Declaration+of+Independence

=Declaration of Independence for Kids=

In 1776, __Patriot__ leaders got together to write a letter to the __King of England__. They wanted to explain why they were fighting to be their own country, __independent__ (not part) of __England__. ** The colonists wrote a letter to __King George III__ and this is ** ** what it said ** : **__ The Declaration of Rights __**** - The colonists thought that: **

· All men are created equal

· All men have rights given to them by God

· The most important rights are__, life,__ __liberty, and the pursuit of happiness__. ** What that means: **

· Whenever any government is getting in the way of these rights, people have the right to change it or get rid of it, and to make a new government that will make them safe and happy.

· People should not change their government without good reasons The __American colonists__ have suffered for a very long time, and now we should form our own government.

** The colonists also wanted to let King George III know the bad things they thought he had done to them, so they wrote him a list: **

**__ The Bill of Indictment __**** - **** The list of Complaints: **

· You won’t let us pass laws that are fair and good for everyone.

· Even when we do pass laws, you won't sign them so they can work.

· You tried to force us to give up our right to make laws.

· When you do plan to make laws, you want to meet to talk about them at inconvenient times and places (when we can’t go) so we can’t discuss the new laws.

· You won't let any new settlers come to America, and you won't let the settlers that are already there take over new land from the Native Americans.

· You won't let us choose our own judges, and instead you choose them all yourself, so they're all on your side.

· You send lots of new government officials (important men) that we don't want, and you make us pay for them.

· You send lots of English soldiers here when there isn't even a war, and make us let them live in our houses.

· You tell us these soldiers can do whatever they want and don't have to obey the laws.

· You won't let us buy and sell things from wherever we want. We can only buy things from England.

· \ You make us pay all kinds of taxes without asking us about it.

· You won't let us have a jury for our trials, only a judge.

· You send people accused of crimes far away to England for their trials.

· You try to make the Native Americans attack us.

· When we ask you to stop, you just keep on doing more bad things.

· Nobody in England wants to help us

So because of all this we __have__ to separate from England, and then they will be our enemies during the war. We hope they'll be our friends when the war is over and there is peace.

**__ The Statement of Independence __**** : ** · God realizes that we need to be Independent from the King of England

· We are now called the __United States of America__

· We have no more government connection to England at all.

· Each state has the right to make war, to make peace, to make alliances (partnerships) with other countries, trade with other countries, and do everything else that countries do.

· We promise that we will fight for our independence with the help of God - we promise by our lives, our property, and our honor.