Colonies and Independence
Who wrote the Declaration?
The 17 questions in this topic
- 73The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.
- 74Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
- 75What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
- 76What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
- 77Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
- 78Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
- 79When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
- 80The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.
- 81There were 13 original states. Name five.
- 82What founding document was written in 1787?
- 83The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
- 84Why were the Federalist Papers important?
- 85Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.
- 86George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.
- 87Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.
- 88James Madison is famous for many things. Name one.
- 89Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one.
Transcript
Rafa: Mom, independence is easy: July fourth, nineteen seventy-six. That's why there are fireworks.
Lupe: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Rafa: George Washington! He did everything: he wrote it, signed it and won the war.
Lupe: Mmm… George Washington?
Rafa: … Not him either?
Grandpa: Rewind.
Grandpa: Before the Europeans arrived, American Indians lived here.
Grandpa: The colonists came looking for freedom. And many Africans were taken by force and sold as slaves.
Grandpa: Britain charged them high taxes without letting them vote: taxation without representation.
Grandpa: Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. It was adopted on July fourth, seventeen seventy-six.
Grandpa: Then they fought the American Revolution, with George Washington as general. Later he became the first president.
Grandpa: And Benjamin Franklin was an inventor, and he founded the first free public libraries.
Grandpa: Okay, like at the interview. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
Rafa: Nineteen seventy-six!
Grandpa: Rafa! Two hundred years earlier. Lupe?
Lupe: July fourth, seventeen seventy-six.
Grandpa: Good. Another one: Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
Lupe: American Indians.
Rafa: I thought Grandpa was, he's so old.
Grandpa: I got here in nineteen seventy-nine, kiddo. Not in the seventeen hundreds.
Lupe: Your turn, mijo: George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.
Rafa: Mmm… First president of the United States?
Grandpa: That's it, kiddo.
Lupe: My sixth stamp in the passport!
Grandpa: Six out of twenty, Lupe. This is a revolution.
Grandpa: Now, your ear. Listen to the officer, answer out loud… then repeat after me.
Officer: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Grandpa: Thomas Jefferson. TOM-us JEF-er-sun.
Officer: When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
Grandpa: July fourth, seventeen seventy-six. joo-LYE FORTH… SEV-en-teen SEV-en-tee SIX.
Officer: Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
Grandpa: American Indians. uh-MER-ih-kun IN-dee-unz.
Officer: What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
Grandpa: American Revolution. uh-MER-ih-kun rev-uh-LOO-shun.
Officer: George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.
Grandpa: First president of the United States. FURST PREZ-ih-dent.
Officer: Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
Grandpa: Taxation without representation. tak-SAY-shun with-OUT rep-rih-zen-TAY-shun.
Lupe: Jefferson wrote it, and Washington was the first president!
Grandpa: Seventeen seventy-six, Lupe. Say them out loud every day.
Rafa: Okay, okay… Washington didn't do everything. Almost, though.