The Enlightenment
What was another name for the Enlightenment period?
The Age of Reason
On what date was the Declaration of Independence issued?
July 4, 1776
Who wrote most of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
What are the three “unalienable rights” Jefferson listed?
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
How many main sections does the Declaration of Independence have?
Three
What did Enlightenment thinkers believe was the best way to find answers to important questions?
Through logic and scientific reasoning, not just religion
Where did the Second Continental Congress meet when they decided to break from Britain?
Philadelphia
Which two men helped select Jefferson to write the Declaration?
John Adams and Benjamin Franklin
What is the “social contract” between people and their government?
Citizens agree to follow laws, and government protects their rights
What is the first section of the Declaration called?
The Preamble
What is the idea that all people are born equal and have rights from birth?
Natural Law
Writing and signing the Declaration was considered what kind of crime by Britain?
Treason
Which English philosopher’s ideas inspired Jefferson’s writing?
John Locke
If a government breaks the social contract, what can citizens do?
Overthrow or replace the government
How many grievances were listed against King George III?
27
Which Enlightenment idea says that government power should come from the people?
Popular Sovereignty
The Declaration helped unite the colonists under what new name?
The United States of America
Who was the British king the colonists were rebelling against?
King George III
What does “consent of the governed” mean?
The government gets its power from the people’s permission
What does the conclusion of the Declaration do?
Officially declares the colonies free and independent
During the Enlightenment, many people began to question what two traditional sources of authority?
The Church and Monarchs (kings)
The Declaration’s ideas inspired which other country’s revolution later on?
France
Which U.S. president later echoed the Declaration’s ideas in the Gettysburg Address?
Abraham Lincoln
Which Enlightenment principle limits the government’s power so it doesn’t act like a tyrant?
The limitation of government power / protection of natural rights
Name one group or movement besides France that used the Declaration as a model.
Texas leaders, Women’s rights leaders, or Abraham Lincoln