1.1 -2 Declaration of independence

The Declaration of Independence was written to explain why the American colonies were breaking away from Britain. State legislatures elected delegates to attend the Continental Congress in Pennsylvania 1776, where the Declaration was drafted and later sent to King George III. It uses key ideas like natural rights (“life, liberty, and property”), Nature’s God (the Creator), and the idea that people are impelled or driven to act when their rights are violated. The DOI is structured like a petition to the king, including a preamble (the main claim), a rationale, 27 grievances listing the king’s abuses, and a redress or resolution to make things right. It is considered an organic law of the U.S., alongside the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Northwest Ordinance, but it is non-justiciable, meaning it cannot be used in court and does not grant or take away powers. The DOI is best understood as a framework for understanding the principles behind U.S. government, based on Locke’s ideas, a republican form of government, consent of the governed, and the social contract. To analyze it effectively, we should define unknown words, read carefully, identify the main idea, highlight supporting phrases, and generate questions about the text.

1.1 -3

When approaching AP Gov stimulus passages and FRQs, it is important to pay attention to task verbs such as identify, define, describe, and explain. To identify means to point out a concept or item, define is to give its meaning, describe is to explain how it looks, works, or behaves, and explain is to show how it connects to another idea. When a question says “in the context of the scenario,” you must include direct quotes from the passage to support your answer. To approach the stimulus, skim the passage first and highlight key principles, processes, policies, and behaviors. You are not expected to know the information beforehand, as all necessary details are included in the passage. When answering FRQs, use proper nouns and active voice (e.g., “Congress petitioned”) Subject+verb, and incorporate information from the scenario to illustrate concepts clearly.