The Declaration of Independence
D2.His.11.3-5
Read the source and answer the questions, then circle the right answers.
The Declaration of Independence: Self-Evident Truths
An extract from the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, and drafted mainly by Thomas Jefferson. 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, --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…
- 1. Why, according to the text, are Governments instituted?
- 2. Who drafted most of the Declaration?
- 3. The extract speaks of "all men." Which people does it not mention?
- 4. Where do Governments get their just powers?
- A.They used it to keep things the same
- B.They used it to choose a king
- C.They used it to argue for ending slavery and for women's rights
- A.Independence Day, July 4
- B.Labor Day
- C.Memorial Day
- A.Written in a law book
- B.Cannot be taken away or given up
- C.Given by the king
- A.The Mayflower Compact
- B.The Constitution
- C.The Declaration of Independence
LessonPrint · D2.His.11.3-5 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use