The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. It was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson to declare independence from British rule and establish the United States as a sovereign, self-governing nation. The document asserts that all people have certain natural rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Governments are formed by the people to protect these rights, and the people have a right to alter or abolish any government that infringes upon them.

1. The Declaration of
Independence
• The Declaration of
Independence was signed on
July 4, 1776.
• The main writer was Thomas
Jefferson.
• The Declaration of
Independence was written to
tell the world that the United
States was now a free and
independent county, free from
the rule of King George III and
Great Britain.
• Your assignment follows.

2. Title the next page of your
notebook:
The Declaration of Independence
Vocabulary Study Chart
• You will be Copying vocabulary words
from the Declaration of Independence,
and then rewriting the paragraph in your
own words.

3. • 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 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.

4. evident
• Obvious, clear
• Easy or clear to understand

5. endowed
• Given, gifted
• To give somebody something they want

6. unalienable
• cannot be taken away

7. Liberty
• Freedom, independence

8. pursuit
• Search, quest, striving, goal, aim,
objective

9. secure
• Protect, Safe
• Protected from danger

10. instituted
• begun, founded, established
• To start something, to get underway

11. consent
• Permission
• To give permission or approval for
something to happen.

12. alter
• A change or adjustment to something

13. abolish
• destroy, terminate, eliminate, extinguish
• To put an end to something

14. Your assignment
• Rewrite the paragraph of the
Declaration of Independence that
begins “We hold these truths to be self-
evident” in your own words.

15. • 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 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.