1. 1
9/22/15
To Do:
Grab a glue stick & glue the DOI into a BLANK page in your notebook
Number the sections of the Declaration of Independence excerpt like this 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2. Learning targets for the week:
I will be able to….
source and paraphrase the Declaration of Independence
Evaluate to what extent the DOI an authentic reflection of Jefferson’s beliefs.

3. Explanatory Notes Critical Commentary
Title: Declaration of Independence
Author: first draft Thomas Jefferson
Date: 1776
Bias:
What do we know about Jefferson's views and character?
Plausibility:
What about him and his character makes him more or less trustworthy?
Was he the only author?
Context
Why was the Declaration of Independence written?
What was going on at the time?
Before even reading the DOI, consider:
To what extent is the DOI an authentic reflection of Jefferson’s beliefs?

4. Underline and define all unknown words1 2

5. 1. When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another,
Explanatory Notes
Critical Commentary
#1:
Unfamiliar words/phrases
Course of Human Events: in our lives
Dissolve: undo a tie or bond
Political bands: connection to a government body
Paraphrase: sometimes in our lives, we need to break away from a government

6. 2 3

7. 2. 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
Explanatory Notes
Critical Commentary
#2:
Unfamiliar words/phrases:
Connections:
Who spoke of natural law?
Paraphrase:
If we believe in the powers of nature, and in natural law (which gives us rights simply because we are human)
IGNORE

8. 3 4

9. 3. a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
Explanatory Notes
Critical Commentary
#3:
Unfamiliar words/phrases
Paraphrase:
impel: to force

10. 3 4

11. self-evident: obvious
Explanatory Notes
Critical Commentary
#4:
Unfamiliar words/phrases
Paraphrase:
self-evident: obvious

12. 5

13. #5: Explanatory Notes Critical Commentary Unfamiliar words/phrases
Paraphrase:

14. Declaration of Independence
Most remembered/famous for writing the Declaration of Independence
Inspired by John Locke’s idea of “Natural Law”
Natural Law: There are certain rights guaranteed to us simply because we are human.
life, liberty and pursuit of happiness
Jefferson’s original draft was very different than the final approved draft
Jefferson wanted to get rid of slavery
Called slavery a, “moral depravity” and “hideous blot”

15. Jefferson’s views on slavery & Native Americans
“Moral depravity…hideous blot”
Jefferson said: “a cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons …carrying them to slavery…”
Greatest threat to the survival of the new American nation
Wants to slowly free slaves and send them back to Africa
Did not believe in a bi-racial United States
HOWEVER! He owned 600 slaves!! Only freed 7 of them… slow indeed
“This unfortunate race, whom we had been taking so much pains to save and to civilize...”
Did not see them as equals to the White men
Believed that if American Indians adopted European style way of life (agriculture & living) then they would quickly progress from “savagery” to “civilization”  make them equal to White men
Also by adopting European lifestyle, it could free up hunting land for white settlers to move in & farm
Proposed the “Indian Removal Plan”
Plan options: 1) assimilate to European culture,
2) Move west (by force) 3) Extermination

16. Duality of Thomas Jefferson