Heimler's AP Gov DOI

AP Gov – The Declaration of Independence (Heimler’s History)

Structure of the Document

1. Preamble – justification for independence.

2. List of Grievances – complaints against King George III.

3. Resolution for Independence – formal break from Britain.

Purpose of the Document

• Audience: not just King George, but colonists and foreign powers.

• Goals:

  1. Rally support at home.

  2. Secure foreign allies (especially France).

• Published widely in colonies and Europe.

Enlightenment Ideals in the Preamble

1. Natural Rights (John Locke)

   • “All men are created equal… endowed with unalienable rights: life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.”

   • Rights come from the Creator → cannot be taken by monarch or government.

   • Jefferson modified Locke’s “life, liberty, property” to “life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.”

2. Social Contract + Popular Sovereignty (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)

   • “To secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

   • Popular Sovereignty: Power comes from the people.

   • Social Contract: People give power to government to protect natural rights.

3. Right to Revolution

   • If government violates the contract → becomes tyrannical.

   • “It is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government…”

   • Citizens can replace oppressive government with one that protects rights.

Key Takeaways

• Declaration = political breakup letter + philosophical justification.

• Embeds Enlightenment ideals:

  • Natural Rights (Locke).

  • Social Contract & Popular Sovereignty (Rousseau).

  • Right to overthrow tyranny.

• Practical goal: justify revolution, unify colonists, gain allies.