The Declaration of Independence American Beliefs At Work

Declaration of Independence Facts Committee of Five: • July 2 nd: Voted to be independent • Thomas Jefferson • Benjamin Franklin • Robert Livingston • Roger Sherman • John Adams • July 4 th: Adopted the document (DOI)

Declaration of Independence • Preamble • Part 1 – Natural Rights of Man • Part 2 – List of Grievances • Part 3 – Announcement of Separation

Preamble • Introduction • Explaining to the world why they are separating from Britain.

Part One The Natural Rights of Man • Stresses the rights that belong to all people from birth • “Unalienable rights”= rights that can’t be taken away • Famous Quotes: “All men are created equal”, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. ” • People set up governments to protect these rights. People can change the government if it isn’t protecting them.

Part Two List of Grievances • A list of the 27 wrongs done to the 13 colonies by the British government • Divided into three sets: - King’s unjust use of power - Unjust acts of Parliament - Warlike acts of the king

Part Three Announcement of Separation • As representatives of the U. S. , they declare that they are free and independent states • No longer loyal to the king • The signers promise their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. ”

Individual Work 1. Refer to each section of the Declaration of Independence in order to answer the critical thinking questions. a. This will be turned in at the end of the class period.