The Declaration of Independence states three basic ideas: (1) God made all men equal and gave them the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; (2) the main business of government is to protect these rights; (3) if a government tries to withhold these rights, the people are free to revolt and to set up a …

“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.

Terms in this set (5)

• All men are created equal. All people should be and have to be treated the same way.
• Unalienable rights. Given to by the creator.
• Purpose of government. Protects your rights.
• Power of Government. Comes from the people.
• Right of Revolution.

–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, laying its foundation on …

–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, laying its foundation on …

The Declaration of Independence included these three major ideas: People have certain Inalienable Rights including Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. All Men are created equal. Individuals have a civic duty to defend these rights for themselves and others.

The Declaration of Independence states that the authority to govern belongs to the people, rather than to kings, that all people are created equal and have rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The American colonies had been at war with Great Britain for over a year when the document was signed.

The main purpose of America’s Declaration of Independence was to explain to foreign nations why the colonies had chosen to separate themselves from Great Britain. The Revolutionary War had already begun, and several major battles had already taken place.

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.

The Declaration of Independence was designed for multiple audiences: the King, the colonists, and the world. It was also designed to multitask. Its goals were to rally the troops, win foreign allies, and to announce the creation of a new country.

The Declaration of Independence gave birth to what is known today as the United States of America. The document is symbolic of American democracy and one of the free charters of freedom. The words stated in the Declaration rallied support from colonists at home, and colonists living abroad.

They decided to form their own nation and sent the king the Declaration of Independence to make it official. Cause: This was caused by how Britain was taxing and mistreating the colonies. Effect: The colonists fought Britain in the Revolutionary War to gain independence.

George Washington, a founding father, led the United States to victory, and on September 3, 1783, the war ended with the Treaty of Paris, in which Britain officially recognized the independence of the United States.

The amount of money being brought into the colonies plummeted, meaning the colonies would emerge from the war victorious but in deep debt. Some businesses did well during the war while others amassed large debts or went out of business all together.

Politically, the Declaration separated the colonies from the British monarchy and established the very beginnings of a democratic government. That action is what separated the new nation from its former overlords.

A third political impact is the Declaration of Independence forced us to begin to govern ourselves. We needed to make agreements with other countries, establish a financial system, and create some form of federal government. We now had to do things that Britain had done for us.

The Revolution also unleashed powerful political, social, and economic forces that would transform the post-Revolution politics and society, including increased participation in politics and governance, the legal institutionalization of religious toleration, and the growth and diffusion of the population.

10 Major Causes of the American Revolution

• #2 Increased sense of independence among the colonists.
• #6 Boston Massacre.
• #8 The Intolerable Acts.
• #9 Rejection of the Olive Branch Petition.
• #10 Sons of Liberty.

Cause: British leaders feared that more fighting would take place on the frontier if colonists kept moving onto American Indian lands. Effect: This law banned British settlement west of the Appalachian Mountians.

The Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris, France on September 3, 1783. This ended the American Revolutionary War, and gave the colonies their independence from Great Britain. They could now form their own government and make their own laws. This freedom was the most important effect of the American Revolution.

Causes

• The Founding of the Colonies.
• French and Indian War.
• Taxes, Laws, and More Taxes.
• Protests in Boston.
• Intolerable Acts.
• Boston Blockade.
• Growing Unity Among the Colonies.
• First Continental Congress.

Contents

• The Stamp Act (March 1765)
• The Townshend Acts (June-July 1767)
• The Boston Massacre (March 1770)
• The Boston Tea Party (December 1773)
• The Coercive Acts (March-June 1774)
• Lexington and Concord (April 1775)
• British attacks on coastal towns (October 1775-January 1776)

Why did Thomas Paine’s Common Sense inspire colonists? Paine talked about opportunities for the common man. ceded far more territory to the United States than the colonies had won in the war.

What is the central importance of Common Sense? The document played a major part in uniting colonists before the Revolutionary War for freedom from the British. Common Sense also led to the Declaration of Independence later that year.

“Common Sense” is credited as playing a crucial role in convincing colonists to take up arms against England. In it, Paine argues that representational government is superior to a monarchy or other forms of government based on aristocracy and heredity.

Common sense is a form of practical decision-making and the ability to imagine the consequences of something you do. It stops us making irrational mistakes and makes it easier to make choices on what to do. Some people find it harder to think through the consequences of their actions and need to learn common sense.