Declaration of Independence

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

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?

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?

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?

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…