Download “Declaration of Independence” (page 270)

Chatsworth High School
Medical Careers Academy
American Literature and Composition
“Declaration of Independence” (page 270)
End of Reading Questions
1. What Do You Think? What did you learn about
the Declaration of Independence that you didn't
know before?
2. What main reason for writing the Declaration
is stated in the Preamble?
3. According to the Declaration, what three rights do all people have?
4. What are three complaints the colonists had against the king?
5. The Declaration of Independence states the purpose of government and
the conditions under which a government should be changed. How would
you evaluate your local government or the present federal government,
based on Jefferson's standards?
6. Which reason for breaking away from British rule strikes you as most
important, and why?
• the colonists’ philosophical ideals
• the economic and political hardships colonists suffered as a result of
British policies
• the king’s response to colonists’ complaints
7. Jefferson makes it clear that America has complaints against George
III, not against the British people. In what ways does the Declaration
emphasize this difference, and why do you think this distinction was
made?
8. The Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason, was a period in which logic,
reason, and rational thought prevailed. What phrases and sentences in the
Declaration suggest that this document was a product of the Age of
Reason?
ACTIVE READING
9. How do you think the statement “all men are created equal” was
interpreted at the time it was written? How do Americans interpret the
words today?