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The Declaration of Independence was a document written by
Thomas Jefferson and others which stated that the
colonists wanted to be free from Great Britain. It said
that the colonists had a right to be a free nation. One
of the main ideas in the Declaration was that people had a
right to be free. Another important idea was that a
country had a right to break away from another country
that tries to take away the basic rights of people. On
July 4, 1776, a bright, sunny, but cool day,
Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
John Hancock, a colonists' leader, was the first
person to sign the Declaration of Independence. He wrote
his name very large, so the King would be able to read his
name without wearing his glasses. He also wanted the King
to know who to come and punish first if the King decided
to punish those who signed the Declaration. The
Declaration of Independence was officially signed on
August 2, 1776. |
