The Declaration of Independence

What was the main purpose of the tar-and-feathering shown in the British caricature of the colonists?

• To protest being taxed without their consent
• To protest the high cost of British manufactured goods
• To protest British involvement in the French and Indian war
• To protest the quartering of troops in colonists’ homes

Which colonial leader introduced the ideas of John Locke’s “social contract” theory into the Declaration of Independence?

• John Hancock
• Thomas Paine
• James Madison
• Thomas Jefferson

Which work publicized the concept of “natural rights” later found in the Declaration of Independence?

• Magna Carta
• The English Bill of Rights
• The Mayflower Compact
• John Locke’s Two Treaties of Government

According to the Declaration of Independence, what was an “unalienable right” that all governments should protect?

• The right to social equality
• The right to personal liberty
• The right to religious equality
• The right to elect government officials

The passage below comes from the Declaration of Independence (1776).  “He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures….”  Which section of the Declaration contained this passage?

• Its list of colonial grievances
• Its justification of the conduct of the colonists
• Its theory of government based on social contract
• Its announcement of American Independence from Britain

Which statement best describes the role of government according to the Declaration of Independence?

• “The main purpose of government is to expand the glorify the state.”
• “The main purpose of government is to protect the unalienable rights of individuals.
• “The main purpose of government is to protect the rights and privileges of His Majesty, the King.”
• “The main purpose of government is to promote the general welfare of the community by taking steps toward social equality.”

According to this passage, what is the principal role of government? “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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” 

• To promote greater social equality
• To protect the natural rights of citizens
• To glorify the ruler in the eyes of the Creator
• To help individuals cooperate against the forces of nature

Based on the Declaration of Independence, which is a natural right?

• The right to vote
• The right to bear arms
• The right to pursue happiness
• The right to equal protection of the laws

How did the Second Continental Congress respond to British policies? 

• They started the French and Indian War.   
• They chose a committee to write the Declaration of Independence explaining why the colonies should be free.   
• They passed the Tea Act, allowing a British company to import tea to the colonies without paying taxes.   
• They hired Thomas Paine to write Common Sense.

The January 1776 publication of Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, _____. 

• caused Parliament to sympathize with the American colonies 
• had little effect on the attitudes of colonists 
• moved the colonies closer to declaring independence   
• occurred just after the Declaration of Independence