Grade Level: 10-12
Time Required: One class period
Historical Thinking Skill: Analysis
Objective:
•To reveal the process by which Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence.
•Examine primary sources
•Analyze, compare, and contrast drafts of the Declaration
•Explain the importance of changes between the drafts
Synopsis: Most students do not realize that the Declaration of Independence went through a revision process. By studying Thomas Jefferson’s original draft, students will be able to understand the editorial process that created this vital founding document.
Required Materials:
Draft of the Declaration of Independence (below)
Declaration of Independence (below)
Activity (30-45 minutes):
Warm-up: Ask students to review what they already know about Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence.
Teachers should ask their students to think about how they talk differently to their parents (let’s hope) than they talk to their friends.
Pose the question of "Why might Jefferson modify his language?" prior to reading the documents.
Add historical context to the warm-up activity by asking students, “what were the challenges that Jefferson faced when he is writing this document?” and/or “who does Jefferson have to please with this document, and why might that be a problem when he’s writing one statement for all the colonies?”
After reviewing student responses, ask students to read both documents and complete the discussion questions below.
Discussion Questions
Identify and explain three central concepts in each preamble.
Identify and explain three differences between the preambles.
Describe the tone of each preamble.
Describe the purpose(s) of each preamble.
Identify at least two other texts on ContextUS that relate to each preamble
Revisit the guiding question of why Jefferson may have edited his final draft of the Declaration, and ask students to provide historical evidence for their answers.
Encourage students to create their own modified form of the preamble.
A Declaration by the Representativesof the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, inGeneral Congress assembled.
WHEN in the Course of human Events it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth the separate & equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.
WE hold these Truths to be self-evident: that all Men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with inherent and [certain] inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness: 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 abolish it, & to institute new government, laying it’s foundation on such principles, & organizing it’s powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety & happiness. Prudence indeed will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light & transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses & usurpations begun at a distinguished period and pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government, & to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; & such is now the necessity which constrains them to expunge [alter] their former systems of government. The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history of unremitting [repeated] injuries & usurpations, among which appears no solitary fact to contradict the uniform tenor of the rest but all have [all having]in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this let facts be submitted to a candid world for the truth of which we pledge a faith yet unsullied by falsehood.
July 4, 1776. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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. 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 a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the presentKing of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
July 4, 1776. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
July 4, 1776. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.