• Congress asked Thomas Jefferson to write a declaration, or announcement, explaining why the colonies needed to break away from Britain.

• Jefferson argued that people are born with rights that cannot be taken away, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

• He felt that if your government is not actively protecting these rights, then the people should have the right to start a new government.

• This declaration was called the Declaration of Independence.

• The Declaration of Independence had five parts.

• It took Jefferson two weeks to write the Declaration of Independence.

• When he finished the draft, he had 4 other delegates help edit it.

• The Preamble is similar to an introduction.• It states why the Declaration is being written – to explain why

the colonies must break away from Britain.• Jefferson felt that to break away from your government and

start a new one, you must have good reasons.© Erin Kathryn 2014

• The second part of the declaration states why people have rights that cannot be taken away.

• It states all people are equal, and have the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

• When a government tries to take these rights away from the people, the people have the right to change the government.

• The people can then form a new government that gives these rights to the people.

• The third section of the Declaration of Independence is the longest section.

• It states all the complaints that the colonists had against the king.

• The third section ends by saying the King George III of England was "unfit to be the ruler of a free people."

• The fourth section argues that colonies have to be free to protect their rights.

• It states the colonists’ independence from Britain.

• This section says the 13 states have the right to make war and peace, to trade, and to do all the things free countries can do.

• The last section is at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence.

• In this section, delegates to Congress signed their names.• John Hancock, who was the president of Congress, signed his

name in large letters.

• On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was voted on and accepted by the Second Continental Congress.

• Signing the Declaration was considered treason to Britain.

• Treason is when you go against your own government.

• Even with the threat of treason, the delegates signed.

• The Declaration was read aloud to crowds all over the colonies.

• People cheered and tore down pictures and statues of King George.

• The Declaration of Independence marked the moment when Americans chose to rule themselves.