The Declaration of Independence

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The Declaration of Independence

• Thomas Jefferson

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Name that Thomas
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Designer Tommy Hilfiger
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International Celebrity Tommy Lee Jones
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Famed WriterThomas Hardy
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Musician Tommy Lee
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Inventor Thomas Edison
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Paleontologist Thomas HoltzUniversity of
Maryland
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Leader Diplomat Thomas the Train
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Thomas Jefferson was all of them.
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TJs Biography

• Architect
• Designer
• Botanist
• Governor of Virginia
• Paleontologist
• Writer
• Musician
• Diplomat
• 3rd President of the United States

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TJs Biography

• 1746-1826
• Born in Virginia
• Lived on an estate of 5,000 acres
• Father died when Thomas was 14
• Jefferson died on the morning of July 4, several
  hours before Adams

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Fun Fact to Discuss at Parties

• Both Ben Franklin and John Adams, the New England
  patriot, declined to write the Declaration.
• Adams told Jefferson
• A Virginian ought to lead the business
• I (Adams) am obnoxious and unpopular
• You (Jefferson) write ten times better than me

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The Declaration of Independence
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Summary of From The Autobiography The
Declaration of Independence

• This selection from Jeffersons autobiography
  shows how the Second Continental Congress altered
  his original draft to produce the final draft.

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Summary of From The Autobiography The
Declaration of Independence

• He recounts how the Congress ruled out passages
  renouncing kinship with the English people (to
  avoid offense) and passages banning slavery
  (slave-holding colonies may oppose the
  Declaration)

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Summary of From The Autobiography The
Declaration of Independence

• He presents his full version with the underlined
  portions deleted.
• What Congress added was placed in the margins.

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The 1st 2nd Paragraphs

• The first paragraphs purpose is to state why
  independence is being declared.
• The second paragraph describes the ideal
  relationship between a people and its government,
  outlines the conditions for rebellion.
• The second paragraph asserts that the British
  king creates such hostile conditions

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• When in the Course of human events it becomes
  necessary for one people to dissolve the
  political bands which have connected them with
  another and to assume among the powers of the
  earth, the separate and equal station to which
  the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle
  them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind
  requires that they should declare the causes
  which impel them to the separation.
• Introductory paragraph

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Brace Yourself for the Next Slide
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• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
  men are created equal, that they are endowed by
  their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
  that among these are Life, Liberty and the
  pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these
  rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
  deriving their just powers from the consent of
  the governed, That whenever any Form of
  Government becomes destructive of these ends, it
  is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish
  it, and to institute new Government, laying its
  foundation on such principles and organizing its
  powers in such form, as to them shall seem most
  likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
• 1st half of 2nd paragraph

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The Next 20 Paragraphs

• Many are composed of a single long sentence.
• They cite specific examples of the kings abuses
• The last 5 paragraphs develop the ideas of the
  first two and solemnly declare the independence
  of the United States from allegiance to the
  British crown

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Brace Yourself for the Next Slide (again)
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Notice the syntax of this paragraph

• He has combined with others to subject us to a
  jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and
  unacknowledged by our laws giving his Assent to
  their Acts of pretended Legislation for
  quartering large bodies of armed troops among us
  for protecting them, by a mock Trial from
  punishment for any Murders which they should
  commit on the Inhabitants of these States for
  cutting off our Trade with all parts of the
  world for imposing Taxes on us without our
  Consent for depriving us in many cases, of the
  benefit of Trial by Jury for transporting us
  beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
  for abolishing the free System of English Laws in
  a neighboring Province, establishing therein an
  Arbitrary government, and enlarging its
  Boundaries so as to render it at once an example
  and fit instrument for introducing the same
  absolute rule into these Colonies for taking
  away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable
  Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our
  Governments for suspending our own Legislatures,
  and declaring themselves invested with power to
  legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

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The Declaration of Independenceby John Trumbell
(1756-1843)
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The Following Slides are Guiding Questions for
In-class Discussions.

• Please establish norms for the classroom.

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• What does freedom and responsibility mean to you?
• Are these rights something you take for granted,
  or do you hold them precious?
• Comment on how you regard freedom and equality.

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• For Locke, to be legitimate, government must
  protect your rights. Is that enough?
• What if you never get to have a say in what
  government does?

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• You are free by nature, thinks Locke, but there
  is a difference between freedom and license.
• Is Locke right to argue that it is possible to
  abuse a freedom that one has a right to?

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• Locke thinks that government should be guided by
  majority rule. He also thinks that government
  exists to protect the unalienable right to
  property.
• Are these ideas in conflict? What if a poor
  majority wants to tax a rich minority?

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Eudemonism (Gr. hedone pleasure)

• The view that happiness is the highest good.
• Some writers take this to designate the view that
  pleasure is the highest good, but that view is
  more properly called hedonism.
• Happiness and pleasure are distinct notions.

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Our Government and Justice

• There are times when the only way to prevent harm
  to a large number of people is to harm a smaller
  number of people. Is it always permissible to
  harm a smaller number in order to prevent harm to
  a large number?

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• Suppose an American has planted a bomb in New
  York City, and it will explode in twenty-four
  hours unless the police are able to find it.
  Should it be legal for the police to use torture
  to extract information from the suspected bomber?

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• Suppose an American has planted a bomb in New
  York City, and it will explode in twenty-four
  hours unless the police are able to find it.
  Should it be legal for the police to use torture
  to extract information from the suspected bomber?

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• Today, freedom and equality are guaranteed for
  you and people of all races, religions, and
  genders, according to the laws of the United
  States. Every citizen is guaranteed equal and
  fair treatment under the laws and the freedom to
  openly express ideas. Every citizen is also
  guaranteed the right to vote.

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• However, this was not always the case. When the
  Declaration of Independence was written, only
  white males who owned property could vote.

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Discussing Inequalities

• In pairs, research where we still find
  inequalities or injustices today. Look beyond the
  borders of the U.S. perhaps.
• Place your findings on Google Slides
• We will share our findings with the class.

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Choose One Topic

• After finding a topic, write it on the board to
  your right (reserve it).
• Seven slides (minimum)
• Title
• Seven facts about your topic (minimum) (10
  points)
• Three related images (5 points)
• Three questions for the class (5 points)
• Works Cited page (10 points)

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• Point Value 30

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Any Questions?
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