CHAPTER 6 • SECTION 4
CONNECT
The Declaration is Adopted Two days later, on July 4, 1776, Congress
adopted the document that proclaimed independence—the Declaration of
Independence. John Hancock, the president of the Congress, was the first
to sign the Declaration. According to tradition, he wrote in large letters and
commented, “There, I guess King George will be able to read that.” The core
idea of the Declaration is based on the philosophy of John Locke. This idea
is that people have natural and unalienable rights, or rights that government
cannot take away. Jefferson stated this belief in what was to become the
Declaration’s best-known passage.
to the Essential Question
What drove the colonists to declare
independence from Great Britain?
Ask students what they have learned so far
that can help them answer this question.
What drove the colonists to declare independence from
Great Britain?
• Point out that in addition to the reasons
listed in the chart, many Americans had
worked very hard to make a success of
farms and businesses that they owned.
These and many other challenges that
the colonists had to overcome fostered
strength and independence in many. Also,
many colonists were already critical of a
monarchical style of government.
• Have students explain how private
ownership of property may have contributed
to colonists rebelling against British rule.
• Challenge students to find in the text
other details that help answer the
Essential Question.
CRITICAL THINKING ANSWER
Draw Conclusions Possible Answers:
common economic pressures from taxes
and duties; common desire to participate
fully in governing themselves; fear of British
troops; desire to develop frontier lands
to the Essential Question
CONNECT
Unit 3 Transparency Book
• Essential Question Graphic, TT5
All regions and
groups
• feared that British troops
might be used against
colonists
• suffered from tax
increases (Stamp Act
1765)
Southern Colonies
New England and
Middle Colonies
Backcountry
• Planters were angry
that the Proclamation
of 1763 restricted them
from speculating in land
beyond the Appalachian
Mountains.
• Merchants suffered from
interference in colonial
trade (Tea Act 1773).
• angered by Proclamation
of 1763, which restricted
movement west
• were angered that
the right to tax had
been taken away from
colonial assemblies
(Stamp Act 1765)
• New England merchants
suffered from Sugar Act
of 1764, which raised
duty on sugar
• New Yorkers were angry
they had to pay to house
troops in New York
(Quartering Act 1765)
• suffered from duty on
imports (Sugar Act 1764;
Townshend Acts 1767)
CRITICAL THINKING Draw Conclusions What issues united the colonists
against Great Britian?
Teacher-Tested Activities
Holly West Brewer
Buena Vista Paideia Magnet School
Nashville, Tennessee
Assign or have students form small groups
to create an illustrated time line of at least
10 events that led to the American Revolution.
This activity helped my students visualize
events leading up to the Revolution.
• Each student is responsible for researching
two or three events and chooses the role of
illustrator or recorder.
• Illustrators create original drawings for each
event. Recorders write a cause-and-effect
explanation as a caption for each event.
• Each event should be placed on the time line
in chronological order.
To wrap up the activity, have each group
present its time line to the class.
182 • Chapter 6
182 Chapter 6
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION: TIERED ACTIVITIES
OBJECTIVE Create a persuasive document to convince colonists to support independence.
Basic
On Level
Have students work in pairs
to create a poster or flyer
aimed at winning support
for the American Revolution.
Guide students in choosing
a target audience—such as
laborers, merchants, or the
British Parliament—and in
creating text and graphics
that will appeal to their
audience.
Have students follow
the same instructions as
for the Basic activity. In
addition, ask students to
research pamphlets and
other printed materials from
this era and incorporate
elements from them—such
as graphic styles, spellings,
and usage—into their
documents.
Challenge
Have students follow the
same instructions as for the
On Level Activity—with
the added goal of creating
two posters or flyers. One
should target a group in
the Northern states, the
other the same group in the
Southern states.
CHAPTER 6 • SECTION 4
PRIMARY SOURCE
“
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.
—Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence
”
More About . . .
If a government disregards these rights, Jefferson explained, it loses its
right to govern. The people then have the right to abolish that government,
by force if necessary. They can form a new government that will protect their
rights. When Jefferson spoke of “the people,” however, he meant only free,
white, landowning men. Women, the enslaved, and those without property
were left out of the Declaration.
The Declaration also explained the reasons for breaking with Britain.
It declared the colonies to be free and independent states. This was a very
serious action—treason from the British point of view—and the delegates
knew it. John Hancock urged the delegates to stand together in mutual
defense. He realized that if the war were lost, they might all be hanged.
The Declaration closed with this pledge: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
Americans had declared independence. Now they had to win their freedom
on the battlefield.
MAIN IDEAS & DETAILS Explain what ideas can be found in the Declaration of
Independence.
The Signers of the Declaration
of Independence
Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of
the Declaration—he was 70 at the time.
Edward Rutledge was the youngest—26.
Eight of the signers were born in Europe.
The colony with the most signers was
Pennsylvania, with nine.
4
Answer: That every
person has the right
to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness.
Also, that the people can
abolish the government
by force if it violates
these rights.
Assess & Reteach
Assess Have students complete the Section
Assessment.
Unit 3 Resource Book
• Section Quiz, p. 56
Interactive Review
@ ClassZone.com
ONLINE QUIZ
4
Section Assessment
Power Presentations
For test practice, go to
Interactive Review @ ClassZone.com
Test Generator
TERMS & NAMES
1. Explain the importance of
• Ethan Allen
• Thomas Jefferson
• Continental Army
• Thomas Paine
• Second Continental Congress
• Declaration of Independence
KEY IDEAS
3. Make Inferences What forced the British to leave
Boston?
4. Analyze Primary Sources What does the
Declaration of Independence say about government
and the rights of the people?
USING YOUR READING NOTES
2. Sequence Events Complete the diagram that you
started at the beginning of this section.
CRITICAL THINKING
5. Draw Conclusions Why did it take the colonists so
long to declare independence?
6. Make Inferences Why do you think Common
Sense was so popular?
7. Sequence Events Why do you think militiamen
surrounded the British in Boston?
Lexington
and
Concord
Battle of
Bunker
Hill
Reteach Have each student select an event
from this section. On a sheet of paper, have
students write the event and its date, then add
a summary of its significance. With students’
help, tape the sheets on the wall in chronological
order to create a time line.
Unit 3 Resource Book
• Reteaching Activity, p. 60
Unit 3 Transparency Book
• Cause-and-Effect Chapter Summary, TT4
8. Math Graph Research the population statistics
of colonial Boston. Make a graph to show how the
population of Boston changed during the Revolution.
The Road to Revolution 183
SECTION 4 ASSESSMENT ANSWERS
Terms & Names
1. Ethan Allen, p. 178; Continental Army,
p. 178; Second Continental Congress, p. 178;
Declaration of Independence, p. 181; Thomas
Jefferson, p. 181; Thomas Paine, p. 180
Using Your Reading Notes
2. Possible Answers: British retreat to Boston;
Siege of Boston begins; Second Continental
Congress; Continental Army formed with
Washington as general
Key Ideas
3. General Washington’s army had the British
troops trapped and threatened to bombard
them with cannon fire.
4. If a government does not protect the rights of
the people, the people may abolish it and form
a new one.
Critical Thinking
5. Possible Answer: Some colonial leaders wanted
to resolve the conflict peacefully; others
wanted to unite all the colonies against Britain.
6. Possible Answer: Paine’s message appealed
to the common man and woman and to those
who wanted to govern themselves.
7. Possible Answers: After Lexington and
Concord, many British troops went to Boston.
Boston was also important strategically
because of its harbor and because it was a
center of the fight for political freedoms.
8. Graphs should show evidence of research. Use
the rubric to score students’ graphs.
Graph Rubric
Content
Accuracy
4
excellent; depicts
all pertinent data
no errors
3
good; depicts some
pertinent data
few/minor errors
2
fair; depicts little
pertinent data
several errors
1
poor; depicts no
pertinent data
many errors
Teacher’s Edition • 183