Honors U.S.

History Period:
Week 3
Mr. Irwin Group
Members:

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Small Group Activity Sheet

I. Philosophical influences on the content of the Declaration of Independence:

Aristotle 384 – 322 B.C. – In his book The Republic, he describes democratic based
government.

John Locke 1632 – 1704 – Presented an argument for “unalienable rights.”

Thomas Hobbes 1588 – 1679 – A proponent of “natural laws of the universe.”

II. Content of the Declaration of Independence:

Paragraph 1:
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph of the Declaration?

Paragraph 2:
2. According to the Declaration of Independence, what are the colonists seeking?

3. According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the purpose of government?

4. According to the Declaration of Independence, where does a government get its

power?

5. According to the Declaration of Independence, what is one responsibility that the

people have?

www.mirwin.weebly.com
page 1 of 2
6. What is meant by the term despotism?

7. According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the political history of the

current King of Great Britain?

III. Indictments:
8. In plain English, list 5 indictments of the King of England in the space below:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

IV. Post Indictment Text:

9. Before declaring independence, what political course of action did the colonists
take?

10. What status do the colonists claim?

11. What powers do the colonists claim?

12. What is meant by the reference to “divine providence?”

 

www.mirwin.weebly.com
page 2 of 2