Declaration of Independence
A Few of Notes
Declaration of Independence
• July 4, 1776
– Adopted by the Continental Congress of the 13
American Colonies
• The main purpose was to explain and give
reasons why the American colonists were
revolting against the British Empire
• Thomas Jefferson composed original draft
• The Revolutionary War had already begun
Declaration of Independence
• “When in the Course of human events, it
becomes necessary for one people to dissolve
the political bands which have connected
them with another, and to assume among the
powers of the earth, the separate and equal
station to which the Laws of Nature and of
Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to
the opinions of mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which impel them
to the separation.”
Declaration of Independence
• “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted
among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is
the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to
institute new Government, laying its foundation on
such principles and organizing its powers in such form,
as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety
and Happiness.”
More stuff…
and then
a long list of grievances.
And then…
Declaration of Independence
• “We, therefore, the Representatives of the
united States of America, in General Congress,
Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge
of the world for the rectitude of our
intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority
of the good People of these Colonies,
solemnly publish and declare, That these
United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be
Free and Independent States…”
WHATEVA!
I DO WHAT I WANT!
Now for some critical reading…
But first…
Primary and Secondary Sources
• Who knows what “primary sources” and
“secondary sources” are?
• primary source
– an original document from the first source
• secondary source
– a secondhand account or something writing about
an original document or first source
Also…
ideology
• What does the word “ideology” mean?
• ideology
– a body of ideas that reflects the beliefs and
interests of a group of people, nation, political
system, etc. and underlies their actions
So…
Historians have disagreed as to whether
the colonial leaders were motivated by
selfish or ideological reasons when
writing the Declaration of Independence.
• What would be some examples of ideological
reasons?
• What would be some examples of selfish
reasons?
Now we’ll read two historians’
interpretations of the
Declaration of Independence
and discuss.
To Do:
• Read the excerpts from the Declaration of
Independence and summarize in the space provided
• Then read the excerpts about the Declaration from two
historians, Bernard Bailyn and Howard Zinn, and
summarize what their claims are
• Then on a separate sheet of paper, which I will collect,
please answer the following question: Based on the
words in the Preamble, and the interpretations you
read by Bailyn and Zinn, do you think the Declaration
of Independence was written for selfish or ideological
reasons?