answer:
explanation:
. jefferson chose to begin the declaration with the words, “the unanimous
declaration of the thirteen united states of america.” do you feel this was
necessary? why or why not? could the 13 colonies have declared independence
if they were not unanimous? why or why not?
answers will vary. most students might note that it was necessary for jefferson to prove
that the continental congress presented a united front to the world in order to prove that
independence was the true goal of the colonies. others may state that since each state
provided signers to the document, it was obvious that all thirteen colonies accepted it.
as to the question of whether the 13 colonies could have declared independence if they
weren’t unanimous, answers will vary. most students might state that independence
would be difficult without the support of all thirteen colonies, but some might say
independence without consensus was still possible. for instance, colonies that objected
could be absorbed into canada or find a way to peacefully co-exist with those that
seceded.
2. how does jefferson explain the reason for a formal declaration of independence?
why do you think it was necessary for jefferson to state the “causes which impel
them to the separation”?
answers will vary. however, some students may note that other nations, such as france
and the netherlands, also had colonial interests in north america and may have been
concerned if british colonists declared independence for groundless reasons. also,
because of jefferson’s background as a lawyer, it might have also been true that he was
building his case for independence before the world community, similar to what he might
do if he were pleading a case before a jury.
3. next, review the two sections of john locke’s two treatises of government. in
your own words, how does jefferson use locke’s ideas in the preamble of the
declaration?
students will note similarities between locke’s thoughts on natural rights and jefferson’s
mention of “inalienable rights, including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
they may also note jefferson’s view that “all men are created equal.”
4. according to jefferson, what was the purpose of government? what does
jefferson suggest should happen whenever government becomes “destructive of
the ends for which it was created? ” according to jefferson, how do governments
derive their powers?
jefferson would note that the purpose of government was to protect the “inalienable
rights” that man received from “their creator.” in his view, if government became
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“destructive,” it was the right of the citizens to “alter or abolish” that form of government
and replace it with a better one. jefferson believed that governments derived their power
“from the consent of the governed.” in other words, the citizens of the nation permitted
the government to rule.
