Resources for Independence Day

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Article Body

On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved a resolution declaring colonial independence from Great Britain. Two days later, Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, a document listing the colonies' reasons for declaring independence. More than 200 years later, the U.S. celebrates Independence Day on the fourth of July, not the second.

Why?

Explore the resources on Teachinghistory.org's Independence Day spotlight page for the answer to this question and others. You'll find website reviews, teaching strategies, lesson plans, quizzes, and more. Though Independence Day falls outside of the school year for many teachers and students, you can use these resources whenever you teach about the holiday or the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. (If you're looking for resources on other founding documents, try our spotlight page on Constitution Day.)

With the advent of digital archives, anyone with an Internet connection now has access to an embarrassment of historical riches, including hundreds of primary sources from the American Revolution. After browsing our spotlight page, explore some of these resources:

  • A letter on July 3, 1776, to Abigail Adams, in which John Adams writes that he believes the second of July will become a national holiday (from the Massachusetts Historical Society).
  • The original and engraved versions of the Declaration of Independence, accompanied by a transcript, explanatory articles, and the Virginia Declaration of Rights (from the National Archives and Records Administration).
  • A second letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, written July 5, 1777, in which Adams describes a celebration on the first anniversary of independence (from the Library of Congress; check out other primary sources on later Independence Day celebrations, too).
  • George Washington's general orders from July 9, 1776, describing the reading of the Declaration to troops (from the Library of Congress; click "Transcription" at the top of the page).
  • Fragments from drafts of the Declaration, original printed copies, prints of both contemporary and later visions of the Continental Congress, and more (from the Library of Congress).
  • Fragments of Thomas Jefferson's autobiography related to the Declaration of Independence (from the Library of Congress).
  • An 1823 letter from Thomas Jefferson to James Madison on memories of the drafting of the Declaration (from the Library of Congress; no transcript available).
  • An interactive version of Thomas Jefferson's rough draft of the Declaration (from the Library of Congress; Silverlight required to view).
  • The back of the original copy of the Declaration (from the National Archives and Records Administration).

Thomas Stone National Historic Site [MD]

Description

The Thomas Stone National Historic Site consists of 322 acres which contain the restored home of Thomas Stone (1743-1787), one of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence and a participant in the 1785 Mount Vernon Conference. Besides Haberdeventure, the residence Stone purchased in 1770, the site boasts a visitor's center, circa 1840 outbuildings, and the Stone family cemetery.

The site offers guided tours of Haberdeventure, period rooms, an introductory film, exhibits, a mock trial program in accordance with state educational standards, educational outreach programs, Junior Ranger activities, and a picnic site. There are no concessions available on site. Reservations are required for educational programs. The website offers lesson plans, a post-visit Jeopardy game, and a virtual tour of Haberdeventure.

Teaching the Declaration without Overwhelming Students

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photomechanical print, Writing the Declaration of Independence--1776, 28 July 19
Question

How might I teach the Declaration of Independence to high school students who are visual and verbal learners? What films or reading assignments will engage them, and yet not overwhelm them with the sometimes difficult wording of the Declaration itself?

Answer

Ah, the Declaration of Independence, a document so essential to understanding our American past and present that every student should read and learn about it. Luckily, its ideas and historical significance are truly engaging and can help make its difficult eighteenth century prose more accessible for our students.

Below are some ideas:

How about starting with an idea or line from the document? One of our favorites is the line regarding the right and duty for those threatened with absolute tyranny to “throw off such government.” This is one of several powerful ideas in the Declaration that can engage students before they confront the entire document. (It could also be just considering the document’s title! Declaring independence is something most adolescents can get their heads around and this can lead into exploring when and why this might happen and how one might frame such a declaration to win supporters. Consider what “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,” signaled to readers on both sides of the Atlantic and how they had gotten to this radical place.)

Considering the historical and contemporary significance of the document can also engage. Do students have a grasp of the road to Revolution, do they understand the chain of events and rising discontent in the Colonies? The risk to the signers? The historical moment? This background knowledge can help students in understanding the import of the document and its prose. Or look at instances where the document serves as a model (the Seneca Falls Declaration)
or reference point (MLK’s reference to it as “promissory note” in his I Have a Dream Speech)

As far as reading the document, we suggest two intertwined approaches (both to be used with a transcribed version).

1. Help students see the structure of the document so they know what to expect. Show them how it moves from initial paragraphs that get what the states are doing and why, to a list of specific grievances, to assurances that these are not capricious complaints or actions and then the ultimate declaration.

2. Plan activities where they read excerpts from the document closely and carefully. Phrases and sentences work here—select them carefully and scaffold student work with strategies like pair work, paraphrasing, and vocabulary help.

Some other ideas include:
Looking at the original document.

Sign the document. Have students find the anomaly (your signature) on a handout or decide whether to sign on themselves after considering the stories behind the signers and the historical moment.

Look at the rough draft of the Declaration or use this lesson plan which involves a careful comparison between the drafts.

For a primer on the document, see this historian’s helpful discussion that includes a consideration of the historical events surrounding the Declaration, analyses of particular excerpts and its consequences and legacy.

See the Library of Congress’ Web Guide

Connect with images. For example, this one or this one.

Admittedly, we focus on the reading of the document. There are several resources like the recent film National Treasure, the older film 1776, or the Independence episode of the recent TV miniseries John Adams that some teachers use to talk about the Declaration of Independence.

A new way to bring visual learners to the text of the Declaration is through YouTube. Your students may be interested in this video clip of well-known actors reading the Declaration in its entirety .

While these resources could be used to accompany the kinds of reading activities we mention here, it would be too bad if they trumped the actual Declaration, a document that talked about equality before our Constitution did and deserves every student’s eye.

Elizabeth Schaefer on the Interactive Declaration of Independence

Date Published
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Lithograph, The Declaration Committee, 1876, Currier and Ives, LoC
Lithograph, The Declaration Committee, 1876, Currier and Ives, LoC
Lithograph, The Declaration Committee, 1876, Currier and Ives, LoC
Article Body
The Library of Congress's Interactive Declaration of Independence

The Library of Congress has created a brilliant interactive tool for studying the Declaration of Independence in your classroom. It allows in-depth primary source research while lending itself naturally to reading skills and reinforcing good writing behavior. I explain some of the activities that I used, but there is a wide range of possibilities with this tool.

What is It?

The template for the computer interactive is a real rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, complete with edits made by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. On the "Overview" page, students can scroll their mouse over Thomas Jefferson's original script, transforming sections from the original handwriting to student-friendly printed font with word-processor-style edits.

The remaining tabs highlight specific concepts included in the Declaration (All Men Are Created Equal, Pursuit of Happiness, Consent of the Governed, Train of Abuses, and Slavery). For each section, four antecedent sources can be chosen which relate to the same concept and in some cases, use the same words.

Why Do I Love It?

Watching the Declaration warp time zones is equally thrilling for my students and me. It has a magical quality to it. Suddenly the students are excited about reading the Declaration of Independence! The interactive creates the best of both worlds—allowing students to see the original primary source but also helping them to understand it. Not only is the text teaching them history, but the visuals also prompt many critical questions:

They actually had to go back and rewrite this whole thing? What if Jefferson messed up writing at the very end—did he have to start all over? Did they have white-out? Did they use rulers? Where did they learn to write like that? Could everyone write like that?

Students see the handwriting of Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin and suddenly these old guys become real people.

Plus students see the handwriting of Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin and suddenly these old guys become real people. The students develop historic connections outside of the overt goals of the lesson, which I believe is the key to growing lifelong learners.

The interactive allows a range of lesson aims, a variety of historic analyses and skill levels, and a relevant and effective background for reading and writing support. The literacy skills and the focus are up to you but Jefferson is setting the example!

The interactive supports a range of lesson aims and a variety of historic analyses and skill levels, and makes a relevant and effective background for reading and writing extension activities. The literacy skills and the focus are up to you, but Jefferson is setting the example!

How Can I Use It in the Classroom?


My actual lesson included a three-page packet with very specific steps for the students. Below is a sampling of some activities that I used.

Primary Source Observations
The "Overview" page explains what the source is. Once students read this, you can ask a variety of questions about the document. You can use your typical observation format, but due to the large amount of information, I recommend that you select a more narrow focus.

For our initial observations, I asked the students to specifically pay attention to the edits made on page one. The students described what they thought the document was and then were asked about the type of edits.

Ex.: Which of the following did Thomas Jefferson do? (Check all that apply)

◯ Changed words
◯ Added words
◯ Deleted words
◯ Borrowed from other documents
◯ Got peer edits. If so, from whom?

Identifying the Philosophy of Government
The next step was to discover the big ideas Thomas Jefferson communicates in the Declaration. This focused on the tabs labeled "Pursuit of Happiness," "Consent of the Governed," and "All Men are Created Equal," which highlight specific sentences from the document. The students filled in the sections with missing words or translated challenge vocabulary (CH). Note that the gray words are not included.

Ex.: "Consent of the Governed" section

Instituted = Made
Deriving = Getting
Consent = Permission

"that to secure these rights, ___________ [governments] are (CH) ___________ [instituted] among men, (CH) ___________ [deriving] their just powers from the (CH) ___________ [consent] of the governed."

Reading Support
These "Philosophy of Government" sections are ideal for supporting the reading area that your students are working on without confusing them by breaking the flow of your lesson. In my class, the students had to identify either the main idea of each section or Jefferson's purpose in including the sentence. They were therefore practicing testing skills in a way that was relevant and useful to our class. These sections can be applied to just about any reading skill "flavor-of-the-week."

Ex.: "Consent of the Governed" section

Who do you think "the governed" are?

What is Thomas Jefferson's purpose in using this sentence?

a. To inform the readers of how the king rules
b. To describe the Roman government
c. To explain how government should be
d. To support a monarchy government

Reviewing Content
In the next section, I instructed the students to view King George's offenses against the colonies by skimming pages two and three in the "Overview" section. The students' goal was to recognize the significant acts and events that we had discussed. They then recorded the section's specific passages mentioning taxation without representation, the Quartering Act, and the Boston Massacre Trials.

Advanced Source Comparisons
The Library of Congress selected specific reading and research material on Thomas Jefferson and paired it with the sections in the interactive Declaration of Independence. The reading was dense for the majority of my students, but I did ask, in the "All Men Are Created Equal" section, which of the documents they thought fit most closely with Jefferson's words.

The Other Side

On the top of page three, they were shocked to discover "merciless" and "savage."

Once the students are all settled on and happy that Jefferson believes "All Men Are Created Equal," we went backwards and looked a little closer. First, they were instructed to find the words Jefferson used about the American Indians in the text. On the top of page three, they were shocked to discover "merciless" and "savage."

Then we looked closer at the "Slavery" tab which describes the original words about slavery included in the draft of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the fact that they were all deleted. The students answered questions about which states were especially against including slavery and then they made connections. I closed with the questions, "Do you agree with the philosophy of government written in the Declaration of Independence?" and "Do you think the Continental Congress truly agreed with this philosophy of government?"

More Ideas?

If you develop new ways to use this interactive or have success with the Constitution version, please share your experience! I would love to hear some new ideas for this resource.

[Note: If you would like to respond to Liz Schaefer, comment to this entry, or email info@teachinghistory.org. We'll make sure she receives your feedback!]

For more information

HBO's miniseries John Adams includes a scene where Benjamin Franklin and John Adams edit Thomas Jefferson's rough draft of the Declaration, making some of the changes evident in the original draft. Remember to remind students that this scene was created based on the draft. We have no way of knowing exactly when or how the Founding Fathers discussed these changes.

Explore the Declaration on other websites with the National Archives and Records Administration's Our Documents or Charters of Freedom exhibits.

Documents from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention

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Image, "The. . . Colonies Declared. . . ," William Hamilton, 1783, LoC
Annotation

These 274 sources focus on the work of the Continental Congress and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, including manuscript annotations. The collection includes extracts of the journals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, and treaties. In addition, there are documents relating to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, extracts of proceedings of state assemblies and conventions relating to the ratification of the Constitution, several essays on the ratification of the Constitution, and early printed versions of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

There are 253 titles dating from 1774 to 1788 relating to the Constitutional Congress and 21 dating from 1786 to 1789 relating to the Constitutional Convention. Two timelines cover the period 1764 to 1789 and an essay entitled "To Form a More Perfect Union" provides historical context for the documents through an overview of the main events of the era of the Revolution.

Official Documents
Political Documents
congress
Constitutional Convention
Declaration of Independence
Founding Fathers
politicians
U.S. Congress
U.S. Constitution
Text
Independence Day
Splash Pullout Independence Day
Learn Independence Day
Revolution & New Nation, 1754-1820s
Ideas & Ideologies
Politics

Charters of Freedom

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Declaration of Independence, NARA
Annotation

Featuring the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, this exhibit presents these three founding documents and several interactive tools for exploring them and their historical context. A transcription of the Declaration of Independence, for example, is accompanied by images of the original document and the 1823 William J. Stone engraving on this site. Three related documents—the Virginia Declaration of Rights and two scholarly articles—(approximately 8,000 words each) provide further context. One article details the history of the Declaration and includes a bibliography of eight titles while the other examines its language and "stylistic artistry."

Examine documents and events related to the making of the charters and then explore the larger impact of these documents from the 18th century to the present.

Political Documents
Declaration of Independence
Pre-1865 [6-8]
Images
Text
Independence Day
Splash Pullout Independence Day
Learn Independence Day
Constitution Day
Splash Pullout Constitution Day
Learn Constitution Day
Revolution & New Nation, 1754-1820s
Ideas & Ideologies
Politics

Founding Documents

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Signature of George Mason
Question

In trying to set up a lesson describing the Four Major Founding Documents of the United States of America, there was debate as to the fourth. The U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Confederation are typically considered the founding documents, but what is widely believed to be the fourth document?

Answer

I have not found a commonly agreed upon list of precisely four documents. History lessons that focus on the founding documents, however, invariably include the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They also include the Bill of Rights, but because these are amendments to the Constitution, sometimes they are folded into the Constitution, along with the other amendments.

The Meanings of "Founding"

From there, filling out a short list of four—or a few more—documents largely depends on how we construe the meaning of the word "founding."

Filling out a list depends on how we construe the meaning of the word "founding."

If it means foundational for the initial establishment of the U.S., that is, what got the country up and running, we could consider adding the Federalist (and perhaps the Anti-Federalist) Papers or the Articles of Confederation. Other documents strongly affecting the founding itself included John Locke's Two Treatises of Government, and even, at long range, the Magna Carta. Also, as precedent to the Bill of Rights, we might include George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights. Along these lines, therefore, a list of "the Four Major Founding Documents" that could be studied in class might be: 1) the Declaration of Independence, 2) the Constitution, 3) the Bill of Rights, and 4) the Federalist/Anti-Federalist Papers.

If "founding," however, means foundational for clarifying how we have come to understand our country today, the list of documents grows in a different direction and becomes difficult to limit.

If "founding," however, means foundational for clarifying how we have come to understand our country today, the list of documents grows in a different direction and becomes difficult to limit. Some candidates for inclusion might be the Mayflower Compact, the Northwest Ordinances, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments, and the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Several years ago, the National Archives and Records Administration collected a list of 100 milestone documents in American history called Our Documents. The list begins, chronologically, with the Richard Henry Lee Resolution of June 7, 1776, proposing independence for the American colonies, and runs through the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

For more information

National Archives, "Teaching With Documents: U.S. Constitution Workshop":
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-workshop/

John J. Patrick, "Teaching America's Founding Documents," ERIC Digest, November 2002:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pric/is_200211/ai_3178660388/

Bibliography

Images:
1876 facsimile of the text of the Declaration of Independence as it appeared in the Pennsylvania Packet, July 8, 1776.

Signature of George Mason, 1785, from the George Mason Manuscript Collection, Gunston Hall, Virginia.

Detail of copy of the Constitution of the United States, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.

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