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Declaration of Independence

Total questions: 26

Worksheet time: 18mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

According to the Declaration of Independence, the main purpose of a government is to-

a)

ensure the stability of the economy

b)

protect the rights of the individual

c)

provide strong military leadership

d)

protect a nation from foreign invasions

2.

According to the Declaration of Independence, from where does government get the power to achieve its purpose?

a)

it is endowed by nature

b)

from the permission of the king

c)

from the authority of parliament

d)

from the consent of the governed

3.

Which of the following was the main purpose for writing the Declaration of Independence?

a)

convince Great Britain to stop mercantilism in North America

b)

force Spain to support a Revolutionary War against England

c)

proclaim war on Great Britain due to lack of economic rights

d)

state the colonists' reasons for separating from Great Britain

4.

According to the Declaration of Independence, when government becomes oppressive of the people's rights, the people have the right to...

a)

ignore laws that people don't like or agree with

b)

meet in secret congresses to discuss solutions

c)

call for elections to choose new rulers

d)

alter or abolish it and institute a new government

5.

Who is the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?

a)

John Adams

b)

John Locke

c)

Thomas Jefferson

d)

Ben Franklin

6.

On which date was the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Second Continental Congress? 

a)

May 4, 1607

b)

January 23, 1620

c)

September 17, 1787

d)

July 4, 1776

7.

Tyranny is best described by which of the following?

a)

A government where all the power is in the hands of one person.

b)

A government headed by a king or a queen.

c)

A government that abuses its power.

d)

A government where some citizens are not allowed to vote.

8.

Which monarch ruled when the colonies declared their independence?

a)

George III

b)

Elizabeth I

c)

Henry VIII

d)

James VI

9.

The List of Grievances were the part of the Declaration that

a)

detailed the colonists' complaints with King George.

b)

listed a man's natural rights.

c)

introduced the Declaration.

d)

concluded the Declaration, declaring America a free country.

10.

Forced colonists to give shelter (house) to British soldiers

a)

Sugar Act

b)

Townshend Act

c)

Quartering Act

d)

Housing Act

11.

What is the purpose of the following lines from the declaration?

"He has dissolved our legislative assemblies"

“ He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies ” “For imposing taxes on us without consent”

“ For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury”

a)

To justify independence by giving examples of complaints about rights violated by King George and the British government

b)

To give examples of complaints against the American government, asking King George III to fix them

c)

To request that the king protect certain rights and complain about rights that colonists didn't have

12.

Why were the colonists being taxed so heavily?

a)

To pay for the French and Indian War

b)

Because the King felt like it

c)

Because they wanted a revolution

d)

They owed a lot of money to China

13.

A preamble is the (a)   to a document

14.

The last section of The Declaration of Independence is the ____ for Independence.

a)

Reason

b)

Resolution

c)

Response

d)

Refusal

15.

Who made presented a resolution to Congress to declare independence from England?

a)

Robert E. Lee

b)

Richard Henry Lee

c)

Thomas Jefferson

d)

John Adams

16.

A grievance is a formal ___.

a)

statement

b)

complaint

c)

argument

d)

pet peeve

17.

Formal Complaints

a)

Resolution

b)

Preamble

c)

Grievance

18.

___ is a group of people who have the power to make laws.

a)

Libel

b)

Haebus Corpus

c)

Legislature

d)

Committee

19.

Unalienable

a)

Unchangeable/ Cannot be given or taken away

b)

Unfair / Unjust

c)

Outer space

d)

Unavoidable / Happens always

20.

Which of these is NOT an unalienable or unchangeable right of the people?

a)

Life

b)

Liberty

c)

Loyalty

d)

Pursuit of Happiness

21.

According to the Declaration of Independence, the government should get its power from

a)

the King

b)

the Congress

c)

the President

d)

the People

22.

The introduction to the Declaration of Independence is also called the

(a)  

23.

Fill in the missing right:
(a)   , Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

24.

Fill in the missing right:

Life, (a)   , and the Pursuit of Happiness

25.

Fill in the missing right:

Life, Liberty, and the _______ __ _________

(a)  

26.

The last section of the Declaration of Independence in which the colonists formally state their separation from Great Britain is called the (a)   for Independence