AnswersHSA 26-27 US GovernmentThe Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence Answers

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1
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Does the preamble to the Declaration of Independence indicate reasons why the new independent government might be similarly removed or overthrown? Why or why not?

A
No. It demands reconciliation between the government and the governed.
B
Yes. It outlines when it is appropriate to remove a government.
C
No. It states that governments cannot simply be changed.
D
Yes. It indicates that the will of the people must be followed.
2
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Which example describes natural rights?

A
rights that are given under specific circumstances
B
rights that are granted to only certain citizens
C
rights that can be restricted by government
D
rights that should be protected by the government
3

The image shows a 2018 rally supporting a lawsuit seeking government action on climate change.How do the protestors with the signs saying "A livable planet is an unalienable right” and "Life, liberty, property” use the Declaration of Independence to express an opinion?

Question illustration
T
The signs reference the role of the government in protecting the natural rights of the people.
T
The signs list the grievances of the citizens against the government in a specific way.
T
The signs establish the obligation of people to create a new government if the old one fails.
T
The signs identify a specific failure of the government and gives ways it can be fixed.
4

In Thomas Paine's published essay Common Sense, he calls for

A
the colonists to support the Sugar Act.
B
The creation of a democratic republic.
C
the establishment of a new monarchy.
D
Great Britian to supply extra money to the colonies.
5

Which best describes the main action called for by the Declaration of Independence?

A
to seek peace with Great Britain
B
to give the United States the power of self-government
C
to declare war on Great Britain
D
to create the First Continental Congress
6

What purpose did the introduction to the Declaration of Independence serve?

A
It detailed how to amend the Declaration of Independence.
B
It listed colonial grievances against the Crown.
C
It indicated why independence was necessary.
D
It declared independence from Britain.
7

Read the quote from Thomas Jefferson.That these are our grievances which we have thus laid before his majesty, with that freedom of language and sentiment which becomes a free people claiming their rights, as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate.

A
government
B
natural law
C
society
D
divine right
8

John Locke, an Enlightenment-era philosopher, influenced the American movement for independence. Locke believed that all people were entitled to natural rights. Which quotation from the preamble to the Declaration of Independence refers to natural rights?

“
“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
“
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
“
“[I]t is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
“
“[T]hey are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
9

Read the excerpt from the Arizona Republic editorial "Supreme Court Affirms the Right to Pursue Happiness,” published on June 26, 2015, about a case that resulted in nationwide legal recognition of same-sex marriage.It's a day to remind ourselves of what it says in the Declaration of Independence: "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.”Not all truths are self-evident to us, of course.Some things take time. Too much time.

A
Rights are always quickly identified and protected by the government.
B
The only rights the government protects are life, liberty, and happiness.
C
People do not always agree about what rights everyone should have.
D
Citizens cannot ask the government to fix problems or protect new rights.
10

Which best describes the purpose of the Second Continental Congress?

A
It was the group of leaders who worked to create the Declaration of Independence.
B
It was the group of citizens who protested taxation without representation.
C
It was the group of treasonous British soldiers who inhibited Britain’s ability to collect taxes.
D
It was the group of colonists who planted the seeds for the development of the Continental army.
11

John Locke, an Enlightenment-era philosopher, influenced the American movement for independence. Locke believed that all people were entitled to natural rights. Which quotation from the preamble to the Declaration of Independence refers to natural rights?

A
“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
B
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
C
“[I]t is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
D
“[T]hey are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
12

Who was appointed to write the Declaration of Independence?

A
James Madison
B
Thomas Jefferson
C
John Locke
D
Thomas Paine
13

The Declaration of Independence refers to the Rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness as being unalienable. What does unalienable mean?

A
not foreign
B
indisputable
C
negotiable
D
transferable
14

Why did Thomas Paine question British authority to rule the colonies in Common Sense?

A
He believed the king would only approve laws that benefited Britain.
B
He believed Parliament did not understand the needs of the American people.
C
He believed British laws could not be enforced from a distance.
D
He believed the size of the colonies made them impossible for Britain to rule.
15

Read the quote from Thomas Jefferson.That these are our grievances which we have thus laid before his majesty, with that freedom of language and sentiment which becomes a free people claiming their rights, as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate.

A
government
B
natural law
C
society
D
divine right
16

Read the excerpt from the Arizona Republic editorial "Supreme Court Affirms the Right to Pursue Happiness,” published on June 26, 2015, about a case that resulted in nationwide legal recognition of same-sex marriage.It's a day to remind ourselves of what it says in the Declaration of Independence: "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.”Not all truths are self-evident to us, of course.Some things take time. Too much time.

A
Rights are always quickly identified and protected by the government.
B
The only rights the government protects are life, liberty, and happiness.
C
People do not always agree about what rights everyone should have.
D
Citizens cannot ask the government to fix problems or protect new rights.

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