final Test Flashcards
“We hold these _____ to be self-evident-that all men are created _____;
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain _______ ______;
that among these are _____, _____, and the ______ of _____”
truths
equal
unalienable rights
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
What is the Declaration of Independence ?
- states the principles on which our government, and our identity as Americans, are based.
- announced the separation of the 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain.
- it resolved that “these United Colonies are, and of right out to be Free and Independent States.
The Declaration of Independence is drafted by
John Adams
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
Robert Livingston
Roger Sherman
The Declaration of Independence was finally was finally approved on
July
4, 1776.
Events that led to write the
Declaration of Independence.
The Sugar Act
The Currency Act
The Quartering Act
The Stamp Act
The Townshend Act
The Tea Act
The Boston Tea Party
The Intolerable Acts
The Sugar Act:
increased duties on foreign sugar imported from the West Indies.
The Currency Act:
banned the issue of paper bills or bills of credit because of the belief that the colonial currency had devalued British currency.
The Quartering Act:
ordered colonists to house and feed
British soldiers if there was not enough room for them in barracks.
The Stamp Act:
collected taxes on items made of paper such as legal documents, newspaper, and even playing cards. The first direct tax imposed by Britain.
The Townshed Acts:
series of acts that involved taxing the colonies to raise revenue for Great Britain. It taxed good such as glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea.
The Tea Act:
Gave the British East India Company a monopoly to trade tea in America
The Boston Tea Party:
- protest that occurred due to Britain’s “taxation without representation” to the colonies, where a group of colonists dressed as Indigenous people and dumped tea from three ships into the Boston Harbor. It was the first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonists.
- It showed that Americans
would not tolerate taxation
and tyranny, and rallied
patriots across the 13 colonies
to fight for independence.
The Intolerable Acts:
- placed numerous restrictions (four laws) on the colonists including the closing of the Boston Harbor as punishment for the Boston Tea Party.
- It was an attempt to reimpose strict British control over the
American colonies.
Unalienable
not transieradle to another or not capable of being taken away or denied
Unalienable rights
Rights that cannot be given or taken away.
Human rights that cannot be violated
Despotism
the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way.
Usurpation
to seize and hold (office, place, functions, powers, etc.) in possession by force or without right;
taking someone’s power by force
Prudence
the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason; cautiousness
Candid
expressing opinions and feelings in an honest and sincere way
Relinquish
to give over possession or control of
Annihilation
the state or fact of being completely
destroyed or obliterated
Jurisdiction
a system of law courts; a judicature; power or authority
Arbitrary
Not restrained or limited in the exercise of power; ruling by absolute authority
Ravaged
to wreak havoc on: affect destructively
Disavow
To deny responsibility for; to refuse to
acknowledge or accept
Proclamation
An official formal public announcement
Insurrection
violent uprising against an authority or government
acquisition
Something or someone acquired or gained
Reconcile
to find a way of making (two different
ideas, facts, etc.) exist or be true at the same time
Documentary
A presentation (such as a film or novel) expressing or dealing with factual events
Abridging
To shorten by omission of words without sacrifice of sense
Infringed
Break a law, rule, or agreement; reduce someone’s legal rights or freedom
Infamous
Well-known for being bad: known for evil acts or crime
Jeopardy
Exposure to or imminence of death, loss, or injury
Compensation
Something, typically money, awarded to someone as a recompense for loss, injury, or suffering
Acquiesce
To agree without protest
Inflicted
Impose something unwelcome on
Construed
Interpret (a word or action) in a particular way
Tyranny
A government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler; oppressive power; cruel and oppressive government or rule
Ratified
To approve and sanction formally; sign or give formal consent to (a treaty, contract, or agreement), making it officially valid
Amendment
the process of altering or amending a law or document (such as constitution) by parliamentary or constitutional procedure
The bill of rights
- The first 10 amendments to the Constitution
- It spells out American’s rights in relation to their government.
- It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual.
The Bill of Rights
Some of the liberties it guarantees are:
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of press
• Freedom of religion
