Lesson 4.02: Declaring Independence

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Explore To Sign or Not To Sign.

1. Imagine that you are a member of the committee tasked with writing the Declaration of Independence. What is going through your mind as you draft this document?

2. Eventually 56 delegates from 15 states signed the Declaration, in geographic order starting from the bottom right. But a few of the delegates who had voted for independence decided not to sign it. What objections do you think they might have had?

3. If you were a member of the Second Continental Congress, would you have signed? Why or why not? Remember to consider the risks and benefits!

Explore American Revolution: People, if you would like to know more about the Patriots of the Revolutionary War.

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