Background for Declaration of Independence and its principles

1. Celebrate Freedom Week

2. Oklahoma students join together in November to Celebrate our Freedoms!

3. What ARE our Freedoms?

4. We can find them in a very important paper…

5. Written many years ago in 1776…

6. The Declaration of Independence

7. When American was young, we were ruled by England’s king.

8. But in July of 1776, leaders from the Americans colonies met to declare we wanted our independence!

9. They sent a written message to the king, asking for freedoms and the right to rule themselves!

10. Several American leaders helped write the Declaration of Independence, like John Adams and Benjamin Franklin…

11. But the final job was done by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia.

12. Americans wanted to explain why ruling themselves was important.

13. On July 4th, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to everyone!

14. This is why we celebrate the 4th of July and why we study the Declaration of Independence this November during Celebrate Freedom Week!

15. So, what does the Declaration of Independence say?

16. Here are some of its most important words and ideas…

17. Americans believed that they should be treated equally…

18. “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal …”

19. Americans believe we all have rights to be free…

20. What are these “rights” ? The right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

21. These basic rights are unalienable - this means that everyone is born with them and no one can take them away.

22. “… that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

23. And what is one of the most important jobs for our government ?

24. “… That to secure these rights , Governments are instituted among Men,”

25. Americans believe that governments should protect our freedoms (our rights.)

26. Americans also believe that we are the ones who say what government should do for us… We have the POWER!

27. “… deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed .”

28. So what happened after the colonies declared their independence?

29. The colonists had to fight a war to get their independence!

30. Since then, other countries have read our Declaration of Independence and have made sure their government protect their freedoms!

31. Let’s recite the Declaration of Independence together!

32. “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal …”

33. “… that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

34. “… That to secure these rights , Governments are instituted among Men,”

35. “… deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed .”

36. Celebrate Freedom Week

37. Created for Edmond Public Schools Sources: Documents of Freedom , by Judith Yero and the National Archives and Records Administration