Declaration of Independence Quiz

In the American Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson writes the following:

"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."

Within this text, the word "unalienable" most closely means what?

• Not available to those from other nations

• Unable to be taken away from a person

• Unable to be used by a foreigner to the United States

• Unable to be used by a person unless granted permission

In the American Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson writes that there are "certain unalienable rights"- which of the following is NOT one of those rights?

• Life

• Liberty

• Pursuit of Happiness

• Property

When discussing the role of government in the lives of individual citizens, it is important to remember that the social contract requires citizens to be obedient to the laws of the nation and government in which they live. What does the federal government agree to do in exchange for this obedience?

• Not force individuals into military service

• Not levy taxes against citizens unless necessary

• Protect citizens from threats, both foreign and domestic

• Protect citizens from foreign threats only.

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson writes that:

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government..."

Using this passage as evidence, what is Jefferson saying about the role of citizens in government?

• That citizens should not interfere in government practices

• That citizens their consent to the government and that citizens can change the government if needed

An excerpt from the Declaration is shown below:

"He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures"

How does this grievance support the American colonists' case for Independence

• It describes how the colonists were encouraged by the King to send their elected representatives to London

• It describes how the British government was holding public meetings in locations favorable to colonies loyal to Britain.

• It describes how the British government made it hard for the American colonists to have a voice in their own governance

• It describes how the colonists were not given adequate access to public records necessary for day-to-day government activities.

Thomas Jefferson was an ardent supporter of Independence and is credited with writing most of the Declaration. What was the main purpose in the creation of this document?

• Be a set a laws for the newly independent nation

• To tell the world that the British Parliament was the source of the American colonies problems

• As a document that would tell the world why the Americans were breaking away

• To tell the world that the American colonies were pledging their allegiance to another nation

The Founders of the United States relied heavily upon European Enlightenment ideas. Jefferson wrote:

"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..."

The Declaration of Independence elaborates on the Enlightenment idea of:

• Political Equity

• Collective ownership of land

• Religious Freedom

• The Natural Rights of Man