• Congress asked Thomas Jefferson to write a
declaration, or announcement, explaining why
the colonies needed to break away from
Britain.
• Jefferson argued that people are born with
rights that cannot be taken away, such as life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
• He felt that if your government is not actively
protecting these rights, then the people should
have the right to start a new government.
• This declaration was called the Declaration of
Independence.
• The Declaration of Independence had five
parts.
• It took Jefferson two weeks to write the Declaration of
Independence.
• When he finished the draft, he had 4 other delegates
help edit it.
• The Preamble is similar to an introduction.
• It states why the Declaration is being written – to explain why the colonies must break away from Britain.
• Jefferson felt that to break away from your government and start a new one, you must have good reasons.
© Erin Kathryn 2014
• The second part of the declaration states why
people have rights that cannot be taken away.
• It states all people are equal, and have the
rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.
• When a government tries to take these rights
away from the people, the people have the
right to change the government.
• The people can then form a new
government that gives these rights to the
people.
• The third section of the Declaration of
Independence is the longest section.
• It states all the complaints that the
colonists had against the king.
• The third section ends by saying the King
George III of England was "unfit to be
the ruler of a free people."
• The fourth section argues that colonies
have to be free to protect their rights.
• It states the colonists’ independence
from Britain.
• This section says the 13 states have the
right to make war and peace, to trade,
and to do all the things free countries can
do.
• The last section is at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence.
• In this section, delegates to Congress signed their names.
• John Hancock, who was the president of Congress, signed his name in large letters.
• On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was voted on and accepted by the
Second Continental Congress.
• Signing the Declaration was considered treason to Britain.
• Treason is when you go against your own government.
• Even with the threat of treason, the delegates signed.
• The Declaration was read aloud to crowds all over the colonies.
• People cheered and tore down pictures and statues of King George.
• The Declaration of Independence marked the moment when Americans chose to rule
themselves.