Big Ideas
This document was written to explain why the colonies were separating from Britain.
The Declaration of Independence
The king refused to approve these, even when they were necessary for the public good.
Jefferson repeats this phrase to begin many grievances, creating rhythm and emphasis.
He has...
The Declaration was adopted on this date.
July 4, 1776
According to the Declaration, governments derive their powers from this.
The consent of the governed
The king dissolved these repeatedly when they opposed his actions.
Representative houses (legislatures)
The colonists describe how they sent repeated petitions to the king. What does this show about their efforts before declaring independence?
They tried to solve problems peacefully before breaking away.
This phrase describes why the colonies needed to explain their separation to the world.
“A decent respect to the opinions of mankind”
These three “unalienable rights” are listed as self-evident truths.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
He kept these among the colonists in times of peace without their consent.
Standing armies
Jefferson describes Native Americans as “merciless Indian savages.” What effect does this word choice have?
It stirs fear and anger against the king by showing the colonists in danger.
Jefferson emphasizes that the colonies act not out of choice, but out of this.
Necessity
The colonists said people have the right to do this when government becomes destructive of their rights.
Alter or abolish it and institute a new one
The king deprived the colonists of this legal right in many cases.
Trial by jury
Jefferson explains that people can change or abolish a government if it violates their rights. What type of reasoning does this represent?
Logical explanation or common sense reasoning.
This group of people is called upon to judge the colonies’ case: “To prove this, let facts be submitted to a ___ world.”
A candid world
Governments should not be changed for “light and transient” causes, but only for this.
A long train of abuses and usurpations
He transported these to America to complete the “works of death, desolation, and tyranny.”
Foreign mercenaries
Listing specific grievances against the king supports this overall argument.
The king is a tyrant unfit to rule free people.
The Declaration’s message later inspired these global movements for freedom and equality.
Revolutions (e.g., the French Revolution, Latin American independence movements)