Warm Up

• Get a copy of “Revolutionary Tea” from your table folder and record the answers in the warm up section of your notebook.

• Be ready to share

your answers!

Warm Up1. Who are the characters in this song? Who

do they represent?

2. What island does the song refer to? What ocean is referred to?

3. What does the boiling tide represent?

4. What event in history does the song represent?

5. What are the feelings expressed in this song?

The Declaration of Independence

Background

• July 4, 1776 – Declaration of Independence is adopted by Congress, John Hancock was the first person to sign it

• August 2, 1776 – Declaration of Independence is signed by 50 present members of Congress, Franklin remarks “We must all hang together or we shall hang separately.”

Main Author – Thomas Jefferson• Although there were 5

men appointed to write the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was the main author

The Signers• John Hancock was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence.

(He signed it very largely so King George could see it all the way from England.)

• There were 56 signers of the Declaration from all of the 13 colonies.

• Signing the Declaration was considered treason, punishable by death

Purpose

• To show why the colonies were revolting against Britain and Declaring their Independence

Break Up Letter

• The Declaration of Independence is really a break up letter from the colonists to the king.

• If you were going to write someone a break up letter, what parts would you include?

Parts of a Break Up LetterPart of Letter Purpose

Introduction (Preamble) To let the other person know that you shouldn’t be together any more

Statement of Rights To explain what every person has a right to expect from a relationship

List of Grievances To let them know the reasons why you have to break up with them

Resolution of Independence To explain that you will be by yourself now and not together any more

Declaration of Independence Foldable

• Fold in half (hamburger fold)

• Cut a slit on the top sheet halfway down

Declaration of Independence Foldable

• Cut 2 more slits so that you have 4 flaps

Label the flaps with labels

shown

Preamble

Natural Rights

Grievances

Resolution of Independence

Declaration of Independence Foldable• Open foldable and record info on back of flaps

Introduction

Rights of the people/role of gov’t

Colonists’ complaints

Colonists declare their independence

With a partner, use

your copy of the

Declaration of

Independence to

write down a short

phrase from each

part of the

document in this

section

Declaration Puzzle• With a partner, you will cut out the headings

and phrases from the Declaration of Independence.

• Decide which section each statement belongs in and piece the Declaration back together!

• When you figure it out, glue it on notebook paper and turn it in.

Enlightenment

• Jefferson used the Enlightenment ideas of JOHN LOCKE– People are born with certain natural

rights: life, liberty and property– People form governments to protect

these rights– If governments interfere with these

rights, the people have the right to OVERTHROW them

A Landmark• Marks the FIRST TIME

EVER that a group of revolutionaries explained in detail why they had the right to change their government

• Ideas of the Declaration of Independence influenced the French Revolution and revolutions in South America.

American Revolution

• Crash Course – American Revolution