THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCEA PREACTIVITY for analyzing America’s most important document

It’s the most famous document in our country’s history, and it’s the focal point of our most cherished national holiday. It has been quoted over and over through the years by leaders and citizens from around the world. It served as the springboard for the creation of the government we live with today. It’s the Declaration of Independence. But why was it written? What did it say? What was its impact? In order to start looking at the first American government, we must review this most important document.To begin, we need to have a little bit of context.

TO BEGIN –Whenever you examine a primary source, you need to establish some CONTEXT. Context helps set the stage for understanding the document by providing background information and placing the document in a historical setting. Watch and listen to the “DOI Context VoiceThread” available online and complete the following sentence stems about the setting for the Declaration of Independence.

What is CONTEXT?

Some of the colonists’ major complaints about the British rule during the late 1700s were …

The Second Continental Congress agreed to meet in Philadelphia in May of 1775 because …

Most delegates to the Congress expected …

Before declaring independence, the Congress did a few other things, like …

Many of the delegates began to “drift” toward breaking away from British rule because …

Thomas Paine’s Common Senseinfluenced many of the delegates by arguing (be specific) …

Enlightenment thinkers had developed a philosophy about natural rights, the state of nature, and the social contract. What were their ideas on each of these topics?

Dear Brittany,

Because we have been together for so long, I feel that I must openly state why I am breaking up with you – it’s the only humane and decent thing to do.

It’s pretty obvious – in a relationship, both people are equal, and should take care of each other and give in a little in order to have a happy and loving bond. When one person in the relationship messes everything up by being pig –headed and not caring for and protecting the other, then it is the duty of the partner to break away.

That’s the way it is with you. People shouldn’t make rash decisions when dumping someone that they have been with for a long time. But for many years now, the way you have treated me is pig-headed, unfair, and downright mean. For example …

  • You don’t let me do things that I need to do, and you make me do things that don’t help me at all.
  • You don’t let me speak my mind or meet with people like me to discuss my problems.
  • You have made it hard for me to make friends with others.
  • Yu pick on me, even when I am nice to you.
  • You have taken away some of my hared earned money.
  • You have not allowed me to shop at the stores at the mall.
  • You have physically hurt me, and sent others to do the same.

Every time you have done something mean or hurtful, I have asked you to stop, but you have ignored all of my please. A person who is a big old jerk is unfit to be with a free person like me.

I have talked to your friends, your family, the people close to you, and reminded them about hoe we came into the relationship as equals. But now, it’s time to make a change. We can still be friends, unless you try to get at me. Then, I will fight back.

So, I am now independent, free, out of this relationship. We are no longer connected, and I am now a total free agent. I can do whatever I want, see whoever I want, shop wherever I want, and do all of the other things that free individuals can do. And I will defend this freedom with everything I have.

From, Colin