3-17 The Declaration of Independence

In April of 1775, the Revolutionary War broke out in the colonies.  Many American colonists did not want to be ruled by Great Britain and follow English laws.  They wanted to separate and form their own country.  The colonists wanted their independence or freedom.  The colonists decided that an official statement needed to be made and sent to the King of England.  This statement became the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson was asked to write the first draft of the Declaration of Independence.  After some changes, Jefferson's Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776.  This is the day the colonists declared their independence from Great Britain and a new nation was born.  The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and John Hancock.  On July 8, 1776, the Liberty Bell rang out in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to gather people together to listen to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.   Years later, in 1783, Great Britain recognized the independence of the American colonies.

The U.S. celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence every year on July 4th, the birthday of the United States.  The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal and are entitled to "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".  The document is a symbol of the freedoms and rights of all U.S. citizens.  The Declaration of Independence is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Use the above information to complete the following statements.

1.  In 1775, the ____________ War broke out in the colonies.

  World

  Vietnam

  Revolutionary

  1812

2.  The colonists didn't want to be ruled by Great .

3.  The colonists wanted their independence or .

4.  Who wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence?

  Abraham Lincoln

  George Washington

  Ben Franklin

  Thomas Jefferson

5.  In what year was was Declaration of Independence signed?

  1976

  1876

  1776

  1783

6.  The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence happened in what city?

  New York City

  Philadelphia

  Washington D.C.

  St. Augustine

7.  The U.S. celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence each year on what date?

  March 17

  July 4

  July 8

  December 25

8.  The Declaration of Independence states that "All men are created ".

9.  The Declaration of Independence is a symbol of the freedoms and   of all citizens.

10.  You can see the Declaration of Independence when you visit D.C.