The+Declaration+of+Independence

Jesse Kenney (editor), Derek Molkenbuhr, Tom Dupont == __Backg ____round __ == ==The Declaration of Independence, commonly viewed as our nation’s most prominent symbol of liberty, was drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776 ([|www.archves.go] == ==[|v/exhinits/charters/dec;aration.html)]. A committee of five was set up to work on the Declaration of Independence. The initial members elected by Congress were Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylv == ania, John Adams of Massachusetts, Robert Livingston of New York, and Robert Sherman of Connecticut. The fifth member of the committee, Thomas Jefferson, was selected after Adams lobbied for his addition to the committee, because he thought Jefferson would add balance and was also impressed with his writing ability. Once the Declaration was penned, twelve of the thirteen states voted for independence on July 2, 1776. New York abstained. Two days later, the document was adopted by the Second Continental Congress. (Sabato and O'Connor 35-36)

__Structure __
The Declaration itself can be broken up into three sections: the __Preamble__ ,the introductory part of the Declaration of Independence, the __List of Grievances__, the 27 faults of the King of England, and the __Declaration for Independence,__where they declared they were an independent nation.

__The Preamble __
The first paragraph is written very generally, with no real references made to either the thirteen colonies or Great Britain. Rather, it describes the right of oppressed peoples to become independent of and separate from the forces suppressing them. The second paragraph, also know as the Declaration of Natural Rights, articulates the rights that all men are entitled to, such as the right to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”. Additionally, this section states that governments are formed to support these rights that men have, and the power of these governments exist only through the power of the people they represent. Therefore, when a government fails to provide these rights to the people they represent, the people have the right to change their government to allow for their unalienable rights to be protected([|www.educatetheelecto].

__The List of Greviances __
 In this section, 27 grievances against the King of England are listed, to prove that he has lost his right to rule by consent ([|www.socialstudieshelp.com/Lesson_9_Notes.htm)]. The first 12 abuses pertain to King George III’s running of a tyrannical authority rather than a representative government. Abuses 13-22 articulate the actions of Parliament that have taken away the colonists’ right to self-rule. The final five abuses, 23-27, refer to specific actions that the King took to wage war against and abandon the colonies.

 __The Formal Separation __ The final section is a formal Declaration of Independence. It is here that Jefferson states “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”. Thomas Jefferson cited many influences while drafting the declaration; first and foremost being John Locke who originally used the phrase “life, liberty, and property”; Jefferson tweaked it to fit what he thought should represent American idealism.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">Vocabulary Review: **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;"> __Declaration for Independence-__where they declared we were an independent nation **

 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">Section Review Questions: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">1. Why did Ben Franklin want Thomas Jefferson in the committee? **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">2. How many states voted for Independence? What state did not? **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">3. How long did it take Jefferson to draft the Declaration? **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">4. What five historical figures set up a committee to work on the Declaration of Independence? **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">5. What do the first twelve abuses listed in the List of Grievances pertain to? **

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/articles/declar1.htm http://www.princeton.edu/~tjpapers/declaration/declaration.html
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">Related Articles: **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">Works Cited: **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">[|www.socialstudieshelp.com/Lesson_9_Notes.htm)] **

 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15px;">[|www.archves.gov/exhinits/charters/dec;aration.html)] **