Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

Second Continental Congress' Decision

The thirteen colonies in the America's had been at war with Britain for around a year when the Second Continental Congress decided it was time for the colonies to officially declare their independence. This meant that they were breaking away from British rule. They would no longer be a part of the British Empire and would fight for their freedom.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

On June 11, 1776 the Continental Congress appointed five leaders, called the Committee of Five, to write a document explaining why they were declaring their independence. The five members were Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, and Thomas Jefferson. The members decided that Thomas Jefferson should write the first draft.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft over the next few weeks and, after some changes made by the rest of the committee, they presented it to Congress on June 28, 1776.

Multiple Choice

Who wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence?

• George Washington

• Thomas Jefferson

• Benjamin Franklin

Did everyone agree?

Not everyone agreed at first on declaring independence. Some wanted to wait until the colonies had secured stronger alliances with foreign countries. In the first round of voting South Carolina and Pennsylvania voted "no" while New York and Delaware chose not to vote. The Congress wanted the vote to be unanimous, so they continued to discuss the issues. The next day, July 2nd, South Carolina and Pennsylvania reversed their votes. Delaware decided to vote "yes" as well. This meant that the agreement to declare independence passed with 12 yes votes and 1 abstention (meaning New York chose not to vote).

Multiple Select

In the first round of voting, which 2 states voted "no" to declaring independence from Britain?

• New York

• South Carolina

• Delaware

• Pennsylvania

Multiple Choice

In the end, 12 colonies voted "yes" to declaring independence from Britain. Which colony refused to vote?

• Pennsylvania

• New York

• South Carolina

• Delaware

July 4th, 1776

On July 4, 1776 the Congress officially adopted the final version of the Declaration of Independence. This day is still celebrated in the United States as Independence Day.

After the signing, the document was sent to a printer to make copies. Copies were sent to all the colonies where the declaration was read aloud in public and published in newspapers. A copy was also sent to the British government.

Multiple Select

Select all that apply: Copies of the Declaration of Independence were sent to...

• all 13 colonies

• all the colonists

• the British government

• neighboring countries, like Canada

Famous Words

The Declaration of Independence did more than just say the colonies wanted their freedom. It explained why they wanted their freedom. It listed all the bad things that the king had done to the colonies and that the colonies had rights which they felt they should fight for.

Perhaps one of the most famous statements in the history of the United States is in the Declaration of Independence:

"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."

Unalienable Rights

• Unalienable rights that cannot be taken away nor denied.

  
  

• According to the Declaration of Independence, these unalienable rights are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Multiple Choice

Unalienable rights are...

• rights granted to United States citizens

• rights that cannot be taken away

• the right to free speech

Multiple Select

Select all that apply: The unalienable rights listed in the Declaration of Independence are...

• Pursuit of Happiness

• Free Speech

• Liberty

• Life

Fun Facts

• The movie National Treasure says that there is a secret written on the back of the original document. There isn't a secret, but there is some writing. It says "Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776".

• You can see the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives in Washington, DC.

• Two signers of the Declaration that later became president of the United States were Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.

Multiple Select

Which two signers of the Declaration of Independence eventually became president of the United States?

• John Adams

• George Washington

• Abraham Lincoln

• Thomas Jefferson

Famous Signature

John Hancock's famous signature is almost five inches long. He was also the first to sign the document. Rumor has it, that he signed it so large so King George could read it without his glasses on.