1. Why did the colonists/Congress write this document? (What reason do the colonists/Congress give for writing this document?)(1st paragraph) they felt it was necessary for the people to dissolve the government because they wanted a new government that was separate but equal to which the laws of nature and the laws of God entitle them they wanted to respect and opinions of their evil to be heard and they wanted to create a new government and separate from England.

2. What is Congress’ opening argument for why it should/must declare independence? All men are created equal and they have certain rights like life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That the people being governed have the right to have a say and how they are governed. That any government that doesn’t allow them to have a say a have the right to abolish the government and started new government. They are accustomed to certain rights that they deserve the graphite for them. That England has abused them and it is their right to throw away that government and provide a new guard to secure the future of Americans. The history of the King in Britain has absolute tyranny over the colonies.

3. It is often stated that America was founded on the principles of freedom and equality for everyone. Not True! In what light does the Declaration of Independence portray the Native Americans? Explain. They are savages who attack women and children

4. What does the Declaration say about the English people?Enemies in war and friends in peace which means that they are separate they had warned the English people that they felt this way they told him that there are very good reasons that they move to the United States in the first place and because they were ignored they can sever themselves completely separate an entirely new country away from them.

5. Overall, who do the colonists lay most of the blame on regarding the injustices that have been done to them? How does this differ from past arguments/blame? The declaration of independence says over and over again that it is the King’s fault everything happened. The King of England has shown tyranny over the colonies and every single line says something like he did this or he did that personally.

6. Record three instances of Enlightenment socio-political thoughts expressed in the DoI. The idea of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness are concepts like freedom from oppression and new way of thinking about governmental structures came from Enlightenment philosophers like Locke. John Locke was a believer in the three natural rights of life liberty and property. Property in this case was the pursuit of happiness. One example is the right of people to alter or abolish and institute a new government. John Locke believe the government is there to serve and protect and the government does not do its duty that it’s the people’s right to overthrow the government and start a new one

 

7. The Declaration contains a long list of complaints against King George III. Summarize 5 of the most “important” grievances in your own words.

  1. England left armies inside the United States for no reason. He has kept among us in times of peace standing armies without the consent of the legislatures
  2. Judges and judicial systems were not free to do things their own way they had to look to and when to make decisions
  3. they cut off trade from all parts of the world except for England
  4. they impose taxes on the colonies without the consent of the people being taxed
  5. England took away the legislature and decided that they could make laws for the colonies in all cases whatsoever so they could make up any law they wanted and the colonies had to follow it

8. According to the Declaration, what was the colonial response to the kings “Oppressions”? Please answer in your own words. They petitioned for redress which means they sent their views on pieces of paper and sent it to England and asked for them to stop things that hurt them. They warn them time and time again to stop going after them this way but they were ignored by England. They told England in words in person as well is on pieces of paper in the form of petitions that they were unhappy and they wanted things to change but nothing came of it England ignored them.

9. Were the colonists justified in declaring independence from Great Britain? Explain your answer briefly by discussing the principle behind the political, social and economic impacts rather than the events themselves, i.e. taxation without representation.

The colonists were justified in declaring independence from Great Britain because they had no representation in government. The people who live so far away could make laws that might not make sense to their particular area in the United States because they were too far to know better. I do not believe that they had enough right to break away from England just because of the taxation issue because England had higher taxes for its own people than it did in the United States but I do think they had enough reason to leave and make their own government away from a plan because they had no representatives in the English Parliament. That means that the United States voice could not be heard in England about things that affected people inside the colonial borders.