Declaring Independence

During the Second Continental Congress, it was decided they would write a Declaration of Independence from Britain.

Thomas Paine helped shape the colonists ideas with his writing Common Sense, he expressed how the colonists should rule themselves. This is one of the main reasons many people in the colonists called for independence.

Richard Henry Lee told the delegates during the Second Continental Congress that the 13 colonies no longer owed loyalty to the king, and led to the writing of a formal statement of independence.

John Adams argued strongly for independence as well, he said that it was their only way towards liberty.

Congress chose a committee to write the declaration to be sent to the king. Thomas Jefferson was selected to write the first draft.

Thomas Jefferson carefully wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence.

In the first parts, he told why they needed the declaration and explained why the colonies had to separate from Britain to form a new nation.

The next part describes the colonists' ideas about government, stated their rights to be free, and seek their own happiness.

The longest part of the Declarations listed the colonists' complaints agains the king and Parliament.

On July 2, 1776, the delegates voted to approve separation from Britain, and now the colonies thought of themselves as independent states and free to make their own laws.

On July 4, 1776, Congress voted to accept the Declaration of Independence final wording.

Four days later, July 8, 1776, large crowds gathered to listen to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

John Adams was especially pleased will all the celebrations, he wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail Adams, saying that Independence Day should be celebrated by succeeding generations.

John Hancock was the president of Congress and the first one to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Signing the Declaration was dangerous because King George III had promised to do whatever was necessary to crush the colonists' rebellion, and if the Americans lost the war, Britain could punish them by treason.

The colonists had to unite against Britain.

Only white men who owned property were allowed to vote, and many people believed this was unfair.

It would take many years for women, African Americans, Native Americans, and other groups to share what the Declaration of Independence promised.

However, it inspired people around to world to fight for freedom and equal rights.

In the Second Continental Congress, another committee was set up to plan how to unite the 13 colonies. John Dickinson was elected head of this committee.

This committee decided that each colony would make its own government, but would work together on national issues.

The committee wrote the First Plan of government for the United States and called it the Articles of Confederation.