Period 5 & 7 - Declaration of Independence

We learned about the basic ideas about government that are contained in the Declaration of Independence, the arguments found in the Declaration of Independence that justify the separation of the colonies from Great Britain and why some colonists did not want to separate from Great Britain.

We defined the following terms in your notebook:

• abolish
• Loyalists
• natural law
• Patriots
• self-evident
• Tories
• unalienable rights

The following questions were to be answered in your notebook and written in complete sentences. (Period 5 answered 1 & 2, Period 7 up to #3)

1. What were the reasons for writing the Declaration of Independence?

2. What are the four parts of the Declaration of Independence?

3. What arguments does the Declaration make in support of the colonies' independence?

4. What complaints did the colonists have against the king of Great Britain?

5. What is the purpose of government as described in the Declaration of Independence?

6. What does the Declaration of Independence say people have the right to do if a government does not protect their rights?

7. What do the following phrases from the Declaration mean?

• "all men are created equal"
• "consent of the governed"
• "self-evident"
• "unalienable rights"

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If you were absent or unable to answer the questions in class, please do them for homework and turn them in by Thursday, September 12th.