Declaration of Independence

Which of the following statements from the Declaration of Independence makes the strongest emotional appeal to readers?

He is at this time transporting large armies ... to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny....

The Declaration of Independence states that independence has become "necessary" and that Americans "should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." Which of the following statements best expresses the point Jefferson makes with this language?

Jefferson emphasizes that America has been forced into declaring its independence.

The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B. Part A Which of the following is the central idea put forth in the Declaration of Independence? Part B Which quotation from the Declaration of Independence best supports the answer to Part A?

Part A: The American colonies are justified in rejecting British rule and setting up a new government. Part B: We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.

From the Declaration of Independence, what can a reader infer about Jefferson's general attitude toward revolution?

Revolution is a method of last resort.

In the Declaration of Independence, what does Jefferson mean when he says that the king has "refused his assent to laws ... necessary for the public good"?

The king has not allowed changes that would benefit the colonists.

Read this excerpt from 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 .... Which of the following statements best explains what Jefferson means by "all men are created equal"?

All people are entitled to equal treatment under the law.

Which argument most logically follows from Jefferson's expressed ideas in the Declaration of Independence?

Any form of government that suppresses people's freedoms should be overthrown.

Which statement best describes the way Britain harmed the American economy, according to the Declaration of Independence?

Britain imposed illegal taxes on the colonies and cut off America's international trade.

Close Read: Analyze the Text Identify the choice that best answers the question. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B. Part A According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the main purpose of a nation's government? Part B Which quotation from the Declaration of Independence best supports the answer to Part A?

Part A: to see that people's basic rights are protected Part B: ... [To] secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed....

In the Declaration of Independence, what is Jefferson's purpose in listing self-evident truths?

He is expressing the values that underlie his argument.

According to the Declaration of Independence, which of the following statements are among the reasons the colonies determined to break away from British rule? Choose three options.

Britain was guilty of many recent abuses of its power in the colonies. Britain was guilty of many recent abuses of its power in the colonies. The British army was too weak and undisciplined to effectively protect the colonies.

What does this quotation from the Declaration of Independence reveal about Jefferson's eighteenth-century writing style? Choose two options. Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.

His way of expressing himself is quite formal. and He occasionally includes words that are rarely used in modern English.

Part A In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson describes the king's actions and policies as "absolute despotism," "abuses and usurpations," "repeated injuries and usurpations," and so on. Which of the following statements best describes the purpose of such language? Part B Which of the following best explains the answer to Part A?

Part A: The language provides logical evidence of the failings of the king. Part B: The language is intense and extreme.