Principles
These are the three unalienable rights listed in the Declaration.
Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness
What word describes the complaints the colonists listed against King George III?
Grievances
Who wrote most of the first draft of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
In what year was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
1776
What holiday celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence?
Independence Day / Fourth of July
According to the Declaration, where does government get its power?
Consent of the governed
The Declaration criticizes the King for keeping these in the colonies during peacetime.
Standing armies
Which future president helped Jefferson edit the Declaration?
John Adams
What date is celebrated each year as Independence Day?
July 4
Which civil rights leader called the Declaration a "promissory note" for all Americans?
Martin Luther King Jr.
Which Enlightenment philosopher most influenced Jefferson's ideas?
John Locke
What practice forced colonists to provide housing for British soldiers?
Quartering troops
Which famous inventor and diplomat was the oldest signer?
Benjamin Franklin
In what Philadelphia building was the Declaration debated and approved?
Independence Hall
Which women's rights leader modeled the Declaration of Sentiments after it?
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
If a government becomes destructive, what do the people have the right to do?
Alter or abolish it
Being sent overseas for trial denied colonists what important legal right?
Trial by jury
Whose signature became the most famous because of its large size?
John Hancock
Who printed the first copies of the Declaration on July 4, 1776?
John Dunlap
Finish this famous phrase: "We hold these truths to be..."
Self-evident
According to the Declaration, what is the main purpose of government?
Protect people's rights
The Declaration says the King cut off the colonies' trade with what?
All parts of the world / foreign nations
What was the name of the five-man group chosen to write the Declaration?
Committee of Five
John Adams believed which July date would become America's great national holiday?
July 2
What major contradiction existed between the Declaration's ideals and many of its signers?
Slavery / many signers owned slaves