The Declaration of Independence

Open Ended

How did King George III's policies contribute to the growing desire for independence among the American colonies?

Multiple Choice

Which event marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War according to the timeline?

• Boston Tea Party

• Battles of Lexington & Concord

• Boston Massacre

• Intolerable Acts

Multiple Choice

What were the main requests made by the Second Continental Congress in the Olive Branch Petition?

• To declare independence from Britain

• To stop violence, protect colonial rights, and avoid breaking ties

• To increase taxes on the colonies

• To form an alliance with France

Open Ended

Explain how Enlightenment ideas influenced the colonists' decision to declare independence after the Olive Branch Petition failed.

Fill in the Blank

Fill in the blank: On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee offered a resolution to Congress that the United Colonies ought to be ______ and independent.

Multiple Select

Which of the following statements about Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence are correct?

• Jefferson was the only author of the Declaration of Independence.

• Congress accepted the Declaration without any changes.

• Jefferson was the main author among five appointed men.

• A large portion attacking slavery was cut before acceptance.

Multiple Choice

Which part of the Declaration of Independence explains why the Continental Congress wrote the document?

• Preamble

• Declaration of Natural Rights

• List of Grievances

• Resolution of Independence

Multiple Select

Select all the rights that are considered natural rights according to the Declaration of Independence.

• Life and liberty

• Property and ownership

• Socialization and relationships

• Freedom from taxation

Fill in the Blank

According to the Declaration of Independence, the government exists to protect the rights of the ___

Multiple Choice

Which Enlightenment thinker influenced the ideas about natural rights in the Declaration of Independence?

• John Locke

• Thomas Hobbes

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• Baron de Montesquieu

Multiple Choice

What are some of the unalienable rights listed in the Declaration of Independence?

• Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

• Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, and Right to Bear Arms

• Right to Vote, Right to Education, and Right to Privacy

• Freedom from Taxation, Right to Assemble, and Right to Petition

Multiple Choice

According to the Declaration of Natural Rights, what is the main purpose of government?

• To protect the rights of the people

• To control the people

• To collect taxes

• To maintain order through force

Multiple Select

Which of the following were complaints listed by the colonists in the Declaration of Independence?

• Quartering British troops in the colonies

• Taxing the colonists without their permission

• Cutting off the colonists' trade with the rest of the world

• Allowing colonists to elect their own leaders

Fill in the Blank

The Declaration of Independence declares that the colonies are "Free and Independent ___".

Open Ended

Name two powers that the newly independent states gained according to the Resolution of Independence.

Multiple Choice

Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence?

• John Hancock

• Thomas Jefferson

• Benjamin Franklin

• George Washington

Fill in the Blank

The Declaration of Independence was adopted on the ___ of July, 1776.

Multiple Select

Which principles were outlined in the Declaration of Independence as key to the new government?

• Popular Sovereignty

• Natural Rights

• Rule of Law

• Monarchy

Multiple Choice

Why was the passage condemning slavery removed from Jefferson’s original draft of the Declaration of Independence?

• Southern colonies refused to sign if it remained

• It was considered too controversial

• It was not relevant to independence

• Jefferson changed his mind

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the main idea shared by both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?

• Governments should be based on the consent of the governed

• People have the right to overthrow any government

• The colonists’ revolt against England

• John Hancock signed the Declaration first