The Declaration of
Independence
and American Ideals
American Ideals
Essential Skills:
1) Demonstrate an understanding of influences
on the Declaration of Independence and of
ideals contained in the document
2) Explicitly assess images of American events,
and draw conclusions about how they
represent American ideals
3) Write persuasively
► 1)
Who was the main person to draft the
Declaration of Independence?
► Thomas Jefferson
► 2) Which Enlightenment philosopher
influenced the ideas in the Declaration of
Independence the most?
► John Locke
► 4) What is a grievance?
► A complaint
Influences on the DOI
► “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 of these ends, it
is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government…”
Influences on the DOI
► “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 of these ends, it
is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government…”
Influences on the DOI
► “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 of these ends, it
is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government…”
Influences on the DOI
► “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 of these ends, it
is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government…”
Influences on the DOI
► “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 of these ends, it
is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government…”
Definition: Ideal
►A
standard of excellence; something
that we strive to achieve
Ideals represented in
the Declaration of Independence
► “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 of these ends, it
is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government…”
Other ideals represented in the
Declaration of Independence
► “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 of these
ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to
abolish it, and to institute new Government…”
Ideals in the Declaration
► Rights
– basic conditions guaranteed
to each person
► Liberty – freedom to think and act
► Equality – having the same rights
and opportunities as others
► Democracy – a government in which
ultimate power comes from the
citizens
► Opportunity – having the chance to
achieve one’s dreams
Stand in the Corner that BEST
expresses your view.
►
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All Americans are treated equally under the law.
Some Americans are given more rights than others.
All Americans should be given equal rights to marry
the person they love.
Americans need more freedoms than we have today.
All Americans have the same opportunities to succeed
in life.
All Americans should be given equal access to quality
education regardless of whether they are rich or poor
Business owners should have liberty to decide whether
or not they pay for healthcare for their employees
Wealthy people have more influence on American
democracy than other Americans.
In Class Assignment
► You
will read a placard at each station you
move to.
► You will examine a series of images and
quotes that span American history from
colonial times to modern day. Each image
and quote relates to our American Ideals
from the Declaration of Independence.
They demonstrate either:
► A BELIEF in an ideal
► A STRUGGLE for an ideal
► A CONFLICT over an ideal
Take notes in preparation to answer
this Question: Has America lived up to
our ideals expressed in the Declaration?
►
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Read the descriptions and quotes. Look at the
images.
Assess which of the five ideal(s) the picture
relates to and write why.
Draw conclusions about whether the placard is
an example of America living up to that ideal or
not.
Record 2 to 4 important facts/details to help
you make the argument that our country was or
was not living up to that ideal.
You will use your notes for a graded paragraph
that you write today in-class.
You will only have 2 minutes per station so
STAY FOCUSED!
Question: Has America lived up to our
ideal of ____________?
Paragraphs must be 8-10 sentences. (This is graded.)
 Begin with a one-sentence thesis:
 “America has/has not lived up to our ideal of
[equality] because….”
 It does not matter whether you argue yes or no.
What matters is that you support your argument
with evidence.
 Support your thesis with 3 examples from the
placards or from your own knowledge of U.S.
History or current events.
 End by answering the question: What do Americans
still need to do to achieve this ideal? OR What
have we done recently to uphold this ideal?
 If you finish early, try the optional CHALLENGE: 2
to 5 paragraph essay on 2 or more of the ideals.
Sample paragraph
►
Although Americans claim that our country promotes
equality, we have not always lived up to that ideal, as
evidenced by repeated instances of discrimination. During
our Colonial era, men who did not own property were not
allowed to vote. African-Americans were enslaved and
denied basic rights of citizenship. A bloody Civil War was
fought in 1861 to end slavery in the South. Women were
also a group that was denied equality during this era.
Through social protests and demonstrations they too were
able to gain the right to vote in 1919. This struggle
continues today. Americans still need to do more to live up
to our ideal of equality. Women are still paid less money
than men for the same work. Discrimination still creates
problems for people of color. We need to do more to treat
each other with respect and equality, regardless of our
differences.