Declaring Independence
Essential Question:
What people and events contributed to the Second Continental Congress declaring
independence?
 Second Continental Congress
o Meeting of delegates from all 13 colonies in Philadelphia that began in May
1775
o Important delegates:
 John Hancock of Massachusetts
 President of the Second Continental Congress
 First and largest signature on the Declaration of Independence
 John Adams of Massachusetts
 Made influential speeches
o Helped convince delegates to declare independence
o “Voice of the Revolution”
 Wife = Abigail
o Their letters provide detailed descriptions of events of the
Revolution
 Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania
 Tried to negotiate a peaceful solution between Britain and the
colonies
 Became a strong supporter of the Patriot cause
 Patrick Henry of Virginia
 Early supporter of independence
 Famous quotation:
o “Give me liberty or give me death!”
 Thomas Jefferson of Virginia
 2nd youngest delegate
 George Washington of Virginia
 Wealthy plantation owner
 Military experience from the French and Indian War
 Bunker Hill (June 1775)
o Hill that overlooks Boston Harbor
o Defended by Minutemen who were low on ammunition
 Famous quotation by Colonel William Prescott:
 “Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
o British victory
 Minutemen had to withdraw when they ran out of ammunition
 British suffered high casualties
 Over 1000 = 1/3 of their forces in Boston
o Proved that the colonists could fight
 Continental Army
o Name of the American army during the Revolutionary War
o Continental Congress chose George Washington as commander
 Olive Branch Petition (July 1775)
o Last attempt by the Second Continental Congress to reconcile with England
and avoid full-scale war
o Rejected by the king
 Thomas Paine
o Moved to Philadelphia from England in 1774
o Wrote Common Sense (1776)
 Influential pamphlet
 Encouraged the colonies to declare independence
 Written in simple language
 Independence
o Committee of Five
 Appointed on June 11, 1776
 Job was to draft a formal declaration of independence
 Members:
 Benjamin Franklin
 John Adams
 Robert Livingston
 Roger Sherman
 Thomas Jefferson
o Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence on July 2, 1776
o Declaration of Independence
 Written by Thomas Jefferson
 “Pen of the Revolution”
 Influenced by the ideas of John Locke
 Approved on July 4, 1776
 Began signing the Declaration on August 2, 1776