Ms. Nicoll History Unit 1 

 
Name: Danielle Sipes 

Date: 9/7/17 

Class: 8th Grade - US History 

 
Slides and Notes
 
Topic Student Notes

The Declaration of Independence 

Title 
Unit 1: Lesson 2 

Analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the 

Main Idea  Declaration of Independence​, with an emphasis on 
government as a means of securing individual rights.  

● From 1774-1789 
● Americans formed Continental Congress 
● In return from the King bossing the Americans 
Background 
around, they started the Coercive Acts to fight 
Information 
back or resist. 
● First government ever written was NOT the 
constitution, but the Continental Congress. 

● 1775, the second continental congress forms. 

The Second ● Declaring independence by writing it down 
Continental ● Committee members include Thomas Jefferson, 
Congress John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.  
● Jefferson was the main author. 

● They realized the continental congress wasn’t 

enough to make the nation work properly. 
● No unification (process of being united) with the 
C.C.  
Then what? 
● They write a new article called Articles of 
Confederation 
● In 1789 the A.C. was replaced by the Constitution 
of independence which is still here today. 

● July 4, 1776 
What is important 
● Declaration of Independence was formally 
to remember? 
announced that the colonies break from Great 

 
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Ms. Nicoll History Unit 1 

Britain. 
● July 4 - the second C.C. approved the declaration of 
independence and everyone signed. 
● THE U.S. WAS BORN 

● Life, Liberty, Happiness 

● Men 
● New Government 
● Equal 
Declaration of ● Unalienable 
Independence ● Consent 
● Governments 
● Destruction 
● Abolish 
● Safety 

● Instead of “property” Jefferson listed the “pursuit 

of happiness”. 
Philosophy of  ● Locke argued that the fair governments are based 
Government  on the majority vote, protect people’s natural 
rights, and changed or replaced if they become 
unfair. 

● Established social contract 

● Philosophy: Men are evil 
Wait! What about  ● In order to protect you from you and others, we 
Thomas Hobbes  have to all agree to be nice (social contract). 
● Montesquieu 
● Rousseau  

● Certain unalienable Rights 

Key Points of the 
● I don’t have the right to take away your life, 
Declaration of
liberty, and your pursuit of property or happiness 
Independence
(unless it hurts another person). 

Key Points of the 

Declaration of ● Everyone had a duty to protect the rights 
Independence 

Jefferson argued 
● Life, Liberty, and happiness 
for... 

● King George III had violated the colonists rights 

Jefferson also  ● He violated over 25 rights 
argued that…   ● Jefferson charged the King for doing this  
● Army inside houses 

 
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Ms. Nicoll History Unit 1 

● The social contract 

● G.B. Broke it and England wasn’t protecting their 
And, finally, 
citizens. 
Jefferson argued 
● Jefferson was influenced by the enlightenment  
for... 
● Colonists didn’t have to obey the King because he 
broke the social contract. 
 

 
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