1. What led to The Declaration of Independence
Chapter 4 Section 3
What led to The Declaration of Independence

2. Reminder: What led to the Declaration of Independence
After the French and Indian War and Pontiac’s War events in the colonies and ideas about authority and government pushed the colonists to call for Independence.
So what were these events and ideas?!?!

3. Reminder: What led to the Declaration
Events:
Proclamation of 1763
Stamp Act
Townshend Act
Boston Massacre
Boston Tea Party
Intolerable / Coercive Acts
First Continental Congress
Fighting at Lexington and Concord
Ideas:
The Great Awakening
The Enlightenment

4. Reminder: What led to the Declaration
Enlightenment: an intellectual movement that caused people to
1. question the purpose of government
2. Think about the best way to organize a government
3. Question what you could do if that government wasn’t doing what it was designed to do
Great Awakening : religious movement that caused colonists to see all people as equal, regardless of how much money they had or who their parents were.

5. Let’s think like someone during the Enlightenment
Why do people create governments?
What would life be like if there was no government?
What are 3 or 4 basic things a government should do?

6. What led to the Declaration of Independence
By the end of 1774: Colonists sent delegates to the First Continental Congress. They asked colonists to boycott British goods and begin training in case a conflict began…
By the middle of 1775: Fighting had broken out in Lexington and Concord, in Massachusetts, because British troops were trying to take weapons away from the colonial militia
Fighting continued in New England for the next several months

7. What led to the Declaration of Independence
As fighting continued in 1775, the colonists sent King George III and Parliament the Olive Branch Petition asking for
An end to fighting
Repealing of the Intolerable / Coercive Acts
A written bill of rights for the colonists

8. What led to the Declaration of Independence
As fighting continued in 1775, the colonists sent King George III and Parliament the Olive Branch Petition asking for
An end to fighting
Repealing of the Intolerable / Coercive Acts
A written bill of rights for the colonists
King George III refused!!!!!

9. What led to the Declaration of Independence
By the end of 1775 many colonists were still unsure if the colonies should remain under British control or if they should break away and form their own nation.
In January 1776 Thomas Paine published a pamphlet titled Common Sense
He used simple language that everyone could understand to explain why separation was necessary.
He also used Enlightenment ideas to talk about the kind of government we should create.

10. What led to the Declaration of Independence?
In May of 1776 the Second Continental Congress met and decided that the only option left was to declare Independence!