Declaration of independence & northwest ordinance

1. Declaration of Independence

2.  Enlightened ideas of natural rights and the
social contract had spread to the American
colonies
 Natural rights are those you have because you are
human (John Locke proposed)
 Social Contract is the idea that the government is
supposed to protect your natural rights
 Americans were upset with what they
thought were excessive taxation
Reasons for Declaration

3.  It is a statement of action explaining why we
revolted (justify revolution)
 It lists what we were upset about
(grievances)
 The events after the French and Indian War
 The actions (or lack of) by King and Parliament
which Americans thought were wrong
 It listed our intentions to break away from
political ties with England and create new
ones with the other colonies
What is the Declaration?

4.  There was a need to figure out how the
new US should recognize and govern
the land we received from the Treaty of
Paris
 Created a blueprint for governing those
territories and how those lands could
become states
NW Ordinance: Why created & What is it?

5.  Admitted on equal footing with original states (no special
privilege)
 No colonization
 New states had to have a plan for how they would provide
an education for their people
 Basic citizenship (freedom of religion, trial by jury, legit
charges) was guaranteed which was a model for the Bill of
Rights and Constitution
 Outlaws slavery
 State governments were to be republics (democratic)
How are States Admitted? What do
they have to do?

6.  Basic citizenship (freedom of religion, trial
by jury, legit charges) was guaranteed
which was a model for the Bill of Rights and
Constitution
 Outlaws slavery
 State governments were to be republics
(democratic)
Basics continued…