Free
In the summer of 1776, delegates to the Second Continental Congress gave Thomas Jefferson the job of telling the world why the American colonies wanted to break free from Britain.
He did just that. He also said what the new nation would stand for. His bold and beautiful words have rung out through the centuries. They’ve inspired nations on every continent to work for their own independence. The document also gave courage to Americans at home. Both African Americans and women have drawn on the statements about liberty and equality. They used these in their fights to end slavery and gain equal rights for all Americans.
◀ Some of the delegates came to the Continental Congress still hoping King George would change his mind. They hoped he’d let the colonists govern themselves within the British Empire. Many felt that people needed more time to get used to the idea of breaking away from Britain. John Adams and others wanted an instant break. John Dickinson didn’t. Adams and Dickinson fought so hard over this issue that they never spoke to each other for the rest of their lives.
▲ In June, the Continental Congress chose five men to write an article that would tell King George why the colonists wanted to be free. This famous painting shows these men giving the Declaration to John Hancock, president of the Congress. Hancock is seated. From left to right, the men standing in front of the desk are: John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.
◀ On July 2, 1776, the delegates voted the 13 colonies “free and independent states.” Two days later, they approved the Declaration of Independence. The first part of the Declaration contains the beliefs on which our country was founded:
1. People are born with certain rights. They include life, liberty, and the right to seek happiness.
2. People have the right to form their own government, which they should be able to choose. And the reason for government is to protect the rights of citizens.
3. If government fails to protect people’s rights, people have the right to change it.
John Hancock signed the Declaration first. He said he would sign his name so large that King George would be able to read it without his glasses. Hancock became so famous for this that today we still refer to signing a paper as “putting your John Hancock on it.” Other delegates didn’t sign the Declaration until early August. One delegate even waited until 1781.
◀ Signing the Declaration was an act of bravery. The signers were considered traitors to Britain. A traitor is someone who betrays his or her country. If the British caught them, they could be hanged. Ben Franklin was only half joking when he told the delegates: “Now we must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
