The
Declaration of Independence
By: Megan
Who |
A
document that declared the freedom of the thirteen original colonies
|
When |
Written
by the Second Congressional Congress, who met in Philedelphia |
Why |
First
suggested by Richard Henry Lee and written by Thomas Jefferson;
signed by the entire Second Continental Congress |
| The Second
Continental Congres |
^^^^
What |
First suggested
on June 7, 1776, and adopted July 4, 1776 |
^^^^^
Where |
Written
to free the colonists from the oppression and laws from Great
Britain |
^^^
How |
How it Happened:
The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 to
announce the freedom of the American colonists from the government
of Great Britain. King George III and the British Parliament
had passed a bunch of laws that the colonist didn't agree with.
One of these was the Stamp Act, which forced the colonists to
pay taxes on many paper items, such as stamps, licenses, and newspapers.
Another was the Sugar Act, which taxed sugar and molasses.
The Quartering Act made the colonists pay for the housing of British
soldiers in the colonies. And yet another set of laws was
the Coercive, or Intolerable Acts. These forced the colonists
to house British soldiers in their own homes, and stated that
British officials in the colonies, when accused of a crime, had
to be tried in British courts instead of American ones.
Plus, when the Second Continental Congress
sent the Olive Branch Petition to Great Britain to assure them
of their loyalty and politely ask for the acts to be repealed
(canceled), the king declared the colonists were rebels!
So, on June 7, 1776, a member of the Second
Continental Congress, Richard Henry Lee, suggested that they write
the Declaration of Independence. His idea was approved by
the congress on July 2, 1776. It was then written by Thomas
Jefferson, with small changes by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams.
It was adopted on July 4, 1776, and signed by 56 people, including
John Hancock (whose signature is shown above), who was the president
of the Second Continental Congress, and Charles Thomson, who was
the secretary of the congress.
The Declaration of Independence has four sections.
The first is the preamble. It states the colonists' belief
that if you sever ties with someone (as they did with Great Britain),
then you should explain your reasons. The second section
is the Declaration of Rights, which are rights the colonists believed
everyone should have since birth. The next section is the
Bill of Indictment. It states the things the colonists disagreed
with about Great Britain. Last but not least is the Statement
of Indepenence, in which the Congress actually stated the independence
of the colonies from Great Britain. In that section, they
also pledged their lives to each other..
Then, on July 8, 1776, the Declaration of Independence
was read in the State House yard in Philadelphia. Colonists
rang bells and fired guns in celebration of their liberty from
their untile that point mother country, Great Britain.
Sources:
Rakove, Jack N. "Declaration of Independence."
World Book Online Reference Center. 2008. [Internet.]
2 Jan. 2008 <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar151520>.
Ritchie, Donald, and Albert Broussard. American
History The Early Years to 1877. Westerville, Ohio: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill,
1997.
