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Declaration of Independence Background Notes

The First Continental Congress
In September 1774, delegates, or representatives, from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia to plan a united response to the
Coercive Acts. Although the group was called the Continental Congress, it did not pass laws like Congress does today.
Instead, the delegates discussed what to do about the colonies issues with Great Britain. They decided to send a letter to
petition the king. In it they would ask that Britain respect the colonists rights as British citizens. They also organized a total
boycott of British goods and a ban on all trade with Britain. They agreed to meet again in the spring if British policies had
not improved.
King George responded by calling for even stronger measures. The New England governments are in a state of
rebellion, he declared. Blows [a fight] must decide whether they are subject to this country or independent.

Notes
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Delegate: Representative
Petition: A formal, written request
What is the purpose of the First Continental Congress?
The delegates discussed what to do about the colonies issues with Great Britain.
What were the issues that led the colonists to decide it was time to take action in reference the British crown.
1) Removal of basic rights privacy, trial by jury
2) Removal of self-government to which they had become accustomed
3) No taxation without representation
What does No Taxation without Representation mean?
The colonists felt that tax laws should only be passed in the colonial legislatures, not in England more than 3,000
miles away

What was King George IIIs response to the colonists letter?

King George called for stronger measures

The Second Continental Congress

The first blows had been struck when the delegates met again in May 1775. In April, British troops and colonial
militiamen had fought at Lexington and Concord, in Massachusetts. Congress had to decide whether to continue working
towards peace or to split with Great Britain.
This time the Congress acted as a governing body for the colonies. Not every member favored a split with Great Britain.
Some delegates remained loyal to Britain and the king. Others feared that the colonies could not defeat Great Britain in a
war. For months, Congress debated what to do.
Meanwhile, support for independence grew in the colonies. In January 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet
titled Common Sense. Paine had recently moved to the colonies from Great Britain. He used the ideas of John Locke to
make the case for independence. He argued that common sense called for the colonists to rebel against the kings
violent abuse of power. Paine continued, "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. . . . We
have it in our power to begin the world over again.
More than 500,000 copies of Common Sense were sold in 1776. By spring more than half the delegates of the Second
Continental Congress favored independence.

Notes

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What is the purpose of the Second Continental Congress?
The Congress acted as a governing body for the colonies.

What document influenced the delegates to favor independence?

Common Sense by Thomas Paine
The Declaration of Independence
The Congress chose a committee to draft a document to explain to the world why the colonies should be free. The
committee consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. The
committee chose Jefferson to write the document.
The words Jefferson wrote show that his thinking was greatly influenced by John Locke. In fact, a passage in the second
paragraph of the Declaration clearly was inspired by Lockes ideas about natural rights in Two Treatises of Government.
Later in the Declaration, Jefferson offered proof that the social contract had been broken. He put together a long list of
ways in which King George had abused his power.
Jefferson was clearly influenced by the political thoughts of Locke. But he also drew ideas from other times in history. You
read earlier that ideas about democracy began with the ancient Greeks. In addition, Jefferson was inspired by the writings
of other Enlightenment thinkers. For instance, Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote that if a government did not protect its
peoples freedom, it should not exist. Voltaire also believed that people had a right to liberty. The Declaration of
Independence reflects many of these old and new beliefs.
The Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. John Hancock, the
president of the Congress, was first to sign it.

The Declaration of Independence was a revolutionary document. No other nations government at that time was based on
the principles of government by consent of the governed. Over the years, many other nations have used the Declaration of
Independence as a model in their own efforts to gain freedom.
Source: McGraw-Hill Textbook; Chapter 4, Lesson 3

Notes
*Highlight/underline the evidence from the text to support your completion of the notes.*
Who were the members of the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence?
John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman
Who was chosen to write Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
Identify the 3 Enlightenment Thinkers that influenced Jefferson and their ideas:
*Person: Idea
1) John Locke: Natural Rights
2) Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Social Contract/ Consent of the Governed
3) Voltaire: Right to Liberty
When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
July 4. 1776
Who was the president of the Second Continental Congress?
John Hancock
What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
To declare independence from Great Britain and King George
Why is the Declaration of Independence considered a revolutionary document?
No other nations government at that time was based on the principles of government by consent of the governed.