Unit 2: The American Revolution

Lesson 2: Declaring Independence

ITS TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE

We want to make it clear, we believe this much is true All men were created with certain Unalienable rights Among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit Of happiness And it's too late to apologize It's too late I said It's too late to apologize And it's too late to apologize It's too late It's too late I said it's too late to apologize It's too late It's too late to apologize It's too late We've paid your foolish tax, read the acts I said it's too late apologize And they just won't do It's too late I said it's too late to apologize, yeah It's too late http://www.schooltube.com/video/e1895c4c I said it's too late to apologize, yeah Halfway across the globe 1683c3124733/Too-Late-to-Apologize-AAnd we're standing on new ground Declaration
Halfway

across the globe And we're standing on new ground Screaming 'cross the waves You can't hear a sound There's no fair trials, no trade, no liberties No tea We've colonized America; we won't stand for tyranny, Oh king

THE TRUE BEGINNINGS OF A

REVOLUTION
The

colonies faced more threats from Britain, and they created a communication network known as the Committees of Correspondence (created in 1764). After the Intolerable Acts, the Colonies created the First Continental Congress (created in 1774) The first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord in 1775 Then, the Second Continental Congress organized and met in 1775 (after Lexington and Concord)

THE IDEA OF REVOLUTION

At

this point, Thomas Paines Common Sense circulated around the colonies and contributed to the growing popularity of independence
While

the Continental Congress debated independence, a committee drafted a document that outlined the reasons for Americas independence

Declaration of Independence
The documents ideas can be traced to several philosophies: John Locke:

-believed people were born with certain natural rights (life, liberty and property) -that the people and the government have a contract -people had the right to overthrow a government if it did not uphold its end of the contract

Declaration of Independence

Montesquieu

-French philosopher -Wrote of three types of political power (executive, legislative, and judicial) -Separation of power and checks and balances

Declaration of Independence
Made

up of 5 parts:
-Resolution of

-The Preamble which explains the purpose of the document -Declaration of Natural Rights which is taken almost directly from Locke (Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness) -List of Grievances which list the colonists complaints against Britain

Independence which declares that the colonies are free from Britain -Signers declared that they, as representatives of the colonies, approved the document

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
The

signing of the Declaration of Independence signaled the beginning of the American Revolutionary War