Name:_________________________________
Date:______________
Study Guide
**1776**
Why did John Adams have so much trouble getting the resolution of independence even debated in the
second continental congress?
They didn’t like him not all the colonies wanted the same thing and they were scared.
Who was Richard Henry Lee and what did he do?
A delegate from Virginia that introduced the resolution of independence.
Who was John Dickenson and what did he do?
A Pennsylvania delegate that led the fight against independence.
What scheme does Franklin come up with to get around Adams problem with getting independency
debated?
He got someone else to talk to the congress.
What is the sequence of votes taken in the 2nd Continental Congress leading up to finally passing the
Declaration of independence?
1st whether or not to debate independence 2nd whether to end debate 3rd unanimity 4th
declaration 5th on independence
How did the idea for the declaration of independence even come up in the first place?
Adams used the declaration to stall for time.
Why was Adams so shocked at Hancock voting for the unanimity requirement?
Adams was shocked because he knew Hancock was for independence.
Why did Hancock vote for the unanimity requirement?
He didn’t want to divide the colonies because any colonies that didn’t vote for independence
would be forced to fight on England’s side.
How come Franklin didn’t speak to his son William?
They both disagreed on independence were both leaders of different causes.
Who was Stephen Hopkins and what did he do?
A delegate from Rhode Island that decides the debate on whether to even debate
independence
Who was Edward Rutledge and what did he do?
A delegate from South Carolina that wanted slavery.
Why do all southern delegates walk out of congress?
The northerners say that they can’t have slaves anymore if they pass the declaration.
Who was Judge Wilson and why did he finally vote for independence in the end?
He was a delegate from Pennsylvania that gave the final vote on independence because he
didn’t want to be remembered.
Why did Lewis Morris of New York always abstain? Why does he finally cast his vote in the end?
He never got instructions and his kids joined the military and his farm was burnt down.
What is the difference from the resolution of independency, the report of the declaration committee,
and the declaration of independence?
One declares dependence, one reports it, and one states it.
Why does Thomas Jefferson come to be chosen to write the declaration of independence?
He can write the best and no one else wants to do it.
Who were the members of the declaration committee?
Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Sherman, and Livingston.
What were Franklin and Jefferson’s ideas about what our national emblem should be?
Jefferson wanted the dove and Franklin wanted the turkey.
What is Rutledge’s argument for keeping slavery in the new nation?
The economy of the south needed slavery and northerners’ didn’t need slavery.
What do Adams and Jefferson have to do in the end to get the declaration passed?
They have to scratch out the part in the declaration about no slaves.
Why do the members of the war committee go to New Brunswick?
To restore order.
What is Washington’s situation throughout the movie?
He is in desperate trouble with the British crashing down on his army.
Who is Caesar Rodney and what does he do?
The dying man with the patch on his jaw that comes to sign the declaration.
Why do the members of the war committee return convinced that the Americans can beat the
redcoats?
They saw American soldiers skilled with their muskets.
How did Abigail Adams help give us independence?
by her loving support of John Adams and by sending salt peter