The Declaration of
Independence
What philosophical
movement occurred in
Europe during the 17th and
th
18 centuries?
• The Enlightenment
What new ideas developed in
Europe during the
Enlightenment?
• Ideas about the rights of
people and their relationship
to their rulers
What 17th century
philosopher led the
British Enlightenment?
• John Locke
Whose ideas influenced the
American colonists’ belief
in self-government?
• John Locke
What “natural rights” did
Locke believe all people
possessed?
• Life
• Liberty
• Property
What did Locke mean by the
term “social contract”?
• The people voluntarily agree
among themselves to form a
government to protect their
rights.
• The people promise to obey the
laws made by this government.
According to Locke, how
were the government’s
powers limited?
• Limited to those powers
which the people decided to
give the government
According to Locke, whenever
government becomes a threat
to the people’s natural rights,
what right do the people
have?
• The right to change or
overthrow the government
How were John Locke’s
ideas radical or extreme?
• Challenged the idea of
dictatorial rule by kings
When did colonial
resistance against British
rule reach a climax?
• When the Continental
Congress adopted The
Declaration of Independence
What types of ideas
inspired the
American Revolution?
• Ideas about natural rights
• Ideas about political
(governmental) authority
What pamphlet did Thomas
Paine publish in 1776?
•Common Sense
What did Common
Sense challenge?
• The rule of the American
colonies by the King of
England
What was the effect of
the publication of
Common Sense?
• A growing American
desire for independence
from England
When did the Continental
Congress adopt The
Declaration of Independence?
• July 4, 1776
Who wrote the final draft of
The Declaration of
Independence?
•Thomas Jefferson
Whose ideas did Thomas
Jefferson borrow, when he
wrote The Declaration of
Independence?
• Thomas Paine and
• John Locke
Who wrote that all men
have the right to “life,
liberty and property”?
• John Locke
Who wrote that all men have
the right to “life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness”?
• Thomas Jefferson
What ideas did Thomas
Jefferson borrow from
Thomas Paine?
• Grievances against the King
• In other words, the ways
King George III had
mistreated the American
colonists
What two realities of
American life in 1776
conflicted with the promise of
equality in The Declaration of
Independence?
• 1) African-American slavery
• 2) Most Americans could not
vote in 1776
How has the United
States expressed its
search for equality since
1776?
• By the right to vote
What has been a major
theme in American history
since 1776?
• Expansion of
democracy
How has the United States
expanded the right to vote
since 1776?
• From only adult white males
who owned property and
belonged to a particular
church to all Americans who
were at least 18 years-old
What two constitutional
amendments guarantee
due process of law?
• The
Amendment
th
• The 14 Amendment
th
5
What two things does the
right of due process
guarantee?
• That a person accused of
a crime receives a fair trial
• That the state does not
take away a person’s life,
liberty, or property
without following proper
procedures
As part of the United States’
search for equality, what right do
all fifty states guarantee to
America’s children?
• The right to a free public
education
In what two ways have the
key principles of The
Declaration of
Independence increased
liberty for American
minorities?
• Ending African-American
slavery by the 13th
Amendment
• Giving civil rights to
American minorities
What did “the pursuit of
happiness” mean for the
Revolutionary generation?
• The chance to benefit
from America’s free
enterprise system
With what belief of John
Locke did Jefferson equate
“the pursuit of happiness”?
• The belief in property
rights
What are all Americans
supposed to possess a
chance to achieve?
• Financial success
through hard work
What principles have
become the unifying ideas
of American democracy?
• The key ideas of The
Declaration of Independence
In what three ways has the
U.S. government followed
the principles of The
Declaration of
Independence as a road
map for the American
republic?
• Given more people the right
to vote
• Provided equality of
opportunity to all Americans
• Guaranteed all Americans
“unalienable rights”
What term means the
right to vote?
• The franchise
What does the term
“unalienable rights” mean?
• Rights that cannot be
given away or taken away