Declaration of Independence

On June 7, 1776, delegate Richard Henry Lee proposed a
resolution to the Second Continental Congress, which stated,
“That these United Colonies are, and, of right, ought to be, Free
and Independent States.” The delegates all took a vote on the
resolution. The passing vote was counted on July 2, 1776. On July
4, 1776, The United Colonies adopted the document written by
Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence would be
sent to King George III

Multiple Choice

What date did the colonies adopt the document written by Thomas Jefferson?

• July 4, 1776

• December 4, 1776

Part 1: The Introduction, or preamble, says that all men are created equal. It states that everyone has rights that are unalienable, meaning they can’t be taken away. These rights are “life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

“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.”

Multiple Choice

What does unalienable rights mean?

• Rights that can't be taken away

• Rights that can be taken away.

Part 2: The next section talks about the purpose of government. The
Declaration states that governments are created to protect the unalienable rights.

“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving
their just powers from the consent of the governed, —That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.”

Multiple Choice

True/ False: The Declaration of Independence states that governments are created to protect the unalienable rights.

• False

• True

​

​Part 3: Then, the Declaration shows how the British government has not done its job protecting these rights for the colonists. This is the reason the colonists needed a new government. There are 27 grievances listed as evidence against King George III. Here are just six of them:

1. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

2. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

3. For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

4. For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

5. For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

6. For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

Multiple Choice

How many grievances were there total?

• 6

• 12

• 47

• 27

​

​Part 4: The conclusion explains what must be done about these grievances.
“That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved;" The delegates signed and sent the document to the king. They had stated their concerns, given their evidence and reasoning, and proposed their solution. Now they remained firm in their commitment to seeing through what they proposed. Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Those signatures gave the king, Parliament, and the British military evidence of treason against the British government. Treason was punishable by death. These men put their honor and their lives on the line to support what they believed in.

Multiple Choice

How many men signed the Declaration of Independence?

• 10

• 46

• 56