United States Declaration of Independence
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Reading Comprehension: Declaration of Independence
Reading Comprehension: Declaration of Independence The main purpose of America's Declaration of Independence was to explain to foreign nations why the colonies had chosen to separate themselves from Great Britain. The Revolutionary War had already begun, and several major battles had already taken place. The American colonies had already cut most major ties to England and had established their own congress, currency, army, and post office. On June 7, 1776, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Richard Henry Lee voiced a resolution that the United States should be completely free of England's influence, and that all political ties between the two countries should be dissolved. Congress agreed and began plans to publish a formal declaration of independence and appointed a committee of five members to draft the declaration. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to draft the letter, which he did in a single day. Four other members—Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams—were part of the committee to help Jefferson. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson explained that a body of people has a right to change governments if that government becomes oppressive (unfair and controlling). He further explained that governments fail when they no longer have the consent of the governed. Since Parliament clearly lacked the consent of the American colonists to govern them, it was no longer legitimate. The Declaration was presented to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 2, 1776. It was approved with a few minor changes. Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock, of Massachusetts, was the first. -
Signers of the United States Declaration of Independence Table of Contents
SIGNERS OF THE UNITED STATES DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 56 Men Who Risked It All Life, Family, Fortune, Health, Future Compiled by Bob Hampton First Edition - 2014 1 SIGNERS OF THE UNITED STATES DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTON Page Table of Contents………………………………………………………………...………………2 Overview………………………………………………………………………………...………..5 Painting by John Trumbull……………………………………………………………………...7 Summary of Aftermath……………………………………………….………………...……….8 Independence Day Quiz…………………………………………………….……...………...…11 NEW HAMPSHIRE Josiah Bartlett………………………………………………………………………………..…12 William Whipple..........................................................................................................................15 Matthew Thornton……………………………………………………………………...…........18 MASSACHUSETTS Samuel Adams………………………………………………………………………………..…21 John Adams………………………………………………………………………………..……25 John Hancock………………………………………………………………………………..….29 Robert Treat Paine………………………………………………………………………….….32 Elbridge Gerry……………………………………………………………………....…….……35 RHODE ISLAND Stephen Hopkins………………………………………………………………………….…….38 William Ellery……………………………………………………………………………….….41 CONNECTICUT Roger Sherman…………………………………………………………………………..……...45 Samuel Huntington…………………………………………………………………….……….48 William Williams……………………………………………………………………………….51 Oliver Wolcott…………………………………………………………………………….…….54 NEW YORK William Floyd………………………………………………………………………….………..57 Philip Livingston…………………………………………………………………………….….60 Francis Lewis…………………………………………………………………………....…..…..64 Lewis Morris………………………………………………………………………………….…67 -
Delaware in the American Revolution (2002)
Delaware in the American Revolution An Exhibition from the Library and Museum Collections of The Society of the Cincinnati Delaware in the American Revolution An Exhibition from the Library and Museum Collections of The Society of the Cincinnati Anderson House Washington, D. C. October 12, 2002 - May 3, 2003 HIS catalogue has been produced in conjunction with the exhibition, Delaware in the American Revolution , on display from October 12, 2002, to May 3, 2003, at Anderson House, THeadquarters, Library and Museum of the Society of the Cincinnati, 2118 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D. C. 20008. It is the sixth in a series of exhibitions focusing on the contributions to the American Revolution made by the original 13 he season loudly calls for the greatest efforts of every states and the French alliance. Tfriend to his Country. Generous support for this exhibition was provided by the — George Washington, Wilmington, to Caesar Rodney, Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati. August 31, 1777, calling for the assistance of the Delaware militia in rebuffing the British advance to Philadelphia. Collections of the Historical Society of Delaware Also available: Massachusetts in the American Revolution: “Let It Begin Here” (1997) New York in the American Revolution (1998) New Jersey in the American Revolution (1999) Rhode Island in the American Revolution (2000) Connecticut in the American Revolution (2001) Text by Ellen McCallister Clark and Emily L. Schulz. Front cover: Domenick D’Andrea. “The Delaware Regiment at the Battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776.” [detail] Courtesy of the National Guard Bureau. See page 11. ©2002 by The Society of the Cincinnati. -
P.S.: You Had Better Remove the Records: Early Federal Archives
“P.S.: You had better remove the records” Early Federal Archives and the Burning of Washington during the War of 1812 By Jessie Kratz hen British troops began to advance toward And so clerks packed Wthe United States’ new capital of Wash such things as the books and ington in the summer of 1814, it was clear that papers of the State Department; government leaders had not prepared an adequate unpublished secret journals of defense for the city and its government buildings. Congress; George Washington’s The British navy already had control of nearby Chesa commission and correspondence; peake Bay and some 4,500 troops in the port town of the Articles of Confederation; papers Benedict, Maryland—poised for an attack on the capital. of the Continental Congress; and all the Despite the show of force, the secretary of war, treaties, laws, and correspondence dating John Armstrong, was convinced the British were back to 1789. more interested in the port of Baltimore than in Along with these early records, the clerks Washington, which then had only 8,200 residents. also bagged up the Charters of Freedom—the Secretary of State James Monroe felt differently collective term for the Declaration of Indepen and met with President James Madison to discuss dence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. the enemy’s intentions. Then Monroe himself rode And so these three documents began a long jour by horse, accompanied by cavalry, into southern ney as the War of 1812 raged. Maryland to scout the situation. The journey would not end until 1952, when Upon seeing the British advancing toward all three were placed together, side by side, in special Washington, Monroe dispatched a note to Presi encasements in the Rotunda of the National Archives dent Madison. -
Pen & Parchment: the Continental Congress
Adams National Historical Park National Park Service U.S. Department of Interior PEN & PARCHMENT INDEX 555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 a Letter to Teacher a Themes, Goals, Objectives, and Program Description a Resources & Worksheets a Pre-Visit Materials a Post Visit Mterialss a Student Bibliography a Logistics a Directions a Other Places to Visit a Program Evaluation Dear Teacher, Adams National Historical Park is a unique setting where history comes to life. Our school pro- grams actively engage students in their own exciting and enriching learning process. We hope that stu- dents participating in this program will come to realize that communication, cooperation, sacrifice, and determination are necessary components in seeking justice and liberty. The American Revolution was one of the most daring popular movements in modern history. The Colonists were challenging one of the most powerful nations in the world. The Colonists had to decide whether to join other Patriots in the movement for independence or remain loyal to the King. It became a necessity for those that supported independence to find ways to help America win its war with Great Britain. To make the experiment of representative government work it was up to each citi- zen to determine the guiding principles for the new nation and communicate these beliefs to those chosen to speak for them at the Continental Congress. Those chosen to serve in the fledgling govern- ment had to use great statesmanship to follow the directions of those they represented while still find- ing common ground to unify the disparate colonies in a time of crisis. This symbiotic relationship between the people and those who represented them was perhaps best described by John Adams in a letter that he wrote from the Continental Congress to Abigail in 1774. -
Pennsylvania Magazine of HISTORY and BIOGRAPHY
THE Pennsylvania Magazine OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY John Swanwick: Spokesman for "Merchant-Republicanism ' In Philadelphia, 1790-179 8 HE literature on the era of Jeffersonian democracy is largely- dominated by the great triumvirate of Thomas Jefferson, TJames Madison, and Albert Gallatin.* During the last dec- ade, however, historians have been paying more attention to state and local political leaders who played significant roles in the Demo- cratic-Republican movement.1 Among the more notable second-rank * In a somewhat abbreviated form this article was presented as a paper at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Historical Association held at Williamsport, Pa., on Oct. 22-23, 1971. The author wishes to express his gratitude to his colleague, Bernard Sternsher, for his helpful editorial suggestions. 1 Historians have given most of their attention to secondary Federalists, but since i960 the number of modern scholarly biographies of less prominent Republicans has increased. We now have first-rate biographies on Robert R. Livingston, David Rittenhouse, Aaron Burr, Daniel D. Tompkins, John Breckinridge, Luther Martin, Benjamin Rush (2), Samuel Smith, and James Monroe. There are also a number of good unpublished doctoral dissertations. Among the more notable studies are those on Elkanah Watson, Simon Snyder, Mathew Carey, Samuel Latham Mitchell, Melancton Smith, Levi Woodbury, William Lowndes, William Duane, William Jones (2), Eleazer Oswald, Thomas McKean, Levi Lincoln, Ephraim Kirby, and John Nicholson. Major biographies of Tench Coxe by Jacob E. Cooke, of John Beckley by Edmund Berkeley, and of Thomas McKean by John M. Coleman and Gail Stuart Rowe are now in progress. 131 132 ROLAND M. -
Philadelphia Merchants, Trans-Atlantic Smuggling, and The
Friends in Low Places: Philadelphia Merchants, Trans-Atlantic Smuggling, and the Secret Deals that Saved the American Revolution By Tynan McMullen University of Colorado Boulder History Honors Thesis Defended 3 April 2020 Thesis Advisor Dr. Virginia Anderson, Department of History Defense Committee Dr. Miriam Kadia, Department of History Capt. Justin Colgrove, Department of Naval Science, USMC 1 Introduction Soldiers love to talk. From privates to generals, each soldier has an opinion, a fact, a story they cannot help themselves from telling. In the modern day, we see this in the form of leaked reports to newspapers and controversial interviews on major networks. On 25 May 1775, as the British American colonies braced themselves for war, an “Officer of distinguished Rank” was running his mouth in the Boston Weekly News-Letter. Boasting about the colonial army’s success during the capture of Fort Ticonderoga two weeks prior, this anonymous officer let details slip about a far more concerning issue. The officer remarked that British troops in Boston were preparing to march out to “give us battle” at Cambridge, but despite their need for ammunition “no Powder is to be found there at present” to supply the Massachusetts militia.1 This statement was not hyperbole. When George Washington took over the Continental Army on 15 June, three weeks later, he was shocked at the complete lack of munitions available to his troops. Two days after that, New England militiamen lost the battle of Bunker Hill in agonizing fashion, repelling a superior British force twice only to be forced back on the third assault. -
1 the Story of the Faulkner Murals by Lester S. Gorelic, Ph.D. the Story Of
The Story of the Faulkner Murals By Lester S. Gorelic, Ph.D. The story of the Faulkner murals in the Rotunda begins on October 23, 1933. On this date, the chief architect of the National Archives, John Russell Pope, recommended the approval of a two- year competing United States Government contract to hire a noted American muralist, Barry Faulkner, to paint a mural for the Exhibit Hall in the planned National Archives Building.1 The recommendation initiated a three-year project that produced two murals, now viewed and admired by more than a million people annually who make the pilgrimage to the National Archives in Washington, DC, to view two of the Charters of Freedom documents they commemorate: the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. The two-year contract provided $36,000 in costs plus $6,000 for incidental expenses.* The contract ended one year before the projected date for completion of the Archives Building’s construction, providing Faulkner with an additional year to complete the project. The contract’s only guidance of an artistic nature specified that “The work shall be in character with and appropriate to the particular design of this building.” Pope served as the contract supervisor. Louis Simon, the supervising architect for the Treasury Department, was brought in as the government representative. All work on the murals needed approval by both architects. Also, The United States Commission of Fine Arts served in an advisory capacity to the project and provided input critical to the final composition. The contract team had expertise in art, architecture, painting, and sculpture. -
University Microfilms International 300 North Zeob Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 USA St
INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the moat advanced technological meant to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality it heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Misting Paga(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent page);. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacen pages to insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, _ is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find ^ good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. Whan a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning |s continued again — beginning balow the first row and continuing on untjil complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest valuir, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from "photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation. -
Character List 1776
1776 Character List Name Vocal Solos State Part Size BACKGROUND OF THE CHARACTER Scenes Photo Age Gender Lines John Adams Baritone Raised in modest surroundings, in a traditional puritan colony in MA. Considered puritans "bearers of freedom". Eldest child of 3. 8 Massachusetts Lead Graduated from Harvard, became a lawyer, statesman, diplomat, & political theorist. Supported reconciliation if practical. "By the fall 6 40 Male of 1775, no one in Congress labored more ardently than Adams to hasten the day when America would be separate from Great Britain." 226 Ben Franklin Baritone/Bass After returning from GB, he was chosen to be PA's delegate to the 2nd Continental Congress and subsequently was one 5 Pennsylvania Lead of the Committee of Five, though disabled by gout and missed most committee meetings. Quipped at the signing, 5 70 Male "Yes, we must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." Oldest, most famous & respected. 122 Thomas Jefferson Tenor Primary author of Declaration of Independence, member of the Committee of Five. 1/4th of the original draft, speaking critically of 3 Virginia Lead King George III and the slave trade, was omitted and he resented the changes. The preamble, authored by TJ, has been referred to 3 33 Male as one of the best known English sentences containing the most potent and consequential words in American History. Slave owner. 42 Abigail Adams M-Soprano John's third cousin, wife, & closest advisor. She wrote letters that have served as eyewitness accounts of the Revolutionary War. 3 Massachusetts Supporting She was taught at home, loved to read, and was in a book club. -
Teacher Sourcebook, Volume III
Our Documents Teacher Sourcebook, Volume III Our Documents is a program of: The Sourcebook is sponsored by: The National Archives and Records Administration, National History Day, and The History Channel are proud to continue their partnership in the Our Documents initiative and this third volume of the Our Documents Teacher Sourcebook. This program is not just about looking at old documents. The documents serve as a catalyst to help teachers, students, parents, and all Americans to strengthen their understanding and appreciation of the records and values that undergird our democracy. Exploring the historical milestones they represent teaches us about our continual quest to “form a more perfect union.” This year we are again making available more supporting material for the 100 documents, sharing additional ideas about how teachers can use these documents in their classes, and illustrating how they might help their students connect these pivotal documents to major themes in American history and to events and issues they face in their own lives. When President Bush launched the Our Documents initiative in September 2002 he noted, “Our history is not a story of perfection. It is a story of imperfect people working toward great ideas.” We hope you find this sourcebook helpful as your classes explore the great ideas at the heart of our union that continue to shape the nation’s future. John W. Carlin Cathy Gorn, Ph.D. Libby O’Connell, Ph.D. Archivist of the Executive Director Historian in Residence United States National History Day The History -
National Register of Historic Places Inventory
Form No. ^0-306 (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR FEDERAL PROPERTIES SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOWTO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS NAME HISTORIC Independence National Historical Park AND/OR COMMON LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 313 Walnut Street CITY. TOWN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT t Philadelphia __ VICINITY OF STATE CODE COUNTY CODE PA 19106 CATEGORY OWNERSHIP STATUS PRESENT USE ^DISTRICT —PUBLIC —OCCUPIED —AGRICULTURE 2LMUSEUM -BUILDING(S) —PRIVATE X-UNOCCUPIED —^COMMERCIAL 2LPARK .STRUCTURE 2EBOTH —WORK IN PROGRESS —XEDUCATIONAL ^.PRIVATE RESIDENCE -SITE PUBLIC ACQUISITION ACCESSIBLE —ENTERTAINMENT —RELIGIOUS -OBJECT —IN PROCESS X-YES: RESTRICTED ^GOVERNMENT —SCIENTIFIC —BEING CONSIDERED — YES: UNRESTRICTED —INDUSTRIAL —TRANSPORTATION —NO —MILITARY —OTHER: REGIONAL HEADQUABIER REGION STREET & NUMBER CITY. TOWN STATE PHILA.,PA 19106 VICINITY OF COURTHOUSE, ____________PhiladelphiaREGISTRY OF DEEDS,ETC. _, . - , - , Ctffv.^ Hall- - STREET & NUMBER n^ MayTftat" CITY. TOWN STATE Philadelphia, PA 19107 TITLE DATE —FEDERAL —STATE —COUNTY _LOCAL CITY. TOWN CONDITION CHECK ONE CHECK ONE ^EXCELLENT —DETERIORATED —UNALTERED 2S.ORIGINALSITE _GOOD h^b Jk* SANWJIt's ALTERED _MOVED DATE. —FAIR _UNEXPOSED Description: In June 1948, with passage of Public Law 795, Independence National Historical Park was established to preserve certain historic resources "of outstanding national significance associated with the American Revolution and the founding and growth of the United States." The Park's 39.53 acres of urban property lie in Philadelphia, the fourth largest city in the country. All but .73 acres of the park lie in downtown Phila-* delphia, within or near the Society Hill and Old City Historic Districts (National Register entries as of June 23, 1971, and May 5, 1972, respectively).