The Declaration of
Independence
1776
2nd Continental Congress
• Met in Philadelphia in
May, 1775
• Each colony sent
delegates.
• John Hancock was
made president of the
Congress
• They appointed George
Washington leader of
the army
Olive Branch Petition
• The Congress first wrote to King George
asking him to let the colonists have greater
freedom and govern themselves.
• King George Refused!!!!!
Who wrote it?
Thomas
Jefferson
Benjamin
Franklin
John
Adams
Major ideas of the Declaration of
Independence
1. “All men are created equal”
This is the fundamental principle of
our American Government!
However when Thomas Jefferson wrote this
in the Declaration, it DID NOT include
African Americans or women.
Major ideas of the Declaration of
Independence
2. “. . . They are endowed by their creator with
certain inalienable rights; that among these are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
This means rights are not given to men by their
government but are inherent and undeniable.
We get them when we are born.
Major ideas of the Declaration of
Independence
3. “to secure these rights, governments are instituted
among men, deriving their just powers for the
consent of the governed”
This means governments are run by the
people, not by rulers and it is suppose to
protect the rights of the people
Major ideas of the Declaration of
Independence
4. “whenever an form of government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the right of
the people to alter or abolish it”
This means if a government does not protect
the rights of the people, it is the right of
the people to change the government.
Declaration of Independence
Grievances Against King George III
• This was a long list of all the things the
King had done wrong.
• The grievances were the reasons the
colonists felt they had the right to break
away from British rule.
• The grievances were against the king
although it was really Parliament that
made most of the laws that the colonists
hated.
The Conclusion!!
• This was a formal statement declaring the
colonists’ independence from England!
“We therefore. . . declare that the United
Colonies be free and independent states!”
The Signatures!
• John Hancock signed his name so big so
that the King could see it without his
glasses!
• There were 56
delegates that
signed.
• Pennsylvania had
the most (7)
• South Carolina had
4 delegates
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton
A Dangerous Decision!
• The signers knew that the king would
consider them traitors.
• They were taking a risk to sign, because
traitors are usually executed if caught.
• Benjamin Franklin said before the signing
began, “We must all hang together or we
will surely hang separately”