The Declaration of Independence

Question 1

When was the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 1

July 4, 1776

Question 2

What word shows that the 13 colonies are all in agreement on this?

Answer 2

Unanimous/united

Question 3

What is the “Course of human events”

Answer 3

History events/history

Question 4

What word does Jefferson use in opening of the second paragraph that means “obvious”

Answer 4

self-evident

Question 5

Who institutes, or creates, government?

Answer 5

men/the people

Question 6

what three basic rights do all men have?

Answer 6

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Question 7

What word does Jefferson use to describe rights (from God) that cannot be taken away?

Answer 7

Unalienable

Question 8

What do all men have in common?

Answer 8

They have rights/created equal

Question 9

Where does government get its power?

Answer 9

the people/consent of the governed

Question 10

When should government be changed or altered?

Answer 10

When it becomes distructed

Question 11

What does Jefferson mean that government should not be changed for “light and transient causes?”

Answer 11

easy to fix

Question 12

What words does Jefferson use to an show the King as an absolute tyrant?

Answer 12

despotism

Question 13

What does Jefferson do to prove his point (end of 2nd paragraph)?

Answer 13

Starts to list their many grievances from the kings actions

Question 14

What was the King’s object or goal?

Answer 14

to control the colonies/unleash absolute tyrany

Question 15

What word shows that their mistreatment has been ongoing

Answer 15

repeated injuries

Question 16

How does Jefferson show the colonies are not acting on impulse?

Answer 16

They’re patiently waiting for the suffering to end

Question 17

What has the King refused to follow that were necessary for the public good?

Answer 17

Assent to laws (what was good for the colonies)

Question 18

How has the King tried to “fatigue” people into following his law?

Answer 18

Unusual meetings at uncomfortable times

Question 19

What has King George dissolved, which has allowed him to invade the rights of the people?

Answer 19

representative houses of government

Question 20

What has the King refused to allow “others” to do which has placed them at risk of invasion?

Answer 20

Give them rights to elect others (local)

Question 21

What has the King imposed without consent of the colonies?

Answer 21

taxes/acts (by jury)

Question 22

How has the King protected these soldiers from criminal acts?

Answer 22

having a mock trial

Question 23

What has he kept in the colonies during times of peace?

Answer 23

standing armies

Question 24

What did the King send “swarms” of to the colonies? Why?

Answer 24

officers/red coats to harass colonists

Question 25

what has been “deprived” from colonists on many occasions?

Answer 25

trial by jury

Question 26

What has the King done to their seas, coasts, towns, and people?

Answer 26

Plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, destroyed lives of our people

Question 27

Who is being sent to complete works of death and desolation?

Answer 27

large armies of foreign mercenaries

Question 28

How have the colonies sought to oppose these “oppressions”?

Answer 28

Petitioned for redress (in every stage)

Question 29

How do the colonists show their commitment to the Declaration (at the end)?

Answer 29

Pledge their lives, fortune, sacred honor to each other by signing it

Question 30

What does Jefferson declare the 13 colonies “are, and of Right out to be”?

Answer 30

Free and independent states

Question 31

When will the colonies regard Great Britain as enemies or as friends?

Answer 31

Enemies are at war, friends are at peace

Question 32

How do the actions of the King define him? And what is he unfit to be?

Answer 32

Define him as tyrant unfit for the crown (ruler of free people)