Read one primary source excerpt and one secondary source excerpt about the Declaration of Independence. Then answer questions that ask you to analyze the sources and evaluate claims using evidence.
“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…”
Historians explain that the Declaration of Independence served two main purposes: it announced the colonies’ decision to separate from Great Britain and it justified that decision to readers in the colonies and abroad. The Declaration’s authors used Enlightenment ideas—especially natural rights and the social contract—to argue that governments must protect people’s rights and that people can replace a government that fails to do so. Historians also note that the phrase “all men are created equal” did not match life in the colonies in 1776 because slavery continued and many women and poor men did not have full political rights.
Directions: Use both sources to answer the questions. Focus on claims, counterclaims, and evidence.
What is the main claim in Source 1 about when people can change their government?
Which sentence from Source 1 best supports the claim that people can change their government when it becomes harmful to their rights?
Using both sources, which statements are supported by the evidence? (Select 2.)
Constructed Response: Using evidence from both sources, explain one claim the Declaration of Independence makes about government and rights. Then explain one way the historian in Source 2 shows a limitation or challenge to that claim in 1776.
Use at least two pieces of evidence total (at least one from each source).