America

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America Land of the Free

• A Story of Americas Freedom and Independence

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Questions About America

• As Americans, we live in a country that
  is free. Have you ever thought about how our
  nation began? Have you ever thought about why the
  United States is a free country? Click to read
  the story of how America became the land of the
  free.

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Traveling to a New Land

• Long ago, many people from England
  decided to travel by boat to a new land to
  settle. This new land belonged to England. King
  George III, the British King ruled both lands.

England
New Land (wasnt named America yet.)
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New Life in a New Land

• Life was difficult, but the settlers
  worked hard and built a life in this new
  territory. Thirteen colonies were formed there.
  Though King George III lived far away, he was
  still the leader in England, as well as in the
  new colonies.

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Important Discussions

• After awhile, some of the colonists
  talked and decided that they wanted to be a free
  country. They didnt want to be under the rule
  of Englands king anymore.

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Important Decisions

• However, the people were divided. Some
  felt they needed to obey the English King, while
  others wanted to be an independent nation. Many
  settlers finally made important decisions for
  this territory.

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Revolutionary War Begins

• Everyone knew that England would want
  to keep ruling the new land, so many Patriots
  decided to fight for independence. That decision
  meant the Patriots would have to fight Englands
  huge army, but it was important for them to fight
  for freedom.

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Patriots Want Freedom

• So the war began. It was called the
  Revolutionary War. It started in 1775. Many men
  fought and died in that war.

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A World of Freedom

• After the war began, a bright young
  patriot named Thomas Jefferson, sat and wrote the
  Declaration of Independence in June of 1776.
  After it was written, many men met at
  Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  to talk about this document.

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Declaration of Independence

• After a lot of discussion, the Second
  Continental Congress approved the Declaration of
  Independence on July 4, 1776. This document
  declared that the colonists wanted independence
  and freedom.

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A World of Independence

• After a long fight, the Revolutionary
  War ended in 1783. It was sad because many
  Patriots died in battle before they saw America
  become a free nation.

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Revolutionary War Ends

• At the same time is was exciting
  because the land that the Patriots fought for was
  finally independent and free from England. The
  territory became a free nation. The name given
  to the new country was The United States of
  America.

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The US Constitution

• Then the Constitution was written. The
  United States Constitution says how the
  government works. It was signed on September 17,
  1787. Some of the men who signed it were George
  Washington, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams.

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A Land of Freedom

• The Patriots fighting for a new nation
  wanted to form a government that did not allow
  one person to have too much authority or control.
  They wanted the people to make decisions.
  Democracy is a part of our system because of
  that.
• The first United States President was
  Revolutionary War hero General George Washington.

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"We the People...."

• The Constitution is a valuable part of
  Americas history. The first part of the
  Constitution is the called the Preamble. The
  Preamble begins with We the People Click to
  the next slide to read it,

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(No Transcript)
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Treasure Your Freedom

• Americas fight for freedom and
  independence was one fought hard by early
  settlers. That fight, loyal Patriots, documents
  like the Declaration of Independence, and the
  Constitution is what brought independence and
  freedom to our country, but it wasnt an easy
  path.

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Proud to be An American

• Now it is your job to appreciate the long
  journey that this country traveled since its
  early days. As Americans, everyone should
  treasure that freedom each and every day. Like
  the Patriots who fought so hard for independence
  and freedom, all United States citizens should be
  Proud to be an American!

The End
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Preamble Information

• If you have internet connected, you can listen to
  the preamble. Click on the links below.
• Listen to the Words of the Preamble "School
  House Rock" Preamble
• To see the words of the Preamble, click here.

• Written and Created by Stacy Bodin