CELEBRATE FREEDOM WEEKCommemorating the

Declaration of Independence

Celebrate Freedom WeekSeptember 24-28, 2012

Commemorating the

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence Established a New Nation

• On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence while meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• The Declaration of Independence declared the American colonies free from Great Britain.

• The Declaration of Independence established the United States of America.

• The Declaration of Independence outlined the basic foundations for American government.

• July 4th is celebrated each year as “Independence Day.”

A Committee of Five delegates drafted the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson

was the primary author of the document.

American Democratic Principles and Beliefs are Outlined in the Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration of Independence explained why the American colonies should be free and independent from Great Britain.

• The Declaration of Independence explained that all people are born with certain “unalienable rights,” meaning rights that can not be taken away.

• These rights include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

• The Declaration of Independence asserted that if a government abuses the rights of people, the people have the right to change the government.

The Declaration of Independence states…

“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

John Turnbull’s painting depicts the Committee of Five presenting the Declaration of Independence to the

Second Continental Congress.

The Signed Declaration of Independence