Student Organizer: Declaration Preamble and Grievances
Declaration Preamble and Grievances Organizer: Version A
Guiding Question: What were the philosophical bases and practical purposes of the Declaration of Independence?
- I can interpret primary sources related to Founding principles and Civic Virtues.
- I can create an argument using evidence from primary sources.
- I can explain the various sections and purposes of the Declaration of Independence.
| Quote | Vocabulary | In My Own Words | Illustration (or Meme/GIF) of Main Idea(s) * Illustrations should symbolically represent the sections’ content and purpose. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: The Introduction and Preamble | |||
| In this section of the Declaration, the authors were explaining the causes for separating from Great Britain and becoming an independent nation. | |||
| In Congress, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. (lines 1–6) |
dissolve: get rid of
Laws of Nature: natural law or the natural order impel: urge |
All 13 colonies want to separate from Great Britain, and the authors will list out the causes that are driving them to make this break. |  |
| We hold these truths to be 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.
(lines 7–9) |
self-evident: obvious
endowed: given unalienable: unable to be taken away. |
||
| That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
(lines 9–10) |
instituted: established
deriving: receiving |
||
| That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.
(lines 10–13) |
abolish: get rid of
institute: set up or establish |
||
| Part 2: List of Grievances | |||
| In this section of the Declaration, the authors listed grievances or complaints against King George III of Great Britain and his government. | |||
| 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. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
(lines 20–22) |
usurpations: abuses of power
candid: truthful |
||
| He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
(line 47) |
Standing Armies: armies kept during peace |
||
| He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
(line 48) |
render: to make
Civil power: civilian (nonmilitary) authority |
||
| For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
(line 51) |
Quartering: forcing people to house soldiers in their homes | ||
| For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
(line 54) |
|||
| For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
(line 55) |
imposing: forcing | ||
| For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
(line 56) |
|||
| He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
(line 65) |
abdicated: abandoned | ||
| He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
(line 66) |
plundered: looted or stolen
ravaged: devastated |
||
| He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny,
(lines 67–68) |
Mercenaries: hired soldierscompleat: engage in |
||
| We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States;
(lines 85–88) |
rectitude: goodness | ||
- Why does this document include a long list of grievances?
- Which section do you think is most important? Why?
- As Americans, should we be proud of this document? Explain your answer.
- What does the Declaration tell the world about the United States?
- What examples from the past or present illustrate that the ideals expressed in the Declaration have been faithfully applied? What examples from the past or present illustrate that the ideals expressed in the Declaration are a constant work in progress?
- What is your role as a young adult in ensuring that the Founding ideals are faithfully applied?
- How do you think Founders like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams would like the Fourth of July holiday to be celebrated? After looking at the text of the Declaration of Independence closely in this activity, would you change or add anything to your celebration of the Fourth of July? Explain your answer.
Declaration Preamble and Grievances Organizer: Version B
| Quote | Vocabulary | In My Own Words | Illustration (or Meme/GIF) of Main Idea(s) * Illustrations should symbolically represent the sections’ content and purpose. |
|---|---|---|---|
| In Congress, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. (lines 1–6) |
dissolve: get rid of
Laws of Nature: natural law or the natural order impel: urge |
All 13 colonies want to separate from Great Britain, and the authors will list out the causes that are driving them to make this break. | |
| We hold these truths to be 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. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
(lines 7–10) |
self-evident: obvious
endowed: given unalienable: unable to be taken away. instituted: established deriving: receiving |
||
| That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.
(lines 10–13) |
abolish: get rid of
institute: set up or establish |
||
| 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. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
(lines 20–22) |
usurpations: abuses of power
candid: truthful |
||
| He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power… For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: (lines 47–53) |
Standing Armies: armies kept during peacerender: to makeCivil power: civilian (nonmilitary) authorityQuartering: forcing people to house soldiers in their homes |
||
| For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences (lines 54–57) |
imposing: forcing | ||
| For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. (lines 63–69) |
invested: granted
abdicated: abandoned plundered: looted or ravaged: devastated Mercenaries: hired compleat: engage in perfidy: deceit |
||
| We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved;
(lines 85-90) |
rectitude: goodness
Absolved: released Allegiance: loyalty dissolved: get rid of |
- Why does this document include a long list of grievances?
- Which section do you think is most important? Why?
- As Americans, should we be proud of this document? Explain your answer.
- What does the Declaration tell the world about the United States?
- What examples from the past or present illustrate that the ideals expressed in the Declaration have been faithfully applied? What examples from the past or present illustrate that the ideals expressed in the Declaration are a constant work in progress?
- What is your role as a young adult in ensuring that the Founding ideals are faithfully applied?
- How do you think Founders like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams would like the Fourth of July holiday to be celebrated? After looking at the text of the Declaration of Independence closely in this activity, would you change or add anything to your celebration of the Fourth of July? Explain your answer.