES…’
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Statement of Beliefs
“List FIVE beliefs that the ‘Founding Fathers’
declared they held.” (think purpose & role of government, etc.)
Sec. 2.)
…WHAT THE UNDERSIGNED BELIEVED, THE
PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THE DOCUMENT.
THINK “PRINCIPLES on which the U.S. was founded upon.”
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UNALIENABLE RIGHTS
What is the PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT according to TJ?
Where do governments DERIVE THEIR POWER from?
RIGHT TO REVOLUTION?
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
List of Complaints Against the Colonies by King George III
“List FIVE complaints made in the
Declaration. Are any specific events mentioned? If
not, is the information given sufficient to figure out
to which events the complaints refer to?”
Sec. 3.)
…THE OFFENSES COMMITTED BY GREAT
BRITAIN THAT IMPELLED THE DECLARATION.
THINK “HISTORICAL CONTEXT & EXAMPLES in the
relationship between Great Britain and her colonies.”
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Repeated attacks on SELF & REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
Influence over the JUDICIARY
Standing ARMIES
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Statement of Colonists Attempts to Redress Grievances
“In what way(s) did the framers claim to
have already tried in addressing the complaints?”
Sec. 4.)
…ATTEMPTS BY COLONISTS TO
ADDRESS BRITISH OFFENSES.
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OLIVE BRANCH PETITION
‘Enemies in War, in Peace Friends’
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
The Colonial Declaration of Independence from Great Britain
“What FIVE things will change in the colonies
as a result of the Declaration?”
Sec. 5.)
…MAIN PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT;
CLIMAX OF THE DOCUMENT!
“What references to God are made in this
section?”
Sec. 5.)
Free and INDEPENDENT STATE
 ABSOLVED FROM ALLEGIANCE to British Crown
 LEVY WAR, CONTRACT ALLIANCES, ESTABLISH COMMERCE
 “…do all other Acts and Things which independent States may of
right do.”

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
The Signatures
…INDIVIDUAL COLONISTS WHO REPRESENTED
COLONISTS ACCEPTANCE OF THE DECLARATION.
“Which signers do you recognize? From
where?”
Sec. 6.)