Introduction
The Declaration of Independence was written nearly 250 years ago and is still considered one of the most important and sacred documents in the United States. Originally, this document was valued because it declared the colonists’ intention to break away from Great Britain and form a separate and independent nation after a year of fighting against British troops. Resting upon Enlightenment ideas and history, the Declaration of Independence announced to King George III and Great Britain, all American colonists, and the world the reasons for the colonists’ decision to break away from Mother England.
In this interactive lesson, you will read through sections of the Declaration of Independence and identify their purpose, assess the Enlightenment influences in the document, and learn the historical context for the colonists’ grievances against Great Britain. At the end of the lesson, using information that you have learned, you will be asked to respond to the essential question.
Essential Question
Why is the Declaration of Independence considered one of the most important documents in U.S. history?
A surviving copy of the first printing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.
Take Notes
Fill in the first two columns of the chart below based on your knowledge of the Declaration of Independence. You may write up to five facts that you know and up to five things you want to know about the Declaration of Independence. (You will fill in the last column on page 9 of the interactive lesson.)
