The Declaration of Independence
Before the United States was formed,
the people who lived along the Atlantic coast lived in 13 colonies of
England. The British government tried to rule the colonies from
England. The British demanded that the colonists pay taxes on such
things as sugar and tea that the colonists bought from England. The
colonists refused to pay the taxes, because they did not have a voice
in approving the laws that created the taxes. They were not represented
in the British government.
The colonists decided that they
wanted a government that would listen to them. This led to their
declaring independence from England.
Activity: The Declaration of Independence
-
Watch "Turning Points" in Episode 1, "Domino Effect," in the On Common Ground video series.
-
Go to the following website to learn about the Declaration of Independence: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/6-8/documents/declaration/about.html. Find the answers to the following questions there.
a. What were the 13 original states called before they became states?
b. What is the basic idea of the Declaration of Independence?
3. Go to the following website to read the Declaration of Independence: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/6-8/documents/declaration/index.html. Find the answers to the following questions there.
a. Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?
b. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
c. What do we call the holiday of the date when the Declaration of Independence was adopted?
d. From what country did the Second Continental Congress declare independence?
4. Write one paragraph about why the Declaration of Independence is still important in the United States.