US1 Exploring the Declaration of Independence
Below is the Preamble for the Declaration of Independence. After reading the Preamble, put it into your own words.
American Declaration of Independence preamble (preamble means beginning)
(1) We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (2) That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. (3) That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government.
Vocabulary:
*self-evident: obvious.
*endowed: given
*unalienable: cannot be taken away
* to secure: to protect
*instituted: set up
*deriving: getting from:
*fair consent: agreement
* ends: goals
*alter: change
*abolish: to get rid of
Put the paragraph in your own words:
(1) We believe in these obvious truths: that all men are created equal, that they ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
(2) In order to protect these rights, governments are set up. These governments get their powers from __________________________________________.
(3)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Response questions:
1. What parts of the Preamble possess Locke’s ideas? You may quote from the text, and/or put your answer in your own words.
2. What parts of the Preamble possess Hobbes’s ideas? You may quote from the text, and/or put your answer in your own words.
Grievances
Below are most of the grievances from the Declaration of Independence.
- If the grievance seems to be something that would affect only the rich and powerful, write O (for ONLY rich and powerful)
- If the grievance seems to be something that would affect all the colonists, write A (for ALL the colonists)
- If you don’t know who would be affected, write ‘?’
Be prepared to defend your answers!
(1 & 2) He has refused to pass, and forbidden his governors to pass, important and necessary laws. _______
(5 & 6) He has broken up certain legislatures that opposed him, and refused to let others be elected. _______
(8 & 9) He has refused to establish courts of justice, and has made judges dependent on him for their jobs and salaries. _______
(10) He has sent swarms of British officers to harass our people and eat our food. _______
(11 & 12) He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures. _______
(16) For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world; _______
(17) For imposing taxes on us without our consent; _______
(18) For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury; _______
(23 & 24) He is waging war against us; He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. _______
(27) He has started fights among us and has also forced us to live near merciless Indian savages. _______
Response Questions:
1. Do these grievances seem to be things that upset rich people or everyone?
2. Do you think these complaints would give people reason to go to war and possibly die? Why or why not?
Explain your reasoning. NO 1 WORD ANSWERS!
