Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence

1775  April – Battle of Lexington and Concord Shot heard around the world  August – King George III issues a proclamation to suppress the rebellion  George Washington is appointed leader of the colonial army

1776  1776 – key year  January, Common Sense  July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence

Why was Common Sense so important?  Enlightenment New ideas about the rights of people and the relationship between the people and their rulers  Common Sense Written by Thomas Paine English immigrant Common Sense challenged the idea that the British should rule the colonies  1) It was common sense that the colonies should be independent  2) A history of all of the bad things that the Kings and Queens of England had done to their people

What was the impact of Common Sense?  Common Sense persuaded many Americans that the time was right for independence  Many colonists could read AND did read it

The Declaration of Independence  July 4, 1776 US declared independence  Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration  YOU need to know the influences on the Declaration

What ideas influenced the Declaration?  Common Sense Paine had described the bad things that English kings had done The Declaration has a similar section

What ideas influenced the Declaration?  John Locke All people are free, equal and have “natural rights” of “life liberty and the pursuit of property” All government power resides in the people and they consent to enter into a “social contract” among themselves to form a government to protect their rights. In return the people promise to obey the laws and rules established by their government, establishing a form of “ordered liberty” Government’s powers are limited to those the people have consented to give it. Whenever government becomes a threat to peoples’ natural rights, it breaks the social contract and people can overthrow it

What ideas influenced the Declaration?  John Locke’s ideas were RADICAL and challenged the centuries-old practice throughout the world of dictatorial rule by kings, emperors and tribal chieftans