Blog #3: Declaration of Independence

1. List the democratic principles discussed in the opening.

- All men are created equal
-Unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
-The people have a right to alter or abolish a government if it becomes destructive
-The people have a voice in government


2. List 5 grievances the colonists were making the King aware of.

1. He had forbidden his governors to pass laws that were needed

2. He has gotten rid of many representative houses because they have opposed his invasions on the rights of the people.

3. By having control over their job and the amount of payment they receive, the King made the judges dependent on his will rather than the people's will.

4. He made the military independent and superior of the people's say/opinion.

5. He kidnapped American citizens so they could either fight on the side of the King or die in the hands of the English.


3. Summarize what the final paragraph is saying.

The representatives of the United States of America declares that the United Colonies are, and have the right to be, free and independent states. They should be separated from the British crown and have the right to the following: have the full power to impose war, declare peace, form alliances, establish commerce, and do all other acts that independent that states have the right to do. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen is similar to the Declaration of Independence because they were both documents in favor of independence and rights for the people. The Colonists no longer wanted King George III in charge and wanted independence, and the French people no longer wanted King Louis XVI in charge, and wanted a democracy and freedom just like the Colonists were able to obtain.

The Emancipation Proclamation is similar to the Declaration of Independence in that they both aimed to gain freedom to a group of people. Just like how the Declaration of Independence stated that the colonies should be free from Britain, the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln stated that slaves were finally granted freedom and independence from slavery.