DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 364 452 SO 023 398

TITLE "Our Lives, Our Fortunes, and Our Sacred Honor." The Declaration of Independence. INSTITUTION National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. Office of Public Programs. PUB DATE [93] NOTE 10p.; For related documents, see SO 023 393-400. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use - Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Elementary Secondary Education; Field Trips; *History Instruction; Law Related Education; Learning Activities; *Primary Sources; *Public Agencies; Resource Materials; *Revolutionary War (); Social Studies; *United States History IDENTIFIERS *Declaration of Independence; *National Archives DC

ABSTRACT This publication is intended for teachers bringing a class to visit the National Archives in Washington, D.C., for a workshop on primary documents. The National Archives serves as the repository for all federal records of enduring value. Primary sources are vital teaching tools because they actively engage the student's imagination so that he or she may visualize past events and make sense of their reality and meaning. This publication concerns a workshop on the Declaration of Independence. In addition to the historical information on the Declaration, background on two documents involved in the workshop--the painting, "The Presentation of the Declaration," by Barry Faulkner, and the Dunlap Broadside (the first printed copy of the Declaration of Independence)--is included. Photographs of these two documents as well as two exercises for students also are provided. (DB)

*********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** "Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our Sacred Honor"

The Declaration of Independence

BEST COPYAVAILABLE

2 "Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our SacredHanor"

Nir .c . L. I.

the political pamphlet entitled A Summary View of FOR THE TEACHER the Rights of British America. Quite interestingly, that same year it was printed at in hank you for arranging the primary document the shop of John Dunlap, the man who would also Tworkshop "Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our print the first copies of the Declaration of Sacred Honor" for your class. For toomany Independence. students, history is just an endless string of dates When preparing the text for the Declaration, and events chrcaticled in a textbook. Primary Jefferson was no doubt inspired by the enlight- sources actively engage the student's imagination ened doctrines of Locke and Rousseau, propo- so that he or she may visualize past events and nents of what were then considered dangerous sense their reality and meaning. Before your and revolutionary philosophies. But Jefferson workshop, it would be advantageous to introduce drew most heavily upon the traditional basis of your students to primary sources with the poster- English law, so clearly evidenced by the Declara- size documents and the attendant exerciseswe tion's fundamental premise "that governments have provided. The exercises may be pho- derive their just powers from the consent of the tocopied and should be adapted to fityour governed:' This was a stroke of genius. You could objectives z nd teaching style. We hope that these hardly call an idea high treason if it was based on preliminary materials and our workshop will the underlying tenet of respectable English gov- enhance your class' understanding and apprecia- ernment. The British then could not possibly tion of the founding document of the United deny the colonies claim "that whenever any form States, the Declaration of Independence. of government shall become destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it. and to institute new government?' The Declaration of Independence On July 1 Congress reconvened and the follow- ing day Lee's resolution for independence was n June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia Oproposed a resolution to the Continental adopted. Immediately afterward, the Congress Congress, sitting on that day in the Statehouse in commenced its consideration of Jefferson's draft. Philadelphia, "that these United Coloniesare, Discussions continued for two more days, but and of right, ought to be, free and Independent finally on July 4, late in the day, the Declaration was formally adopted by the "Representatives of States, that theyAre absolved from all allegiance to the British awn, and that all ,titical the United States of America in General Con- connect ion bet ween them and the State ol Great gress Assembled!' Jefferson had written our nation an eloquent Bt:itain 'is, and ought to be, totally dissolved:' birth certificate which would inspire people all Consideration of Lee's motion was postponed over the world. In 1789, when the French people until June 8, but no final action was taken on that decided to stand up to the monarchy in defense of day. By June 10, when discussions were resumed, their rights, they found inspiration in Jefferson's it became evident that the Congress was not quite words. In the 1820s, when colonists in South ready to accept the motion, and final action was America sought independence from Spain, they postponed again. Meanwhile, having decided turned to the same source. Jefferson's Declara, that independence would eventually be decreed, tion of Independence, like other documents that the Congress decided to appoint a committee to live and shape history, has had the eternal power draft a declaration to this effect. On June 11 five to be filled with new ideas. Even in the 20th members of the CongressThomas Jefferson of century, when indigenous peoples of Asia and Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Ben- Africa explained their struggles for independ- jamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert Livingston of New ence, they still invoked the Declaration. York were assigned to the task. The brilliant Jefferson, then only 33 years of age, was chosen to write the draft of the docu- ment. The young Virginian had first come into political prominence as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and in 1774 he had written 3 .. BEST COPY AVAILAIU Declaration "fairly engrossed on parchment" that now stands on display in the exhibit hall of The Presentation the National Archives. of the Declaration Uncovering this myth presents you wklian excellent opportunity to discuss with your class by Barry Faulkner the consequences involved in signing a document that could be either your birthright or your death he imag, on t he front of your p( -te,- depicts warrant. A number of delegates who voted for Thow it nutsat have-looked when jcilerson and adoption of the Declaration on July 4 were never the committee submitted the Declaration to the to sign despite theJuly 19 oruer. For instance, president of the , John Robert Livingston, one of the Hancock. This mural on canvas painted by Barry appointed to draft the Declaration, thought it Faulkner hangs in the exhibit hall of the National premature to sign and so never did. Archives. Unveiled in 1936, the mural is neoclassi- cal in style and mythical in setting. Although the figures represented are based on actual portrait What is the National Archives? busts, the mythical setting still compelled one of the painting's first viewers to remark that Mr. r stablished in 1934, the National Archives helps Faulkner "must have been reading Roman history preserve our nation's history by serving as the and not American history?' With this in mind, it repository for all federal records of enduring would be interesting to ask your students what it value. It thus serves the federal government, must have really been like back in the dog days of researchers of many topics, and the American July 1776. A KEY TO PERSONAGES has been public. Because federal records reflect and docu- enclosed. ment more than 200 years of American develop- ment, the records in the National Archives hold- ings are great in number, diverse in character, and The Dunk p Broadside rich in information. Before your students participate in a tour or a n nce the Declaration was adopted, the Con- workshop, they should be familiar with the mis- gress authorized its printing. , sion of the National Archives. We recommend as president of the Congress, signed theauthenti- that you present your students with the following cated copy, which , as secretary, vocabulary words and questions: attested. The Congress further authorized: "That the committee appointed to prepare the declara- Please define Archives, Archivist, Document, tion superintend & correct the press; That copies Record, Preservation. of the declaration be sent to several Assemblies, Why do you and your family save documents? Conventions & Committees or Councils of Safety Why are they important? and to the several Commanding officers of the Continental troops that it be proclaimed in each The US. government keeps its records in the of the United States & at the head of the Army?' National Archives. There is no detailed account to tell us how the Why does the government save its records? committee of five carried out this commission. What kinds of records might the U.S. govern- We do know, however, that one or more of the ment want to save? committee members took the authenticated copy What famous documents are at the National signed by John Hancock, quite likely a fair copy of the text in Jefferson's hand, to the printing shop Archives? of John Dunlap, the Congress's official printer. You will be called by the National Archives The number of copies John Dunlap printed on docent assigned to your class about a week before the night of July 4 is unknown, but there are 24 the date of your tour or workshop. If the known copies of these so-called "Dunlap broad- sides." The reproduction on the back of your workshop will be held in your classroom, then please be prepared to relay information concern- poster is a copy of the broadside that was folded and inserted in the "rough journal" of the ing directions, parking, and school check-in procedures. Continental Congress for July 4. Whether it is our Behind-the-Scenes Tour or As your students work through the exercises one of our Primary Document Workshops, we are concerning the broadside copy of the Declara- confident that the experience will provide an tion, they will discover one of the most widely held exciting new look at history.In order to assess our misconceptions in American history. Legend has performance, we would appreciate your cooper- it that the Declaration was signed on July 4, 1776, ation incompleting the enclosed evaluation form but the broadside copy has a notable lack of and returning it in the self-addressed stamped signatures. Why is this so? On July 19, only after envelope provided. all 13 colonies had individually approved of the If you have any additional questions regarding Continental Congress's actions, did the Congress your tour or workshop, please contact the Volun- order the Declaration to "be fairly engrossed on teer and Tour Office Staff at 202-501-5205. parchment, with the title and stile of 'The unani- 4 mous dedaration of the thirteen United States of America: and that the same, when engrossed, be rfl PlTH I STAP I Of Till NkTIOSAI API 11111s 101.11 OF I ICI or Jo Or pvfo.1( flocK 10NIKuto%. rmt. signed by every member of Congress?' Finally, on August 2,it was formally signed.Itis this Exercise I: The Faulkner Mural

the architecture, the background,and any Study the photographcarefully. Examine the people, other objects in the painting.

1. What is the title of themuraP

2. How many people areportrayed)

3. What is the ceatral objectin the mural? Who isholding the object?

4. What activity is beingdepicted? What is the year?

5. What is the style ofarchitecture) 6. When do you thinkthis mural was painied?Why?

Why or why not? 7. Do you think the artistdepicted the event realistically?

How would you have paintedit? 8. How do you thinkthe event really happened?

5 Exercise M TheDunlap Broadside

Read the written document carefully. In your history textbook there isanother copy of this document. Compare and contrast the two copies.

1. What is the date and title of the document?

2. What are the names and offices of the people at the bottomof the page?

3. Does your textbook copy show more names? If yes, then why?

4. Why does your textbook copy indicate that it is a "unanimous"declaration and the copy provided does not2

5. Who is the principal author? And what "Truths" doeshe claim to be "self-evident?"

6. List three "repeated Injuries and Usurpations" the Kingof Great Britain has committed.

7. What powers do "FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES" have?

Essay Tbpic: Would you pledge your "life, fortune,and sacred honor" in support of this Declaration? Why or why not?

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