1. The Declaration of Independence
Modeling Argument Skills

2. Preamble Declaration List of complaints Conclusion
Structure
The Declaration of Independence is set up in a way that helps the reader understand its purpose. It has four essential parts:
Preamble
Declaration
List of complaints
Conclusion

3. Preamble
This section of the Declaration of Independence announces the purpose of the document to the reader. Can you tell where the preamble begins and where it ends?
“When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

4. Declaration
This portion of the text gives a DECLARATION of the natural rights and freedoms that human beings possess. Can you tell where it begins and ends?
“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…The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having, in direct object, the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these States. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.”

5. List of complaints
This section of the document is the easiest to spot. It involves a list of complaints against George III, the British King.
“He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good….
They, too, have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separation; and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.”

6. Declaration
The final section is a formal DECLARATION of independence from the British.
“We, Therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude11 of our intentions, do, in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; and that, as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And, for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

7. What is the purpose of beginning with a preamble?
Questions to Consider
What is the purpose of beginning with a preamble?
Why would the writer structure the Declaration in this way rather than just writing it all out in essay form?
Which section of the document is the longest—the preamble, the declaration, the list of complaints, or the conclusion? Why do you think this is?
Does listing the complaints in this manner have any effect on the reader? Why or why not?

8. Recipe for a good argument
A good argument, such as the Declaration of Independence, also follows a key ‘recipe’ for success. Claim + Support Counterargument

9. Identify the parts
Find the claim, support, and counterargument in the following argument: Many people say that the loyal and friendly dog is a man’s (or woman’s) best friend. However, I vote for the cat as our best friend. Cats are not only loyal and friendly, but they are also independent and undemanding. Best of all, cats make reliable foot-warmers on cold nights, when dogs are snoring on the couch. Now try writing your own!