The Declaration of Independence (Ch 2)
Objective: You will learn the purpose behind and
the meaning of the Declaration of Independence.
You will demonstrate you know this by rewriting
the political philosophy of the Declaration in
your notebook in your own words
Standard: 12.1.3: Explain how the…basic premises
of liberal constitutionalism and democracy are
joined in the Declaration of Independence as
“self-evident truths.”
You all took U.S. History, including the Colonial
and Revolutionary period of this country’s
history. Therefore this should all be review for
you. So what should you remember that impacts
the evolution of our Government?
What should you remember from 8th & 11th grade?
1. England and the other major European nations
developed a network of colonies in order to provide
raw materials to and markets for manufactured
goods from the mother country, to get more
military and political control around the world, and
to provide a home for its surplus population.
What should you remember from 8th & 11th grade?
2. As the empire grew, England’s 13 colonies in North
America began to cooperate in defense against the
Native Americans as well as attacks from foreign
countries.
What should you remember from 8th & 11th grade?
3. For the last 500 years, England’s greatest enemy
had been France, and went to war with France
about once each generation. In the most recent
round of war (the French and Indian War), England
had won massive new territory, but in so doing had
acquired a spectacular new debt.
What should you remember from 8th & 11th grade?
4. To pay off the debt from this war, the British
government raised taxes on everyone in the Empire,
including the American colonists. However the
taxes were raised without getting any permission
from the colonial legislatures or other bodies
representing the colonists.
What should you remember from 8th & 11th grade?
5. So many colonists protested and eventually rioted,
as they felt their rights as Englishmen were being
violated. The British government responded by
cracking down on the colonists, including stationing
soldiers in colonists’ cities and homes, seizing
property (including guns), imprisoning people
without trials, etc.
What should you remember from 8th & 11th grade?
6. Eventually a minor skirmish (fight) between
colonists and a British regiment became a running
gun-battle between two large armies around the city
of Boston in 1775, and the Revolutionary War had
begun.
So what do you know of the Declaration of
Independence? Answer questions 1-7 in your
notes.
Answer to your little quiz:
1. When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
2. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
3. Whose ideas were copied in the document?
4. Why was it written?
5. To whom was it written?
6. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
7. What is the layout and structure of the Declaration?
Answer to your little quiz:
1. When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
July 4, 1776
2. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
3. Whose ideas were copied in the document?
4. Why was it written?
5. To whom was it written?
6. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
7. What is the layout and structure of the Declaration?
Answer to your little quiz:
1. When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
July 4, 1776
2. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
3. Whose ideas were copied in the document?
4. Why was it written?
5. To whom was it written?
6. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
7. What is the layout and structure of the Declaration?
1. When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
July 4, 1776
2. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
3. Whose ideas were copied in the document?
John Locke
4. Why was it written?
5. To whom was it written?
6. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
7. What is the layout and structure of the Declaration?
1. When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
July 4, 1776
2. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
3. Whose ideas were copied in the document?
John Locke
4. Why was it written?
To declare America’s independence from the British
Empire.
5. To whom was it written?
6. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
7. What is the layout and structure of the Declaration?
July 4, 1776
2. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
3. Whose ideas were copied in the document?
John Locke
4. Why was it written?
To declare America’s independence from the British
Empire.
5. To whom was it written?
To England
6. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
7. What is the layout and structure of the Declaration?
July 4, 1776
2. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
3. Whose ideas were copied in the document?
John Locke
4. Why was it written?
To declare America’s independence from the British
Empire.
5. To whom was it written?
To England
To England’s enemies—specifically FRANCE,
Holland, and Spain.
6. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
3. Whose ideas were copied in the document?
John Locke
4. Why was it written?
To declare America’s independence from the British
Empire.
5. To whom was it written?
To England
To England’s enemies—specifically FRANCE,
Holland, and Spain.
To the American people—they need to know why
they should give up their lives.
6. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
4. Why was it written?
To declare America’s independence from the British
Empire.
5. To whom was it written?
To England
To England’s enemies—specifically FRANCE,
Holland, and Spain.
To the American people—they need to know why
they should give up their lives.
6. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
To declare independence from the British Empire,
and to ask for support from the rest of Europe and
the American People
Holland, and Spain.
To the American people—they need to know why
they should give up their lives.
6. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
To declare independence from the British Empire,
and to ask for support from the rest of Europe and
the American People
7. What is the layout and structure of the Declaration?
1. Statement of philosophical-political belief,
2. evidence of mis-deeds of King and Parliament
3. Evidence of attempts to solve problems
4. Declaration and request for support from the rest of
Europe.
Declaration of Independence
• Performed?
Homework (for all of Chapter 2):
Complete the Ch 2 Question handout your received last
week. The questions will all need to be written in your
notebook, and are due when we take our Ch 2 Quiz.