Declaration of Independence Flashcards

Flashcards about the Declaration of Independence

What does a decent respect to the opinions of mankind require?

To declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

According to the Declaration of Independence, what truths are 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.

According to the Declaration of Independence, why are governments instituted?

To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

According to the Declaration, what is the right and duty of the people when government becomes destructive?

It is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

What is the indictment of King George III in the Declaration of Independence?

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these states.

Give examples of the first group of charges (1-12) against King George III.

Abuses of the king's executive power as suspending colonial laws, dissolving colonial legislatures, obstructing the administration of justice, and maintaining a standing army during peacetime.

Give examples of the second group of charges (13-22) against King George III.

Attacks the king for combining with 'others' (Parliament) to subject America to a variety of unconstitutional measures, including taxing the colonists without consent, cutting off their trade with the rest of the world, curtailing their right to trial by jury, and altering their charters.

What is the main focus of the third group of charges (23-27) against King George III?

Assails the king's violence and cruelty in waging war against his American subjects.

What is the final charge against the king regarding the colonists' petitions?

The colonists' 'repeated Petitions' for redress of their grievances have produced only 'repeated injury.'

What was the result of the colonists' appeals to the British people?

They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

What is the main declaration in the conclusion of the Declaration of Independence?

That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.

What are the sections of the Declaration of Independence, and what is the function of each?

The introduction, a preamble arguing for the colonies' right to separate. A declaration of rights, listing the self-evident truths and unalienable rights. A list of grievances, detailing the King's abuses. A statement of prior attempts at redress. A declaration of independence, asserting the colonies' freedom. A pledge, mutually pledging their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.

Identify 5 of the colonists’ complaints included in the Declaration.

Taxing colonists without consent, cutting off trade, curtailing trial by jury, maintaining a standing army, and obstructing the administration of justice.

Discuss how the Declaration reveals an awareness of historical process and the role of the colonists’ protests in such a process.

The Declaration demonstrates an awareness of history by framing the colonists' protests as part of a larger struggle against tyranny, appealing to universal principles, and presenting a case for justified revolution.

Whom is the Declaration addressed to? To whom is the appeal made? Who is the speaker of this document?

The document is addressed to the world, appealing to reasonable people everywhere. The speaker is the collective voice of the American colonists, represented by the Continental Congress.

What are the implications of the meanings of “Facts” and “candid” in “let Facts be submitted to a candid world”? What is their Latin etymology?

Both terms have Latin roots. 'Facts' (from factum, meaning 'deed' or 'act') implies verifiable truths. 'Candid' (from candidus, meaning 'white' or 'pure') suggests impartiality and honesty. Together, they convey that the colonists' grievances are based on clear, unbiased evidence.

The final sentence mirrors the first by emphasizing the colonists' commitment to their cause, relying on divine support, echoing the initial assertion of their right to assume a separate and equal station.

'Providence' refers to divine guidance or care. 'Nature’s God' is a deistic term for the creator, emphasizing