What was the Declaration of Independence all about? It was written by Thomas Jefferson but was
probably not signed on July 4th, 1776. It was written after hostilities had broken out. Lexington, Concord,
Bunker Hill had taken place a year earlier. Why so late? The reason might be that the colonies were not
yet united in their response to Britain. Many did not want to leave the empire only a few years earlier they
had boasted about. Also, taking on the powerful British empire with trained troops seemed almost
impossible. Several of the condemnations in the declaration were not true, and they were addressed to
King George III rather than Parliament, which had the real power. It is quite possible that the colonial
leadership did not want to attack a representative institution even though it was hardly representative of
the people of Britain. Still, the declaration won widespread approval and helped to unite the colonists.
Sample Solution
