Aim: What enabled the Continental Congress to pass the Declaration of Independence?

Do Now: Use the text from Patrick Henry below to answer the following

questions

• What is Patrick Henry arguing for?

• What type of argument is Henry using for Independence?

• Do you think Henry’s arguments will sway colonists or not? Why?

Attempts at Reconciliation

• In an attempt to avoid full-out war, the Second Continental Congress sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George.

• Olive Branch Petition: Claimed that the colonies were not interested in rebellion, but would settle for a negotiation over trade and tax policy

• Why would they have called this the Olive Branch Petition?

Attempts at Reconciliation

• Thanks to escalating hostilities between colonists and the British, especially during the Battle of Bunker Hill, the King rejects the petition and declares the colonies in open rebellion.

• Do you find it strange that so many colonists were still loyal to the British? Why do you think that was?

Common Sense

• In early 1776, Thomas Paine published the pamphlet Common Sense, seeking to rally more colonists to the side of independence.

•What type of people are Paine attempting to bring around with this pamphlet?•According to Paine, what has Britain’s true goal been with the colonies all along?•Do you think Paine or Henry’s writings will be more successful? Consider both the text and the way it was distributed.

Independence is Declared

• Thanks in part to the incredible popularity of Paine’s pamphlet, the Continental Congress declares independence on July 2, 1776 and approves a Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, July 4, 1776

• The Declaration is commonly divided into 5 parts:Introduction- Gives the reasons for independencePreamble- Lists the “rights that are self-evident”, rights

that have been violated by EnglandBody Section 1- Lists the specific grievances against the

KingBody Section 2- Lists the efforts the colonists made to

avoid conflictConclusion- Wraps up the document, claiming that thanks to

the grievances and attempts at reconciliation made, the colonies must dissolve connections with Great Britain.