Act|v|ty 1 Comp|a|nts Comp|a|nts

ulscuss wlLh sLudenLs LhaL you have overheard Lhem aL Llmes make varlous complalnLs abouL Lhe
LreaLmenL of young people ComplalnLs noL unllke Lhose moLlvaLed Lhe loundlng laLhers aL Lhe Llme of
Lhe Amerlcan 8evoluLlon
Clve Lhe sLudenLs a shorL Llme ? ln small groups ? Lo llsL complalnLs Lhey have abouL Lhe LreaLmenL of
young people 1he complalnLs should be of a general naLure (for example recess should be longer
fourLh graders should be able Lo see C vldeos eLc) CollecL Lhe llsL Choose complalnLs Lo share wlLh
Lhe class so you can gulde Lhe dlscusslon Lo follow Save Lhe llsLs for fuLure reference
1here are momenLs when all of us are more eager Lo express whaLs wrong Lhan we are Lo Lhlnk crlLlcally
abouL Lhe problem and posslble soluLlons 1here ls no reason Lo Lhlnk people were any dlfferenL ln 1776
lLs lmporLanL Lo undersLand Lhe complalnLs of Lhe colonlsLs as one sLep ln a process lnvolvlng careful
dellberaLlon and aLLempLs Lo redress grlevances
Ask quesLlons Lo help your sLudenLs conslder Lhelr concerns ln a dellberaLe way WPC makes Lhe rules
Lhey donL llke WPC decldes lf Lhey are falr or noL PCW does one geL Lhem changed WPA1 does lL
mean Lo be lndependenL from Lhe rules and flnally PCW does a group of people declare LhaL Lhey wlll
no longer follow Lhe rules?

Act|v|ty 2 So What are ou Go|ng to Do About It?
Ask Lhe sLudenLs Lo lmaglne LhaL ln hopes of effecLlng some changes Lhey are golng Lo compose a
documenL based on Lhelr complalnLs Lo be senL Lo Lhe approprlaLe audlence As Lhey begln Lo compose
Lhelr documenL Lhey should conslder Lhe followlng quesLlons (noLe Lo Lhe Leacher 1he followlng
quesLlons correspond Lo Lhe secLlons of Lhe ueclaraLlon as noLed ln parenLheses whlch wlll be
dlscussed laLer 1hls dlscusslon serves as a prewrlLlng acLlvlLy for Lhe wrlLlng asslgnmenL)
1o whom would you send your complalnLs? Why? WhaL reasons would you glve for your declslon Lo
wrlLe ouL your complalnLs? (reamble)
WhaL makes you Lhlnk your complalnLs are worLhwhlle? ArenL Lhere good reasons why Lhlngs are Lhe
way Lhey are? Why should Lhlngs as Lhey are be changed? Would lL be posslble Lo summarlze Lhe
Lhlnklng behlnd your deslre for change ln a slngle senLence? (sLaLemenL of bellefs or Lhe Lhlnklng behlnd
Lhe complalnLs)
ls Lhere anyLhlng ln parLlcular Lhe reader should noLlce abouL your complalnLs? ls Lhere anyLhlng you
need Lo keep ln mlnd Lo make sure your audlence undersLands and appreclaLes your complalnLs? WhaL
klnds of evenLs lnsplred your complalnLs? (Lhe llsL of complalnLs)
Pave you already Lrled Lo make any changes ln Lhe LreaLmenL of young people? ln whaL way? (prlor
aLLempLs Lo redress grlevances)
ls lL posslble Lo say ln a slngle senLence whaL lL ls you really wanL Lo happen? lL would Lake Llme Lo
change Lhe sysLem Lo accommodaLe all of your complalnLs WhaL should happen rlghL away?
(declaraLlon of lndependence)
Who would be wllllng Lo slgn hls/her name Lo Lhls llsL of complalnLs even lf lL were golng Lo be seen
and read by many people? (Lhe slgnaLures)

Act|v|ty 3 1he Unan|mous Dec|arat|on of the 1h|rteen Un|ted States of Amer|ca
1he ueclaraLlon of lndependence was creaLed ln an aLmosphere of complalnLs abouL Lhe LreaLmenL of
Lhe colonles under 8rlLlsh rule ln Lhls unlL sLudenLs wlll be glven Lhe opporLunlLy Lo compose a
documenL based on Lhelr own complalnLs however Lhe resulLlng declaraLlons mlghL be more
convlnclng lf based on some models already proven effecLlve
rovlde every sLudenL wlLh a LranscrlpL of Lhe ueclaraLlon 1here ls no need Lo do a close readlng of Lhe
enLlre documenL aL Lhls polnL 1he lmmedlaLe goal ls Lo undersLand Lhe sLrucLure of Lhe documenL and
Lhe baslc lnLenL of each secLlon ulscuss Lhe ueclaraLlon wlLh sLudenLs uslng Lhe followlng secLlonby
secLlon quesLlons help sLudenLs relaLe Lhls overvlew of Lhe ueclaraLlon Lo Lhe prevlous dlscusslon
reamble Lhe reasons for wrlLlng down Lhe ueclaraLlon (from WPLn ln Lhe Course of human
LvenLs Lo declare Lhe Causes whlch lmpel Lhem Lo Lhe SeparaLlon) WhaL reason(s) dld Lhe loundlng
laLhers glve for Lhelr declslon Lo wrlLe ouL a declaraLlon?
SLaLemenL of bellefs speclfylng whaL Lhe underslgned belleved Lhe phllosophy behlnd Lhe documenL
(from We hold Lhese 1ruLhs Lo be selfevldenL Lo an absoluLe 1yranny over Lhese SLaLes) WhaL
bellefs dld Lhe loundlng laLhers declare Lhey held?
LlsL of complalnLs Lhe offenses LhaL lmpelled Lhe declaraLlon (from 1o prove Lhls leL lacLs be
submlLLed Lo a candld World Lo unflL Lo be Lhe ruler of a free people) WhaL are a few of Lhe
complalnLs? Are any speclflc evenLs menLloned? lf noL ls Lhe lnformaLlon glven someLlmes sufflclenL Lo
flgure ouL Lo whlch evenLs Lhe complalnLs refer?
SLaLemenL of prlor aLLempLs Lo redress grlevances (lrom nor have We been wanLlng ln aLLenLlons Lo
our 8rlLLlsh breLhren Lo Lnemles ln War ln eace lrlends) ln whaL way(s) dld Lhe framers clalm Lo
have already Lrled ln addresslng Lhe complalnLs?
ueclaraLlon of lndependence (lrom WL Lherefore Lo and our sacred Ponour) WhaL wlll change
ln Lhe colonles as a resulL of Lhe ueclaraLlon?
1he slgnaLures Whlch slgners do sLudenLs recognlze?

Act|v|ty 4 When |n the Course of numan Lvents
Worklng alone or ln small groups sLudenLs drafL Lhelr own declaraLlons 1he LranscrlpL of Lhe
ueclaraLlon of lndependence wlll serve as a model sLudenL documenLs should conLaln Lhe same
secLlons 1hey should sLarL wlLh Lhelr reasons for wrlLlng (preamble) as dlscussed above 1ell sLudenLs
Lhey can model Lhelr sLaLemenL afLer Lhe reamble Lo Lhe ueclaraLlon lor example Lhey can begln wlLh
Lhe words When ln Lhe course of human evenLs
Act|v|ty S What Lxper|ence nath Shown
AfLer a sesslon of work on Lhelr declaraLlons lnLroduce Lo sLudenLs Lhe ldea of earller documenLs LhaL
seL a precedenL for Lhe ueclaraLlon LeL sLudenLs know LhaL Lhe commlLLee members who drafLed our
ueclaraLlon (!ohn Adams of MassachuseLLs 8oger Sherman of ConnecLlcuL 8en[amln lranklln of
ennsylvanla 8oberL 8 LlvlngsLon of new ?ork and 1homas !efferson of vlrglnla) were aware of
documenLs from earller years Some of Lhese documenLs served as models as Lhe commlLLee members
wroLe Lhe ueclaraLlon erhaps seelng precedenLs for Lhe ueclaraLlon wlll help sLudenLs ln composlng
Lhelrs
Ask sLudenLs Lo work ln small groups Lo revlew some of Lhe earller documenLs and flnd common
feaLures beLween Lhe hlsLorlcal documenLs and Lhe ueclaraLlon lf deslred and approprlaLe for your
class Lhls would be a good Llme Lo read Lhe enLlre ueclaraLlon
SLudenLs should look aL Lhe hlsLorlcal documenLs for slmllar sLrucLures (Lhe documenL has a preamble
for lnsLance) or phrases or passages LhaL relaLe Lo Lhe ueclaraLlon As Lhey read Lhe excerpLs sLudenLs
should refer back Lo Lhelr LranscrlpL of Lhe ueclaraLlon of lndependence SLudenLs should noL aLLempL
close readlngs of Lhe documenLs lnsLead Lhey scan key passages for slmllarlLles (lf you wlsh you could
have sLudenLs locaLe documenLs on Lhelr own uslng 1he Avalon ro[ecL AL 1he ?ale Law School webslLe
accesslble Lhrough LuSl1LmenL)
1he followlng documenLs are avallable Lhrough Lhe LuSl1LmenL resource 1he Avalon ro[ecL AL 1he ?ale
Law School unless oLherwlse noLed
1he Magna CarLa (!une 1213) Cf sLrucLural lnLeresL ls Lhe preamble and Lhe lasL secLlon (#63) WhaL
dlfferences and slmllarlLles do Lhe sLudenLs noLlce? SecLlon 1 and SecLlon 12 also have relevanL conLenL
1he ulglLal Classroom offers a dlglLlzed copy of Lhe Magna CarLa a LranslaLlon of a 1297 verslon and
an analysls Magna CarLa and lLs Amerlcan Legacy
1he llrsL CharLer of vlrglnla (Aprll 10 1606) A relevanL secLlon beglns And we do also ordaln
esLabllsh and agree for us our Pelrs and Successors LhaL each of Lhe sald Colonles shall have a
Councll and ends pass under Lhe rlvy Seal of our 8ealm of Lngland a sLaLemenL of Lhe colonlsLs
ablllLy Lo pass laws
Also of lnLeresL ls Lhe secLlon beglnnlng Also we do for us our Pelrs and Successors uLCLA8L Lo
any oLher of our sald uomlnlons
1he Mayflower CompacL (november 1621)
Lngllsh 8lll of 8lghLs (1689) for comparlson Lo Lhe llsL of grlevances (such as quarLerlng Lroops a
sLandlng army suspendlng of laws)
1he 8oyal roclamaLlon (CcLober 7 1763) lssued aL Lhe concluslon of Lhe lrench and lndlan War Look
aL Lhe secLlon beglnnlng wlLh for Lhe securlLy of Lhe LlberLles and roperLles and endlng wlLh and call
Ceneral Assemblles
1he 8esoluLlons of Lhe ConLlnenLal Congress also known as 1he SLamp AcL Congress (CcLober 19
1763) Lspeclally relevanL ls Lhe llsL of complalnLs (such as Lhe complalnL beglnnlng 1haL Lhe only
represenLaLlves of Lhe people of Lhese colonles)
1he ArLlcles of AssoclaLlon (CcLober 20 1774) lor comparlson Lo Lhe llsL of grlevances look aL Lhe
passage from Lhe presenL unhappy slLuaLlon of our affalrs ls occasloned by a rulnous sysLem of colony
admlnlsLraLlon Lo whenever a wlcked mlnlsLry shall choose so Lo dlrecL Lhem SLudenLs should also
look aL Lhe sLaLemenL beglnnlng 1o obLaln redress of Lhese grlevances
1he vlrglnla ueclaraLlon of 8lghLs (!une 12 1776) wrlLLen by Ceorge Mason and accesslble from
LuSl1LmenL Lhrough 1he ulglLal Classroom Lspeclally perLlnenL are Lhe flrsL Lhree secLlons
Culde Lo lndependenL Searches for recedenL SeLLlng uocumenLs
1he Avalon ro[ecL conLalns many relevanL documenLs and ls fully searchable SLudenLs can search for
Lerms such as rlghLs or Laxes or sLandlng armles wlLhln Lhe Colonlal CharLers CranLs and Larly
ConsLlLuLlon collecLlon llsLed ln Lhe pulldown menu on Lhe search page SLudenLs should be aware LhaL
search resulLs wlll lnclude documenLs creaLed afLer 1776 whlch are lrrelevanL Lo Lhe Lask aL hand 1he
Avalon ro[ecL webslLe has amassed a llsL of documenLs under Lhe LlLle 1he Amerlcan ConsLlLuLlon A
uocumenLary 8ecord lncludlng forerunners Lo Lhe unlLed SLaLes ConsLlLuLlon 1here you may flnd
addlLlonal relevanL documenLs Cf speclal lnLeresL are Lhe secLlons 1he 8ooLs of Lhe ConsLlLuLlon and
8evoluLlon and lndependence

Act|v|ty 6 Share and Dec|are
Cnce sLudenL groups have analyzed Lhe hlsLorlcal documenLs LhaL preceded Lhe ueclaraLlon of
lndependence ask Lhem Lo share Lhelr flndlngs wlLh Lhe resL of Lhe class ln whaL ways were Lhe earller
documenLs slmllar Lo Lhe ueclaraLlon?
?ou may wlsh Lo creaLe a dlsplay of Lhe lnformaLlon sLudenLs have uncovered lor example on a large
bulleLln board cenLer Lhe LexL of Lhe ueclaraLlon PlghllghL relevanL excerpLs use a colored sLrand of
yarn Lo lead from each ueclaraLlon excerpL Lo a posLlng of Lhe name and daLe of a relaLed documenL
Classes wlLh Lhe necessary Lechnology sklll and compuLer access can do Lhls same exerclse on Lhe
compuLer creaLlng hyperllnks Lo Lhe precedenLs
SLudenLs should conLlnue Lo work on Lhelr declaraLlons elLher durlng class or as a homework
asslgnmenL 1hey can use whaL Lhey learned Lhrough Lhe sLudy of relevanL documenLs creaLed before
Lhe ueclaraLlon as a gulde for Lhe lnformaLlon Lhey wlsh Lo lnclude ln Lhelr documenLs 8y Lhls Llme
sLudenLs should be worklng on Lhe sLaLemenL of bellefs and Lhe complalnLs secLlon of Lhelr declaraLlons
Act|v|ty 7 L|ghtyS|x It Changes to Ieffersons Draft
now sLudenLs can look aL some drafLs of Lhe ueclaraLlon Lvery class should vlew acLual lmages of Lhese
drafLs wlLh correcLlons wrlLLen ln !effersons handwrlLlng Some classes mlghL beneflL from a closer look
aL Lhe klnds of changes LhaL occurred 1he commlLLee and ConLlnenLal Congress are sald Lo have made a
LoLal of 86 changes Lo Lhe documenL
Amerlcan Memory has a collecLlon of uocumenLs from Lhe ConLlnenLal Congress and Lhe ConsLlLuLlonal
ConvenLlon 17741789 conLalnlng many hlsLorlc documenLs lncludlng lmages and LranscrlpLs of
orlglnal coples of varlous drafLs of Lhe ueclaraLlon SLudenLs may be especlally lnLeresLed Lo vlew an
lmage of a fragmenL of Lhe ueclaraLlon and a LranscrlpL of Lhe earllesL known drafL of Lhe ueclaraLlon
?ou can also access an lmage and LranscrlpL of a laLer drafL of Lhe ueclaraLlon
8eadlng [usL a small porLlon of Lhe laLer drafL wlll demonsLraLe Lhe slgnlflcanL changes LhaL Look place as
Lhe Congress worked on Lhe ueclaraLlon uld Lhe flnal verslon lmprove on Lhe drafL? lf so how?
SLudenLs should conLlnue Lo work on Lhelr declaraLlons 1hey should be nearlng compleLlon of a flrsL
drafL lncludlng a sLaLemenL of prlor aLLempLs Lo redress grlevances and a declaraLlon of lndependence
1ake some Llme Lo dlscuss Lhe wrlLlng process wlLhln Lhe sLudenL groups Pow dld Lhey proceed? uld
Lhey ever go back and make changes? WhaL klnds of changes? uld more Lhan one person have lnpuL?
Act|v|ty 8 ub||sh and Dec|are
now Lhe sLudenL groups should compleLe and presenL Lhelr declaraLlons lf Lyped on a compuLer
Lhese can be prlnLed ouL ln an approprlaLely ornaLe fonL 1he paper can be sLalned uslng Lea Lo glve Lhe
appearance of age SLudenLs should slgn Lhe documenL on whlch Lhey worked
lf sLudenLs have access Lo Lhe necessary Lechnology Lhey can creaLe hyperllnks from secLlons of Lhelr
compuLerlzed declaraLlon Lo speclflc precedenLs ln Lhe ueclaraLlon
SLudenLs should now reflecL on Lhelr experlence wrlLlng a declaraLlon and Lhe process LhaL creaLed lL
WhaL parL of Lhelr own declaraLlon would Lhey say mosL resembles Lhe 1776 ueclaraLlon of
lndependence? Whlch complalnL? Whlch parL of Lhelr bellefs? WhaL changes dld Lhey make ln Lhe
course of wrlLlng Lhelr documenLs? Pow dld Lhe group declde how Lo proceed? SLudenL declaraLlons
should be posLed and lf pracLlcal senL Lo Lhe lnLended audlence (parenLs prlnclpal)
lor a culmlnaLlng acLlvlLy Lhe documenLs can be read ln class ln ceremonlal fashlon 1he documenLs
reflecLlon of Lhe sLrucLure of Lhe ueclaraLlon wlll help Lhe Leacher assess Lhe success of Lhe acLlvlLy