Declaration Of Independence Docent Script

Hello, my name is Jessie and welcome to the _________. I will be taking you through the first portion of the tour, which exhibits The Declaration of Independence--the most cherished document of United States of America . Follow me please.

Now does anyone know the date when the document was adopted. (Wait for responses) That is correct; the document was officially adopted on July 4, 1776. The document was formally entitled, The unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen united States of America , and was primarily written by Thomas Jefferson. If you notice on the placard, the word united in the document does not begin with the capital letter, signifying the fact that the thirteen colonies were independent states rather than one nation. The thirteen colonies came together to declare themselves independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain not a complete country.

The writing of the Declaration of Independence was not a new idea. Colonists began to resent their allegiance to the mother country as they shaped their unique identity. The colonists were also very disillusioned by the fact that all important decisions regarding their government were being made by people all the way across the ocean, members of Parliament who did not hold the colonists' best interests in high regard. As a result, during the First Continental Congress, colonies asked for more power from King George III. How do you think King George III will react to this? (Wait for responses) Well, from England's perspective, the colonists were part of the British empire and thus under the jurisdiction of Parliament.

So does anyone know the first battle that scripted the beginning of revolutionary war in the pages of history? (Wait for responses) In 1775, the first shot at the battle of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of revolutionary war. Nobody knows who fired the first shot. The Second Continental Congress met in 1775 to discuss their next steps. However, not all colonies were in favor of the separation. As a result, Thomas Paine, in his pamphlet "Common Sense", attempted to convince colonies to become united in an effort to break away from England . Paine outlined the benefits that colonists will cherish upon breaking up with England . "Common Sense" worked like a charm on colonists and the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the dissenting colonists. Few people realize that although Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, that there was actually a committee formed to be sure that the colonists' position was clearly presented. Raise your hand if you can name the other members of the committee. (Call on a few raised hands)