The ROAD TO REVOLUTION © Brain Wrinkles
SS8H3 Interpret the three parts of the Declaration of Independence (preamble, grievances, and declaration) and identify the three Georgia signers of the document. © Brain Wrinkles
Declaration of Independence © Brain Wrinkles
Declaration The Second Continental Congress chose to officially declare independence. The Congress appointed Thomas Jefferson to pen a statement outlining the reasons for the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. On July 4, 1776, the delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed to the world that the American colonies were united in the fight for independence. © Brain Wrinkles
Thomas Jefferson was the principal writer of the Declaration of Independence. © Brain Wrinkles
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” © Brain Wrinkles
Declaration The Declaration announced to King George III that the colonists were united against him. It stated why the colonists declared their independence, and the colonists hoped to win support from countries all over the world. The Declaration also expressed the colonists’ belief that everyone deserves natural rights. There are three main parts of the Declaration: the Preamble, a list of grievances, & the official declaration. © Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
Preamble The introduction to the Declaration of Independence is called the Preamble. It states that “all men are created equal” and that people have natural rights that should not be denied by governments. The Preamble explains why the colonists decided to separate from Great Britain. © Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
Grievances The middle section of the Declaration of Independence is a list of 27 grievances, or complaints, against King George and the British Parliament. This is the largest part of the Declaration and it clearly states the ways that the king had wronged the colonists. © Brain Wrinkles
Grievances Some of the grievances include: The king issued taxation without the colonists’ consent. The king denied the colonists’ right to self-government by dissolving their legislatures. The king kept an army in the colonies at all times. © Brain Wrinkles
Declaration The final part of the Declaration officially declared the colonies free from British rule. It announced the formation of the United States of America and declared they were no longer connected to Great Britain. The conclusion also contains the signatures of 56 signers from all 13 states. Three Georgians signed the document: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton. © Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
Gwinnett Button Gwinnett was born in England in 1735 and arrived in Georgia in 1765. He was a merchant, plantation owner, and an important figure in Georgia’s politics. During the Revolutionary War period, Gwinnett was an influential member of the Whig Party and became the leader of the radical St. John’s Parish patriot group. © Brain Wrinkles
Gwinnett County was named in his honor. Button Gwinnett – Gwinnett County was named in his honor. © Brain Wrinkles
Gwinnett After signing the Declaration of Independence, Gwinnett became chairman of the committee who wrote the Georgia Constitution of 1777. In 1777, he became Georgia’s governor, but only served a few months. While in office, Governor Gwinnett challenged his enemy Lachlan McIntosh to a duel and was shot. Gwinnett died of his injuries three days later. © Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
Hall Lyman Hall was a minister and a doctor from Connecticut who practiced medicine in Georgia and South Carolina. He moved to Georgia in 1760 and joined Button Gwinnett in leadership of the St. John’s Parish. Hall was a member of the Georgia delegation to the Second Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence. © Brain Wrinkles
Hall County is named in his honor. Lyman Hall – Hall County is named in his honor. © Brain Wrinkles
Hall After the American Revolution, Hall returned to his medical practice. He was elected governor in 1783, and focused on important issues like rebuilding Georgia’s economy and dealing with Loyalists and American Indians. Hall was also instrumental in the founding of the University of Georgia. © Brain Wrinkles
Walton George Walton was a successful lawyer who became involved in Georgia politics during the Revolutionary War. Walton served in the provincial congress and was the president of the Council of Safety. Walton was a delegate to the Continental Congress and was the third Georgian to sign the Declaration of Independence. © Brain Wrinkles
Walton County is named for him. George Walton – Walton County is named for him. © Brain Wrinkles
Walton During the American Revolution, Walton served as a Patriot colonel. He was wounded and captured by the British and ended up walking with a limp for the rest of his life. When the war ended, Walton remained active in Georgia politics for the next 30 years. He was a representative to Congress, circuit court judge, chief justice of Georgia, governor of Georgia, and US senator. © Brain Wrinkles
Georgia’s Delegates’ Signatures © Brain Wrinkles