America’s Founding Ideals

Primary Source A document or other record of past events created by people who were present during those events or during that period. Photographs, diaries, journals, books by someone who witnessed the event, newspapers, artifacts, magazines, documents, paintings that were done at that time, political cartoons, etc.

Secondary Source A book or commentary from someone who was NOT present at the events or perhaps not even alive during that period. Many are created long after the actual event. Textbooks, magazine articles written about the event, movies, drawings, paintings, historical novels, etc.

“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.”

Who wrote those words? Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776

The Ideals of America In those two sentences, Jefferson set forth a vision of a new nation based on ideals. An Ideal is a principle or standard of perfection that we are always trying to achieve. Equality, Rights, Liberty, Opportunity, Democracy

Equality The ideal situation in which all people are treated the same way and valued equally Just by having equal rights doesn’t always mean you have equality “equality of condition”

Rights Powers or privileges granted to people either by an agreement among themselves or by law. The US Constitution specifies many basic rights

Liberty Freedom. This could mean political, civil, moral, or religious Today, it could mean the freedom to make your own choices, but it is not absolute. There are limits to liberty (i.e. speech)

Opportunity The chance for people to pursue their hopes and dreams. This is what draws people to the US Economic, education, living in peace

Democracy A system of government founded on the simple principle that the power to rule comes from the consent of the governed. Denied to many for a long time (women, certain minority groups) Can a democracy survive with voter apathy?

Declaration of Independence 1. UNDERLINE sentences within the second paragraph that you think reflect the founding ideals of Liberty, Equality, Opportunity, Rights, and Democracy. Label in the margins. 2. This document is really a long list of complaints against King George III of England. HIGHLIGHT each complaint as you read through the document. 3. UNDERLINE the sentences that state that we are formally separating from Britain. 4. What does Jefferson called this new nation?

Activity On a sheet of paper, in a well-organized paragraph, address the following: –How does Jefferson address the Ideals of America within the Declaration of Independence and what do they mean for Americans? Identify the ideals Cite passages of the Declaration which illustrate the Ideals (evidence) YOUR OWNProvide YOUR OWN explanations as to how those passages exemplify the Ideals and what they mean for Americans. Provide examples as necessary,