The Declaration Of

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THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE Reading Check

Directions: Read over the questions below and think about the Declaration of Independence. Then answer each question in one or two sentences.

1. What is the purpose of the preamble? ______2. According to Jefferson, when do people have the right to alter or abolish a government? ______3. According to Jefferson, what, in general, do the colonists object to about the way laws are made and enforced in the colonies? ______

4. According to Jefferson, what have the colonists done repeatedly each time they felt that they had been wronged? ______

5. What does the last part of the document say about the colonies’ relationship with Great Britain? ______

Text Analysis: Argument An argument expresses an opinion on an issue and supports it with reasons and evidence. An argument con- tains these three important parts: Directions: Record the elements of the argument presented in the Declaration of Independence.

Claim: the writer’s position on an issue or problem

Support: reasons and evidence pro- vided to prove a claim

Counterarguments: arguments to answer op- posing views 48 Unit 1 Resource Manager American Literature N ame Date

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Vocabulary Practice

abdicate impel perfidy despotism mercenary redress

A. Directions: Write the word from the box that correctly completes each sentence.

1. To ______the ship, you need steam. 2. A ______is sometimes known as a “soldier of fortune.” 3. Czar Nicholas II chose to ______his throne after the 1917 strikes in Saint Petersburg, Russia. 4. In a court action, one party may prosecute another for the ______or prevention of a wrong. 5. Since both men had absolute power, Napoleon and Hitler ruled under ______6. John was disliked for the ______he used to earn money by swindling other people. Vocabulary Strategy

POLITICAL WORDS Some political terms identify specific types of government. Others, like the vocabulary word tyran- ny, describe the kind of rule exercised by government. It is helpful to understand the meaning of a variety of political terms.

B. Directions: These political terms describe governing systems. Match each one with its definition.

1. _____ aristocracy a.absence of government or political authority 2. _____ anarchy b. government by the people 3. _____ monarchy c.government by a ruling class 4. _____ democracy d. government headed by a sole hereditary ruler 5. _____ oligarchy e.government ruled by or subject to religious authority 6. _____ theocracy f. government by a few

C. Directions: Use a dictionary to look up each of the following political terms. Write the definition for each term in the chart.

Term Definition 1. ballot

2. incumbent

3. judiciary

4. legislation

5. petition

50 Unit 1 Resource Manager American Literature