Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence says that government should make sure everyone has life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What does the Declaration of Independence call these things?

• obligations

• privileges

• unalienable rights

• important duties

The Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal." What does this statement mean today?

• Women have fewer rights than men.

• Slavery should be ended.

• Every person has the same rights.

• Everone has the same amount of intelligence.

In the years before the Revolutionary War, King George did these things to the colonies:

He took away the right of trial by jury.

He collected taxes without permission.

He cut off their trade with the rest of the world.

According to the Declaration of Independence, these actions by the king had which result?

• They caused many people to move to other countries.

• They allowed criminals to avoid punishment.

• They gave the colonies more efficient governments.

• They forced the colonies to separate from the British Empire.

According to the Declaration of Independence, colonists

• wanted three branches of government.

• were already free from England.

• thought of new ways to pay for their taxes.

• had many complaints about King George III.

Read the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence and answer the question.

"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."

Based of this founding document, the culture of the early United States emphasized...

• inherited social statuses.

• absolute obedience to authority.

• elitism and collectivism.

• egalitarianism and individualism.

The Declaration of Independence states, "Governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed." This means that governments get their powers from which of the following?

• God

• kings

• the people

• the president

According to the Declaration of Independence, where do governments derive their power?

• from legislative assemblies

• from God

• from the laws of reason

• from the people they govern

By the 1760s, the colonists had come to believe that in America they were creating a place that adopted the best of the English system but adapted it to new circumstances. They believed it was a place where a person could rise by merit, not birth, and a place where men could voice their opinions and actively share in self-government. But these beliefs were soon tested. Following the costly Seven Years' War, Great Britain was burdened with significant debts and the continuing expense of keeping troops on American soil. Parliament thought the colonies should pay for their own defense, and so created the first direct tax, the Stamp Act, in 1765. The colonists rebelled against such control over their daily affairs. Their own elected legislative bodies had not been asked to agree to the Stamp Act. The colonists argued that without either this local consent or direct representation in Parliament, the act was "taxation without representation." The Americans believed the Stamp Act should be null and void.

Based on this text, what was the main objection to the Stamp Act?

• They feared it would plunge them into debt

• They believed they could defend themselves without Britains's help

• They felt it did not apply equally to all Americans

• They had not been asked to participate in the decision to impose the tax.

English system but adapted it to new circumstances. They believed it was a place where a person could rise by merit, not birth, and a place where men could voice their opinions and actively share in self-government. But these beliefs were soon tested. Following the costly Seven Years' War, Great Britain was burdened with significant debts and the continuing expense of keeping troops on American soil. Parliament thought the colonies should pay for their own defense, and so created the first direct tax, the Stamp Act, in 1765. The colonists rebelled against such control over their daily affairs. Their own elected legislative bodies had not been asked to agree to the Stamp Act. The colonists argued that without either this local consent or direct representation in Parliament, the act was "taxation without representation." The Americans believed the Stamp Act should be null and void.

Which line from the text provides evidence that supports the conclusion?

• Although few colonists could afford legal training in England, they remained remarkably familiar with English common law

• Their own elected legiclative bodies had not been asked to agree on the Stamp Act

• Benjamin Franklin and others in England eloquently argued the American case, and Parliament withdrew the bill

• But the Americans would rather have their rights, and they would fight for them.