Lesson 9
The Declaration of Independence
Objectives
•
To become familiar with and analyze the
contents of the Declaration of Independence
•
To examine a painting of a historical event
and contrast the artist's interpretation with
the actual event
On June 28, the Declaration of Independence was submitted by Jefferson to the Congress. Another vote was taken on July 1, and
this time the delegates seemed to be further
divided. Nine colonies voted for independence,
two colonies voted no, one abstained, and one
was undecided.
Because it was an important resolution,
the delegates wanted a unanimous decision.
By July 2, 1776, twelve colonies approved Lee's
resolution with New York abstaining. Between
July 2 and July 4, Congress debated and made
revisions in Jefferson's document. On July 4,
they all voted for the Declaration except New
York, so the document was called "A Decision
by the Representatives of the United States of
America in General Congress Assembled." Finally on July 15, the New York colonial assembly gave permission for its delegates to vote in
favor of the Declaration and the title of the
document was changed to "The Unanimous
Declaration of the Thirteen United States of
America."
Notes to the Teacher
On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced the following resolution at
the meeting of the Continental Congress in
Philadelphia: "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.** Lee's resolution also contained propositions to set up a government and make treaties
with other nations.
Some delegates, called Patriots or Whigs,
favored the resolution because they believed
independence had to happen. There were other
delegates, moderates, some from the Middle
Colonies, who wanted more time for deliberation. On June 10, the moderates succeeded in
postponing consideration of the resolution until
July 1. On June 11, the Revolutionaries persuaded the Congress to select a committee of
five to draft a declaration of independence. Of
the five chosen, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams,
and Benjamin Franklin were in favor of independence. Roger Sherman was a moderate,
and Robert R. Livingston was against Lee's
resolution. Livingston may have been appointed
to the subcommittee to influence the Revolutionaries and perhaps develop a less extreme
document. He may also have been appointed
in the hope that his membership on the subcommittee might help gain support from the
conservative New York delegates. When Lee
introduced his resolution, seven colonies supported independence, while six either opposed
it or were undecided.
Historians not only rely on written records
but also on paintings, furniture, buildings,
and other artifacts which help to reconstruct
historical events. Students need to have access to a copy of John TrumbulTs painting,
The Declaration of Independence. This painting
hangs in the rotunda of the United States
Capitol. Trumbull was a famous artist of the
Revolutionary period. He was not at the Continental Congress, and he completed the painting years after the actual event. It took him
many years to locate the various delegates and
to have them pose for the painting. The painting is a stylized document of this important
event. TrumbulFs first painting of the signing
was completed between 1786 and 1795. He
made a copy of the painting in 1817.
Students study Trumbull's painting,
answer questions, and participate in a class
discussion. They read the Declaration and
analyze it. Students read about the signers of
the Declaration and complete a crossword
puzzle.
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U.S. History, Book 1
Lesson 9
Handout 17
Name
Date
Analyzing the Declaration
Use a copy of the Declaration of Independence to help you answer the following questions. Your
textbook probably has the full text of the Declaration; check the index.
1.
a. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
b. Where was the Declaration of Independence written?
c. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
2.
What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
a.
b.
c.
d.
3. What are the five main parts of the Declaration of Independence? Explain what is contained
in each subdivision.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
4. What revisions were made in the document by Thomas Jefferson at the request of the
Continental Congress?
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