The Declaration of Independence1776A short document with BIG ideas and a cornerstone of who we are as a nation

IntroductionWatch the 5-6 minute clip from the John Adams series and respond to this question on the index card:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrvpZxMfKaUWhat risks were the colonists taking when they declared independence from Great Britain?Enjoy one more scene and hear the reading of the declaration:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDZp5-w-fZ8

Guiding QuestionWhat were the central ideas of the Declaration of Independence and how would you describe the legacy of these ideas in today’s world? (240 years old)

Part I: PreambleIntroductionThe colonists feel that they must explain to the world the reasons why they are separating from Britain.

Part Two: The Natural Rights of ManStresses the rights that belong to all people from birth“Unalienable rights” means, rights that CAN’T be taken awayFamous 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 Three: List of GrievancesA list of the 27 wrongs done to the 13 colonies by the British governmentDivided into three areas: King’s unjust use of power Unjust acts of Parliament -Warlike acts of the king

Part Four – Announcement ofSeparationAs representatives of the U.S., they declare that they are free and independent statesNo longer loyal to the kingThe signers promise their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.”

Interesting to note….The Declaration is only about 1,332 wordsWhen the Declaration was read out loud in New York, by George Washington, people rioted and tore down a stature of King George III! The statue was subsequently melted down and made into musket balls for the American army.There was a 44 year age difference between the oldest signer of the Declaration and the youngest.

According to the History Channel: The Declaration of Independence spent World War II in Fort Knox.On December 23, 1941, just over two weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the signed Declaration, together with the Constitution, was removed from public display and prepared for evacuation out of Washington, D.C. Under the supervision of armed guards, the founding document was packed in a specially designed container, latched with padlocks, sealed with lead and placed in a larger box. All told, 150 pounds of protective gear surrounded the parchment. On December 26 and 27, accompanied by Secret Service agents, it traveled by train to Louisville, Kentucky, where a cavalry troop of the 13th Armored Division escorted it to Fort Knox. The Declaration was returned to Washington, D.C., in 1944