Unit wo Lessons from Jefferson.ppt

Warm-up Watch a short video about the American presidents. How many do you know? Can you say something about them? George Washington (1732-1799): Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, statesman and first President of the United States, born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on February 22, 1732. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865): the 16th President of the United States, born on February 12, 1809 in a backwoods cabin three miles south of Hodgenville, Kentucky, preserved the Union during the Civil War and brought about the emancipation of the slaves. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945): the 32nd President of the United States; elected four times; instituted New Deal to counter the great depression and led country during World War II. Bill Clinton (1946-): the 42nd President of the United States (1993-1996) and the first president born after World War II, elected to a second term in 1996. National Treasure The Continental Congress met in June 1776. They decided that the thirteen colonies should be free and independent states, but they needed to write up a specific document to declare their independence from Great Britain. The Continental Congress decided to have Thomas Jefferson write the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) is best remembered as a great President and as the author of the Declaration of Independence. He also won lasting fame as a diplomat, a political thinker, and a founder of the Democratic Party. Enjoy a short video about Thomas Jefferson Bruce Bliven Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, may be less famous than George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but most people remember at least one fact about him: he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Although Jefferson lived more than 200 years ago, there is much that we can learn from him today. Many of his ideas are espe