Leaders Debate and Draft the Declaration
In IMPACT California Social Studies Grade 5, students learn how the Declaration of Independence was written and the difficult compromises required to finalize it. The Second Continental Congress appointed the Committee of Five, choosing Thomas Jefferson as primary author to translate colonial grievances into powerful language about freedom and government. Jefferson's original draft included a condemnation of the slave trade, but this was removed as a compromise to keep southern colonies united behind independence. This lesson illustrates the gap between the Declaration's ideals and the political realities that shaped the final document.
Key Concepts
The Second Continental Congress chose a group called the Committee of Five to write the Declaration. Thomas Jefferson was selected as the main author. He worked to put the colonists' feelings about freedom and government into powerful words.
After Jefferson wrote the first draft, other leaders debated it. His draft included a part that blamed the king for the slave trade. To keep all the colonies united, the leaders made a difficult compromise . They removed the anti slavery words so that every colony would agree to sign the final document.
Common Questions
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson was selected as the main author of the Declaration of Independence. He was chosen by the Committee of Five—a group appointed by the Second Continental Congress—because of his skill with words and his ability to articulate the colonists' beliefs about freedom and government.
What was the Committee of Five?
The Committee of Five was a group chosen by the Second Continental Congress to draft the Declaration of Independence. Its members included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston.
What compromise was made when finalizing the Declaration?
Thomas Jefferson's original draft contained a passage blaming King George III for the slave trade. To keep all colonies—especially those in the South that relied on slavery—united behind independence, this anti-slavery section was removed from the final document.
Why was it important that all colonies agree to sign the Declaration?
Unity was essential. The Continental Congress needed all thirteen colonies to present a united front against Britain. If any colony refused to sign, it would weaken the colonists' claim to collective self-governance and their case for independence.
What did Jefferson's Declaration argue about government?
Jefferson argued that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed, and that when a government fails to protect the natural rights of its citizens—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—the people have the right to change or abolish it.