Mrs. Gajewski 8th grade history

D.C. Everest Junior High

What is the Declaration of Independence?

It’s the document that declared the colonists’ independence from England.

We are independent

from England!

Is the Declaration of Independence the

same as the Constitution?

No, they are two different documents.

Written 1787

Ratified 1789Ratified July 4, 1776

Declared our freedom from England

Tells the framework for our government

Where was the Declaration of Independence

written?

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at a place called Independence

Hall

Who was on the committee to write the Declaration of

Independence?

The committee included: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.

Who was the primary author?

Thomas Jefferson was the primary author.

Why was Thomas Jefferson chosen?

The subcommittee met. Jefferson proposed to me to make the draft. I said, 'I will not,' 'You should do it.' 'Oh! no.' 'Why will you not? You ought to do it.' 'I will not.' 'Why?' 'Reasons enough.' 'What can be your reasons?' 'Reason first, you are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second, I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third, you can write ten times better than I can.' 'Well,' said Jefferson, 'if you are decided, I will do as well as I can.' 'Very well. When you have drawn it up we will have a meeting.” (Letter written by John Adams in 1782)

Jefferson was known to be a good writer and a literary man. He was from Virginia and they wanted Virginia on their side.

Where did the ideas for the Declaration of Independence come

from?

Jefferson took many “Enlightenment” ideas, particularly those of John Locke, a British philosopher.

What were some of John Locke’s ideas?

Locke stated that there should be a contract between the people and the government. Locke said that everyone had natural rights; the right to life, liberty, and property. The ruler's powers are given to him by the citizens, and if the trust is broken his powers can be taken away.

Did they like Thomas Jefferson’s first draft?

They liked most of it, but they took out the part in which he was tough on the British people and they also took out his out assault on slavery and the slave trade.

Why did they leave out his attack on

slavery?

If it had been left in, the Southern colonies would most likely not have supported the

Declaration.

How did Jefferson feel when they took

parts out?

He wasn’t happy and is reported to have said that

Congress “mangled” his draft.

They mangled my draft!

Besides slaves, who else was left out?

Women were left out.

“I long to hear that you have declared an independency, and by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies ...Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could.” Abigail Adams to John Adams, May 31, 1776

John, you FORGOT the

ladies!

What about Native Americans?

They appear in the Declaration of Independence.

He has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes, and Conditions. Declaration of Independence

Jefferson's attitude toward the Indian population of the United States always seemed as profoundly paradoxical as his attitude toward slavery... On several occasions he went out of his way to describe the Indian people of North America as a noble race who were the innocent victims of history....One senses in so many of Jefferson's observations on Indians an authentic admiration mingled with a truly poignant sense of tragedy about their fate as a people...However, it was during Jefferson's presidency that decisions were made that required the deportation of massive segments of the Indian population to land west of the Mississippi..."the seeds of extinction" for Native American culture were sown under Jefferson. Ellis, 1997

Who signed the Declaration first?

John Hancock signed it first and really big (so King George III

could read it).

How many parts are there to the

Declaration of Independence?

People divide it differently. Some say there are three parts, four

parts, and even five parts.

1) the Preamble, 2) the Statement of

Human Rights, 3) Charges Against

Human Rights, 4) Charges Against the

King and Parliament, and

5) the Statement of Separation and Signatures.

1) Natural rights and what good government is,

2) Complaints against the king,

3) Declaring independence from England

What does it mean when it says all men are

created equal and that they have certain

unalienable rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

Man has the right to life and your civil liberties and your ability toIt means there are certain rights that cannot be taken away from people

It means a lot more than that but we can’t

explain it here.

In the Declaration of Independence, the

colonists called King George a tyrant. What is a tyrant?

A tyrant is a cruel and mean leader.

Tyrant!

What is the longest part of the

Declaration of Independence?

The longest part included

the complaints against the

king.

What were a few of the complaints?

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

legislature.

For cutting off our trade with other parts of the world

You can only trade with England!

For imposing taxes on us without our consent

We do not like being taxed!

What did the last part of the

Declaration of Independence say?

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

If the American Revolution had produced nothing but the Declaration of Independence, it would have been worthwhile. Samuel Eliot Morrison, historian

What was the impact of the Declaration?

Short Term:

1) Revolutionary War

2) Aid from other nations

3) Independence

What was the impact of the Declaration?

Long Term Impact (Legacies):

1) Declaration of Rights and Sentiments

2) Gettysburg Address

3) MLK’s I Have a Dream Speech

4) Tiananmen Square