1776 is a musical based on the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the events that led up to it. John Adams, a delegate from Massachusetts, wants to declare the idea for independence, but he must deal with the southern states first. The Southern states are stubborn and loyal to Britain, so Adams has to write the Declaration of Independence to get them to join the revolution. He convinces Jefferson to write it because Adams is so disliked by the congress that less people would favor the Declaration. Finally, the congress comes up with a Declaration of Independence that everyone can agree on and they all sign it, with the exception of John Dickinson. I really enjoyed watching this musical because it made history entertaining. It gave …show more content…
Not only are the men protesting against Great Britain, but some of them are protesting against other American delegates. They do this through debates, songs, and just yelling sometimes. The main goal of the Declaration of Independence is to stand up to Britain and reform the government, but there are still those delegate who must fight against the men like Adams and Franklin, because they want to stay with Britain. An example of this is when the delegate from South Carolina says he will not sign the Declaration of Independence unless they get rid of the section against slavery. He expresses his feelings through a song that shows that the North is just as guilty as the South when it comes to slavery. Eventually, he gets what he wants because the congress needs everyone’s vote for the revolution to take over. Another important theme we see in this film is the importance of the individual. John Adams wants to be independent from Britain because the quality of life for individuals in Massachusetts is poor. Britain wants to tax the colonies because they are broke. Britain’s gain in money should help the general population, but because it is at the expensive of each individual it is considered an act of tyranny. The Americans believe that each person deserves to be