Created by Mr. Steve Hauprich for acceleration and remediation of US History students
Declaration of Independence
In Congress, July 4, 1776
The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen
United States of America
Dear American Colonists, supportive British Whigs,
and potential European Allies…
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary
for one people
to dissolve the political bonds
which have connected them with another,
and to assume, among the powers of the earth,
the separate and equal station
to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God
entitle them,
a decent respect to the opinions of mankind
requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self evident :
That all men are created equal:
that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable rights;
that among these are life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness;
that, to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed;
that whenever any form of government becomes destructive to
these ends,
it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it,
and to institute new government,
laying its foundation on such principles,
and organizing its powers in such form,
as to them shall seem most likely
to effect their safety and happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long
established should not be changed for light
and transient causes;
1215…The Magna Carta…representative government exists
along with the right to a fair trial
1689 …English Bill of Rights…includes the right to petition,
private property protections, and the right to bear arms
and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more
disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable,
than to right themselves by abolishing the forms
to which they are accustomed.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations,
pursuing invariably the same object,
evinces a design to reduce them
under absolute despotism,
it is their right, it is their duty,
to throw off such government,
and to provide new guards for their future security.
And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the
protection of Divine Providence,
we mutually pledge to each other our lives,
our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
"That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving
their just powers from the consent of the governed."
___1. This statement from the Declaration of Independence indicates that
government has a responsibility to
1 promote economic development
2 control the lives of citizens
3 respond to the will of the people
4 provide for the defense of the nation
___2. The primary purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to
(1) establish a basic set of laws for the United States
(2) strengthen colonial ties with England
(3) state the reasons for the American Revolution
(4) demand freedom of speech and of the press
___3. The Declaration of Independence contributed to the political
development of the United States by
1 condemning the practice of slavery
2 presenting a clear statement of the social contract theory of government
3 providing the nation with a strong bill of rights
4 demonstrating the need for a strong chief executive
___4. According to the Declaration of Independence,
governments are established to
(1) protect the nation from invasion
(2) provide a system of checks and balances
(3) protect the natural rights of citizens
(4) guarantee voting rights for all citizens
___5. In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was
influenced most by John Locke’s idea of
(1) due process of law
(2) natural rights
(3) the rights of the accused
(4) the right to privacy
___6. Which group had the most influence on the ideas stated in the Declaration
of Independence and United States Constitution?
(1) political leaders of Spain and Portugal
(2) religious leaders of the medieval period
(3) writers of the Renaissance
(4) philosophers of the Enlightenment
__7. The pamphlet Common Sense, by Thomas Paine, aided the American cause
in the Revolutionary War because it
(1) convinced France to join in the fight against England
(2) led to the repeal of the Stamp Act
(3) created a new system of government for the United States
(4) persuaded individuals who were undecided to support
independence
___8. Which political belief is expressed by the quotation
"we ... will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice,
or Representation"?
1 necessity for separation of powers
2 government by consent of the governed
3 freedom of press and assembly
4 right to a writ of habeas corpus
___9. The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights are similar
in that both
(1) support a federal system of government
(2) maintain the importance of a strong chief executive
(3) provide for a system of checks and balances
(4) support limitations on governmental power