An Overwhelming Ocean of Primary Sources
Why use primary sources for teaching about the Declaration of Independence? Primary sources allow students to do the jobs of historians and understand history is made up of multiple experiences and points of view.
But, it’s not simple or fast to find primary sources that your students will understand. After all, there are 168 million items in the Library of Congress! Even a straightforward search can be a frustrating experience.
I’ve done the searching for you. In order to help teachers save time, I’ve created lists of kid-friendly primary sources.
Below are my 5 favorite primary sources for teaching about the events that led to the Declaration of Independence. These primary sources can be used with middle schoolers or adapted for 5th graders.
Join, or Die Cartoon (1754)
Description of Primary Source:
Benjamin Franklin’s famous cartoon was originally created to persuade the colonies to unite during the French and Indian war. It was rebranded during the American Revolution as a symbol of colonial freedom from Britain. This primary source would be a great way to kick off your Declaration of Independence Unit.
Franklin drew New England (N.E.) as the head of the snake followed by New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont, North Carolina and South Carolina. Oddly, Georgia was left out. The shape of the snake is supposed to mimic the East Coast. Read more about it on Colonial Williamsburg’s website.
Class Discussion Questions:
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What do the symbols stand for in the cartoon?
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Who drew the cartoon?
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When do you think this cartoon was drawn?
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What is the main idea of the cartoon?
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What do the letters stand for?
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Which colonies are included? Which are omitted?
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Why do you think Franklin drew New England as one colony and the head of the snake?
Resources for this Primary Source:
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Download the cartoon (Library of Congress)
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Student Worksheet for Analyzing a Political Cartoon (National Archives)
The Stamp Act Repeal Cartoon (1766)
Description of Primary Source:
The next Declaration of Independence primary source is this political cartoon about The Stamp Act. This law was despised by the American colonists. They reacted by boycotting British goods. This loss of income hurt England so Parliament quickly repealed the Stamp Act.
This satirical cartoon titled The Repeal by artist Benjamin Wilson depicts a funeral procession of Stamp Act supporters carrying a child-sized coffin (the act was only four months old). This print was so wildly popular in the American Colonies that the publisher could not keep up with all of the orders he received! You can learn more about the cartoon on Princeton University Library’s website.
Class Discussion Questions:
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What are the people doing in the cartoon? What are the objects used for in the cartoon?
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Who drew the cartoon? When do you think this cartoon was drawn?
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What do the symbols stand for in the cartoon?
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What is the main idea of the cartoon? List two parts that support the main idea.
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What does the description above the vault “Lie Interred, it is to be hoped never to rise again” mean?
Resources for this Primary Source:
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Download the cartoon (Library of Congress)
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Download the cartoon in color & read more about it (Princeton University Graphic Arts Collection)
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BONUS: View the stamps (Library of Congress)
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Student Worksheet for Analyzing a Political Cartoon (National Archives)
Yankee Doodle Song (mid 1700s)
Description of Primary Source:
This song was originally sung by British soldiers during the French and Indian War to mock American colonists for their dress and manners. During the American Revolution, British soldiers continued to sing it to make fun of the “Yankees”. Here is a pro-British verse:
Yankee Doodle came to town,
For to buy a firelock,
We will tar and feather him,
And so we will John Hancock
However, the colonists turned Yankee Doodle into a song of defiance and national pride. What is a Yankee Doodle? Why do we sing about macaroni? You can read about what the lyrics mean here. Read more about the song on the Library of Congress’s website.
Class Discussion Questions:
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When have you heard this song before?
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What is the song about?
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What is a Yankee Doodle?
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What does “Macaroni” mean in the song?
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Who do you think sang this song?
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What is the main idea of this song? List two lyrics that support the main idea.
Resources for this Primary Source:
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Download the sheet music (Library of Congress)
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Sound recordings of Yankee Doodle (two recordings are found on this Wikipedia page)
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Recording Analysis sheet (National Archives)
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Lyric Analysis Worksheet (Library of Congress)
Declaration of Independence (1776)
Description of Primary Source:
The Declaration of Independence expresses America’s ideals and its reasons for separating from Great Britain. Pass out a copy to your students and have them follow along with this video of a professional actor reading the Declaration of Independence. (You can find more Declaration of Independence videos here).
In addition, I particularly love this draft of the Declaration of Independence because it shows how Jefferson has crossed out sections and wrote in the margins. It would be perfect for a lesson on revision and how “rewriting is the best writing”.
Class Discussion Questions:
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Who wrote this document? Who received or read this document? What is the date of the document?
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What is the main idea of the document? What are two quotes that support the main idea?
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Why do you think this document was written?
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How did Jefferson begin the document?
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What reasons does Jefferson give for declaring independence?
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According to Jefferson, what is the purpose of government?
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Read the list of grievances. In your opinion, what are the 2 worst things the King did?
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Jefferson wrote that “all men are created equal”. What does this mean today? Speculate as to what he meant by that statement and how it relates to slavery.
Resources for this Primary Source:
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Declaration of Independence printed in a newspaper on July 4, 1776 (Library of Congress)
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Easier to read PDF Version (Constitution.org)
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Student Worksheet for Analyzing a Document (National Archives)
Boston Tea Party Engraving (1789)
Description of Primary Source:
W.D. Cooper’s engraving of the Boston Tea Party which shows the Sons of Liberty dressed as Indians throwing tea into Boston Harbor. I recommend viewing this on a computer so you can zoom in.
For more primary sources about the Boston Tea Party, the National Humanities Center has created a great collection. I particularly like the short poem on page 11 by “A Zealous Daughter of Liberty”.
Class Discussion Questions:
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What are the people doing in the artwork? What objects are used?
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What activities are taking place in the artwork?
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Who do you think created this artwork and why?
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What is the main idea? How do you know?
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How do you think King George III would feel about this artwork?
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How many people are depicted (estimate)? How many people participated in the Boston Tea party?
Resources for this Primary Source:
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Download the illustration (Library of Congress)
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Student Worksheet for Analyzing an Illustration (National Archives)
Want a FREE Timeline Lesson for 8 Events Leading to the Declaration of Independence?
In this lesson, students learn about 8 key events leading to the Declaration of Independence by reading task cards around the room and answering prompts on a timeline.
Here are the events on the timeline:
- The Stamp Act
- The Boston Massacre
- The Boston Tea Party
- The Intolerable Acts
- The First Continental Congress
- Lexington and Concord
- The Second Continental Congress
- The Declaration of Independence
After that, students complete a reflection where they answer the following questions:
- If you lived in the 1700s, would you have declared independence from Great Britain?
- Do you think that the colonists ever overreacted to one of the British laws or actions?
Enter your email below to grab your free Declaration of Independence timeline lesson!
Need more help teaching about the Declaration of Independence?
My 3 week unit about the Declaration of Independence has been used by thousands of teachers and is one of my best-selling resources. Your students will love it because they get to adopt a colonial identity, experience taxation without representation, and make decisions in student congresses.
If you need lessons about the events of the war, check out my popular 3 week Revolutionary War Unit. One of my favorite parts of the unit is the week-long simulation where students join the Continental Army and adopt a new identity as a soldier, spy, or officer.
You may also be interested in a free Patrick Henry writing lesson and Declaration of Independence videos.
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