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NameDateIntellectual Devotional American History Reading: Declaration of Independence. Please use this reading on The American Declaration of Independence, the document that brought out nation into existence, to answer the reading comprehension questions on the worksheet that accompanies it.The immediate purpose of the Declaration of Independence, signed in Philadelphia in 1776, was to “declare the causes” that impelled the thirteen colonies to revolt against British rule. To that end, the famous document contains long passages detailing the “abuses and usurpations” suffered by the colonies at the hands of King George III (1738-1820).But the declaration, written by the brilliant Virginia delegate Thomas Jefferson, (1743-1826), was more than a laundry list of complaints. It was also a philosophical argument against monarchy and in favor of republican government, which was still considered a radical and dangerous concept in the eighteenth century.While most European nations at the time were still governed by autocratic monarchies, the Declaration of Independence made the then-controversial assertion that it was “self-evident” that “all men are created equal.” Every citizen, Jefferson wrote, has an equal right to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”Furthermore, Jefferson argued, only governments that protect those basic rights could be considered legitimate. If a government tramples individual rights, he wrote, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.” Based on this logic, the colonists declared they had a right—and a duty—to overthrow the British.Jefferson’s eloquent words, which were heavily influenced by the English philosopher John Locke (1632-1704), have had enormous influence on American politics and society in the two centuries since the framing of the Declaration. Although the Declaration of Independence is not a law, and its promises of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” have no legal force, to many Americans the declaration represents the ideological foundation of the American polity.Indeed, while many of the particular grievances against Britain listed in the declaration have been forgotten, civil rights movements have continued to cite Jefferson’s philosophical arguments to justify expansions of individual rights and liberties.Additional Facts The original copy of the Declaration of Independence is now preserved in a fireproof vault at the National Archives building in Washington, DC.Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, including two future US presidents: Jefferson and Massachusetts delegate John Adams (1735-1826).In order to garner support from southern delegates, the declaration dropped denunciations of the king for allowing slavery that Jefferson had included in his original first draft.Adapted from: Kidder, David S., and Noah Oppenheim. The Intellectual Devotional: American History: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently about Our Nation's Past. New York: Modern Times, 2007. ................
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