The Declaration of Independence
Adopted July 4, 1776
Or was it?
But first, let’s back up…
•  How did the colonists get to the point where
they wanted to be their own country?
Loyalists vs. Patriots
Patrick Henry
“Give me Liberty
or
Give me death!”
-Patrick Henry
at the Virginia House of Burgesses
March 25, 1775
Can we work it out?
•  In July, 1775, Congress sends the Olive
Branch Petition.
Olive Branch Petition
July, 1775
Where King George puts the
Olive Branch Petition:
Like, Duh
Common Sense
•  Early in 1776, Thomas Paine writes a
pamphlet called Common Sense.
•  What does he say is common sense?
Thomas Paine
He sells
120,000
copies of
Common
Sense in the
first few
months.
Who is on your nickel?
John Locke
1632-1704
•  Locke was a British philosopher who wrote
an essay called Two Treatises On
Government.
•  In it, he said that everyone is born with a
“tabula rasa.”
Tabula Rasa is Latin for Blank slate.
John Locke
He also wrote that
all men are born
with three basic
rights:
1) Life
2) Liberty
3) Property
John Trumbull's famous painting depicts the signing of the Declaration.
This depiction can also be found on the back of the _____.
Loyalist argument:
•  Colonists had a duty to obey the king b/c…
•  King’s authority from God
Jefferson’s argument
•  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.
What is the point of government?
•  Gov’t purpose is to… “secure these rights”
•  King had abused the rights of the colonists
•  But did TJ write every single word?
July 3rd, TJ brings in his 1st draft
•  The rest of the guys agree to cut ¼ of his
work.
•  They also cut out the part where TJ blames
the king for bringing slavery to the colonies.
“We hold these truths to be sacred and
undeniable…”
It was Ben
Franklin’s idea to
change it to
“self evident.”
Happy August 2nd!
•  On July 4th, only John Hancock, the President of
2nd CC and secretary Charles Thomson signed it.
•  On July 6 it was printed in Penn. Evening Post.
•  On August 2nd, Timothy Matlack finally finished
writing it out on a giant piece of parchment. Then
everybody else signed it.
Sources
•  Nickel:
http://www.keeslau.com/
TomWaitsSupplement/Lyrics/
Heartattackandvine/Onthenickel-ub.htm
•  http://www.wunderthemes.ru/
2dollarbill.shtml