Prove that there was no alternative to declaring independence.
When Congress finally decided to review the draft, they had many changes and removed entire sections which Jefferson was very unhappy about, but many historians believe the public document that we know is more clear, correct and powerful.Ĭlass discussion after background: What was the purpose of writing a national Declaration of Independence? Who was the intended audience? Thomas Jefferson was the main drafter of the Declaration of Independence, but his words and ideas were inspired by a vast knowledge of British history, British common law, Enlightenment thinkers, Greek and Roman history and literature, works of Christianity and other Virginians, like George Mason. They argued that King George III was a tyrant following precedent in English history with former monarchs who were disavowed. The Declaration blames the King in its grievances because by June of 1776, Congress had declared that British Parliament had no authority over them because the colonies had no direct representation therefore, their last connection to the empire and the last person whom they had maintained loyalty to was the King. On June 28, the committee presented its draft to all of Congress for comment and votes, but decisions were delayed while they assessed the oncoming British Naval attack. Livingston) to draft a national Declaration of Independence on behalf of Congress. On Ja committee of five was nominated (Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. However, the King refused to receive their petition and determined that the colonies did want independence. In the petition, the Continental Congress insisted that they did not desire independence and a war could be avoided if the King used his powers intervene in the unconstitutional decisions of Parliament.
The Second Continental Congress was still trying to make amends with the British Empire when is sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III in July of 1775. Intellectuals, religious leaders and writers in America progressively became more radical in their anger toward Parliament. From there, a fight over what kind of representation colonists had and should have played out in public fashion back and forth across the Atlantic.Ĭolonial political and business leaders went through steps to petition the government for change but were met with disrespect and seemly harsh consequences.
However, when direct taxes were imposed on American colonists and trade laws were more tightly enforced after the French and Indian War, American colonists found these actions to be unconstitutional because they did not have direct representation in the British Parliament. American colonists believed themselves to be equal to citizens living in Britain and they were proud of British freedoms that existed. It was a rapid transition for American colonists to go from being proud British citizens to proclaiming independence. The Declaration of Independence is a work of more than just one man (Thomas Jefferson) and it is not the first Declaration of Independence, many colonies and communities adopted their own declarations of Independence between April and July of 1776 and many became the preambles to newly drafted state constitutions. Therefore, it is advised to check for understanding, inform students, provide clarification and debunk common myths before you begin the lesson. Learning Resources on Women's Political Participationīackground information for the teacher (step 1):ĭepending on your course curriculum, students may only have a middle school understanding of the Declaration of Independence.Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project.
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