declaration

The Declaration of Independence can be described as:

• What we thought to be our rights, listed everything we thought King George III had done wrong and declared the 13 colonies to be free and independent.
• A petition sent to King George III in an attempt to find a peaceful solution to the increased tensions between Great Britain and the colonies
• A pamphlet which argued that a government based on a monarchy was an unnatural way to choose a leader; having a monarchy was wrong and that it was time to break away from Great Britain.

What effect did Common Sense have in the colonies?

• It instilled fear in the colonies.
• It convinced the colonies to stay loyal to Great Britain.
• It persuaded many colonists that America should be independent.
• It petitioned the king to end the quarrel between the colonies and Great Britain.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Why was the Declaration of Independence written?

• to start the American Revolution
• to offer a peace settlement to Great Britain
• to instruct how a country wins its freedom
• to explain why the colonies were separating from Great Britain

According to Thomas Jefferson, the power to rule comes from:

• God
• the king
• Parliament
• the citizens

How are natural rights different from other rights?

• People are born with natural rights.
• People can choose to vote for natural rights.
• Natural rights are given only to citizens.
• Natural rights come from the government.

What are the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence?

• All men are created equal, all men have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, government gets its power from the people
• The only rightful purpose of government is to protect our basic rights and having a monarchy is an unnatural way to select a leader
• It needed to be explained and justified to the world why we were declaring our independence from Great Britain.
• King George III created an absolute tyranny and the Declaration of Independence proves that

Natural rights mean:

• rights common to everyone, as opposed to those given by law
• to formally discuss an issue
• freedom from control by another government or country
• a course of action taken by a government

Independence means:

• to formally discuss an issue
• freedom from control by another government or country
• a course of action taken by a government
• rights common to everyone, as opposed to those given by law

The Declaration of Independence was a...

• contract written to tell the British to back off!
• document written to tell the world that the United States was now a free and independent country.
• letter written to King George III from the colonist.
• document written to tell King George III, "No Taxation, Without Representation!" 

In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?

• July 4, 1773
• April 19, 1775
• July 2, 1770
• July 4, 1776