Declaration of Independence slide notes

Declaration of Independence

Reasons for Independence

  • Over 100 years of the policy of salutary neglect by the British government

    • Relaxed policies allowed for self-government in the colonies.

  • French and Indian War

  • Series of taxes on the colonies to pay off war debt

    • Concept of taxation without representation.

  • Colonists not allowed to move into territory won from France.

Colonists' Attempt at Reconciliation

  • Protest through peaceful means

    • Petitions, boycotts, and committees.

  • Great Britain refuses to negotiate.

  • Boston Tea Party (March, 1774)

  • England responds with harsh punishments:

    • Intolerable Acts enacted, including:

      • Martial law imposed.

      • New taxes levied.

      • Quartering of soldiers in colonists’ homes.

      • Closure of Boston Harbor.

Colonists’ Opinion About Independence

  • Upper class fears that lower classes will have too much power.

  • Middle class fears continued trade restrictions will hurt their businesses.

  • Olive Branch Petition

    • Last-ditch effort by the Second Continental Congress at peace.

    • Angers King George, who declares the colonies in a state of open rebellion.

    • Additional troops sent to the colonies, and King George hires German mercenaries (Hessians).

Thomas Paine and Common Sense

  • Thomas Paine writes a pamphlet titled Common Sense.

    • Argues that colonists should free themselves from British rule.

    • Advocates for establishing an independent government based on Enlightenment ideas.

    • Written in a simple style to ensure all colonists could understand it.

    • Over 500,000 copies sold, leading to increased colonial support for independence.

Reasons for Caution in Declaring Independence

  • Fear of failure and risk of trial for treason.

  • Fear of mob rule (anarchy).

  • Existing ties to Great Britain:

    • Family connections.

    • Economic ties (trade and business).

Reasons for Declaring Independence – Why Did Americans Change Their Minds?

  • Uncompromising attitude of British government

    • Violated their rights as Englishmen.

    • King called colonists “rebels” and hired Hessians.

  • Military necessity

    • Lives had already been lost in the conflict.

  • Shifting attitudes of Americans

    • Influenced by the publication of Common Sense.

Declaring Independence

  • Summer of 1776, the Continental Congress appoints a committee to draft a declaration stating reasons for independence.

  • Appointed members include:

    • John Adams

    • Benjamin Franklin

    • Thomas Jefferson (selected to write the document)

    • Robert Livingston

    • Roger Sherman

  • Draft presented; 86 changes made, including:

    • Two references to God added.

    • Removal of content regarding slavery.

Ideas of the Declaration

  • John Locke, author of Two Treatises on Government:

    • Claims that man possesses natural rights to life, liberty, and property.

    • States that government exists due to a social contract between the ruler and the people.

    • A ruler only has authority with the consent of the governed.

    • A ruler cannot deny individuals their basic rights.

  • Jean Jacques Rousseau, author of Social Contract:

    • Advocates that people form a community and contract with one another, not a ruler.

    • Suggests that individuals give up some freedoms for the benefit of the majority.

    • Emphasizes democratic decision-making through communal voting.

  • Baron de Montesquieu, author of The Spirit of Laws:

    • Promotes systems of checks and balances.

    • Advocates for the separation of powers within government.

    • Argues that the best way to protect natural rights is to limit government power.

Principles of the Declaration of Independence

  • Defines natural rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

  • Asserts that governments derive their power from the people and can be abolished if they trample individuals’ unalienable rights (rights everyone has from birth).

  • States that all men are created equal.

  • Lists ways in which England had violated the colonists’ unalienable rights.

Independence Declared

  • July 2, 1776: Delegates voted for America's freedom.

  • July 4, 1776: The Declaration of Independence is officially adopted by Congress.

Parts of the Declaration of Independence

  1. Preamble: Legal and philosophical justification for the revolution and colonial independence.

  2. Declaration of Rights: Asserts that governments cannot infringe on a person’s rights; if they do so, they can be overthrown.

  3. List of Grievances: Outlines how King George had violated the rights of the colonists.

  4. Statement of Independence: Formal declaration of separation from Britain.

Declaration of Independence Purpose

  • Overall purpose: To win public support and justify the people's right to revolt.

  • Three specific purposes include:

    • Preamble: States reasons for separation and under what circumstances government should be changed.

    • Presents a new theory of government based on democratic principles.

    • Issues a formal declaration of war.

Declaration of Independence as Propaganda

  • The longest portion of the document lists abuses perpetrated by the British government.

    • Key questions to consider:

      • Who is the “he” referred to throughout?

      • What is the purpose of this section of the document?

      • Which charges made are valid and accurate?

      • Which charges are exaggerated?

Practical Advantages of Formal Declaration of War

  • As newly declared “free and independent states,” Americans claimed the power to:

    1. Levy war.

    2. Conclude peace.

    3. Contract alliances.

    4. Establish commerce.

Significance of the Declaration

  1. Clarified Americans’ goals in the war against Britain.

  2. Rallied support from other countries.

  3. Provided inspiration globally for others to seek to overthrow tyrannical governments, influencing:

    • French Revolution.

    • Slave revolts.

    • Tiananmen Square protests in China (1989).

    • Inspired movements for political rights (e.g., women's rights, rights for African Americans).

  4. Framework for American government:

    • Influenced state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution/Bill of Rights.