SSCG2 The student will analyze the natural rights philosophy and the nature of government
expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
a. Compare and contrast the Declaration of Independence and the Social Contract Theory.
b. Evaluate the Declaration of Independence as a persuasive argument.
Homework on USAtestprep.
Essential Questions
- What political philosophies and historical events shaped the development of the United States Constitution and government?
- What are the philosophies that are outlined in the Declaration of Independence?
I. Background
What Led to Discontent in the American Colonies?
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The colonies then began assembling armies and gathering weapons and ammunition. British troops went to Concord, Massachusetts to begin seizing weapons from the colonists. They were then going to work their way through all colonies and do the same thing.The colonists at Lexington defended themselves and fighting broke out. This began the American Revolution. In 1775, the Second Continental Congress met. King George III rejected all of their requests, so the delegates sent him what was known as the Olive Branch Petition, a request for delegates to meet with him to work out compromises so that war could be avoided. King George III refused and ordered the British navy to blockade the entire eastern American coast. This meant that no ships but British ships could enter or leave American ports.
Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense which explained all of this to the colonists and called for the colonists to declare their independence from Great Britain.
Think about it! What do you think Thomas Paine meant by this statement?
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil."
In 1776, Thomas Jefferson and the Second Continental Congress wrote the Declaration of Independence and sent this to King George III. It stated that "all men are created equal" and that the colonies should be given their independence and should be allowed to rule themselves. The Declaration was written in four parts. It begins with its statement of purpose (to justify the coming move for independence from Britain and to put forth the founding principles of the new country), it then gives a description of basic human rights ("right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"), next is a basic description of the complaints against King George III, and last is a statement of the colonists' determination to gain independence. In 1783, Britain officially recognized the United States' independence.
Closing: These questions should be answered in the notes:
- What was the Declaration of Independence?
- What is the Social Contract Theory?
- Create a chart showing the events that led to American independence. (The Albany Plan, the Stamp Act, etc....) page 28 in text.