CELEBRATE FREEDOM WEEK
Commemorating the
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence
Established a New Nation
• On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the
Declaration of Independence while meeting in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
• The Declaration of Independence declared the American colonies
free from Great Britain.
• The Declaration of Independence established the United States of
America.
• The Declaration of Independence outlined the basic foundations for
American government.
• July 4th is celebrated each year as “Independence Day.”
A Committee of Five delegates drafted the
Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson
was the primary author of the document.
American Democratic Principles and Beliefs are
Outlined in the Declaration of Independence
• The Declaration of Independence explained why the
American colonies should be free and independent
from Great Britain.
• The Declaration of Independence explained that all
people are born with certain “unalienable rights,”
meaning rights that can not be taken away.
• These rights include life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.
• The Declaration of Independence asserted that if a
government abuses the rights of people, the people
have the right to change the government.
The Declaration of Independence states…
“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…”
John Turnbull’s painting depicts the Committee of Five
presenting the Declaration of Independence to the
Second Continental Congress.
The Signed Declaration of Independence