Free
In the summer of 1776, members of the Second Continental Congress gave Thomas Jefferson a big job.
He was to tell the world why the American colonies wanted to break free from Britain. He did just that. He also said what the new country would stand for. His bold and beautiful words have rung out through the centuries. They’ve made countries on every continent want their own independence. They’ve also given courage to Americans at home. African Americans and women have been inspired by its words about liberty and equality. They’ve used these in their fight to end slavery and gain equal rights for all Americans.
◀ Some of the representatives came to the Continental Congress hoping King George would change his mind. They hoped he’d let the colonists rule 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 about this, they never spoke to each other again.
▲ In June, the Continental Congress chose five men to write an article. It would tell King George why the colonists wanted to be free. This famous painting shows these men giving the Declaration to John Hancock. He was president of the Congress. From left to right, the men standing are: John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. John Hancock is sitting at the desk.
◀ 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. They also should be able to choose their government. And the government’s job is to protect these people’s rights.
3. If government fails to protect those rights, people have the right to change it.
John Hancock signed the Declaration first. He said he’d sign his name so big that King George would be able to read it without his glasses. This made Hancock famous. Today we still call signing a paper “putting your John Hancock on it.” Other representatives didn’t sign the Declaration until early August. One of them didn’t sign it until 1781.
◀ Signing the Declaration was a brave act. The British thought the signers were traitors. 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 Congress: “Now we must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
