Name ________________________________
1776 Viewing Guide
____ / 47
1. John Adams says, “Three or more useless men become a _______________________.”
2. List a few ways the British have punished the colonists that John Adams mentions.
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3. What is the date on the calendar? ________________________________________
4. What does John Adams want the Congress to vote YES on? _______________________
5. What is the other delegates’ opinion of John Adams? ____________________________
6. What is Ben Franklin having done when John Adams is looking for him? _____________
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7. How do John Adams and Ben Franklin feel about independence? ___________________
8. Who is John Adams’s cousin? ________________________________________
9. Who proposes the resolution for independence instead of John Adams? And what colony is
he from? _____________________________
____________________________
10. Who is the president of the Second Continental Congress? ________________________
11. Which colonies are in favor of a debate on independence? Vote “Yea”
a.
d.
b.
e.
c.
f.
12. Which colonies are against a debate on independence? Vote “Nay”
a.
d.
b.
e.
c.
13. Which colony abstains on the vote for debate on independence? ___________________
14. Which colony is absent for the vote on a debate on independence? _________________
15. Why doesn’t Ben Franklin want to be called an Englishman?
__________________________________________________________________________
16. Who does John Dickinson say should fight against the British instead of all the colonies?
__________________________________________________________________________
17. John Adams says an army needs ____________________________________________.
18. John Adams calls John Dickinson a __________________________ because he doesn’t
want to push for independence.
19. When Caesar Romney collapses, he must be taken home because of his cancer. He
apologizes to John Adams for leaving him a ___________________________________.
20. Then South Carolina calls for another count, why?
_________________________________________________________________________
21. Who arrives at the Continental Congress? ____________________________________
22. Where do they stand on independence? ______________________________________
23. Pennsylvania moves that any vote on independence must be ________________________.
What does that mean? ____________________________________________________.
24. John Adams wants a postponement to write up a declaration. Why? _______________
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25. Why does New York “abstain courteously”? ___________________________________
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26. Which men are on the Declaration committee?
a.
d.
b.
e.
c.
27. Who ends up writing the Declaration? ______________________________________
28. List a few of the committees mentioned.
29. Adams, Franklin, and McKeon need to ________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
30. The dispatch from Gen. George Washington says his army is ________________________
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31. If Maryland’s delegate Chase thought the Colonial army could win against the British, he
would vote ________________________.
32. What type of bird does each man want for the symbol of our new nation?
Adams - ________________, Jefferson - ________________, Franklin - ________________
33. What does Rev. Witherspoon feel is left out of the declaration? ___________________
34. What does Jefferson call the king? __________________________________________
35. Which right does Jefferson say comes from nature? ____________________________
36. How many days have they been working on alterations, deletions, additions? ________
37. Which major issue does Mr. Rutledge from South Carolina have issue with in the
Declaration? _______________________________________
38. What are the three legs of the triangular trade that Mr. Rutledge sings about?
______________________ to ______________________ to _____________________
39. What issue does Mr. Rutledge from South Carolina want removed from the Declaration in
order to vote for independence? ___________________________________________
40. What happened with the Pennsylvania delegates’ vote for independence? (Franklin,
Dickinson, Wilson)
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
41. John Hancock says that all men in the Congress must sign, but John Dickinson refuses.
What does he say he will do instead to fight for his country?
__________________________________________________________________________
42. John Hancock says, “We are about to brave the storm in a skiff (boat) made of paper.”
Explain his statement.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
43. Why did John Hancock sign the Declaration so large?
__________________________________________________________________________
44. What did the men joke about that they were committing by signing the Declaration?
__________________________________________________________________________
45. What was the feeling during the signing of the Declaration? _____________________
46. There are ______________ American troops against ________________ British troops.
47. What about their feelings immediately after when the messages from General Washington
arrive and the bells are ringing?
__________________________________________________________________________
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