Declaration of Independence Analysis

Step One: Guiding Questions for Historians Interpretations

1. What is the significance of the year 1763, as cited by Bailyn?
The significance of the year 1763 was about the
proclamation issued by king George the third.

2. What pattern was clear to the colonists, according to Bailyn?

They believed they saw an evil and deliberate conspiracy to
crush liberty in America.

3. What did upper-class colonists believe was necessary for

revolution, according to Zinn?
Something needed to be done so they could persuade the
lower class to join the revolutionary cause and make them
hate England.
4. What was the solution to the problem identified in (3),
according to Zinn?
They need to find language inspiring to all classes, to fill
people with anger against the British.

Step Two: Analyzing Historians Interpretations

Record what each historian believes in the chart below.

Historian #1: Bernard Bailyn

Claim:
The Founding Fathers wrote
the Declaration of
Independence because. it
represents the colonist
deepest fear and beliefs

Evidence:
In the expert by Bernard
Bailyn it says The
Declaration of Independence
represents the colonists
deepest fears and beliefs.

Historian #2: Howard

Zinn
Claim:
The Declaration of
Independence was about the
popular control over all the
governments, the right to
rebel and revolt, and militia
attacks.

Evidence:
In the expert by Howard Zinn
it states Everything the
Declaration of Independence
was about popular control
over governments, the right
of rebellion and revolution,
fury at political tyranny,
economic burdens, and
military attacks

Step Three: Rewrite the Preamble (opening) to the Declaration of

Independence in your own words.
When events happen in life it becomes a thing where a person
disappears from connections about politics that connect people
with other people and to predict among the powers of the earth, a
separate and same place where the laws of nature and of natures
god names it. A good respect of opinions toward mankind, needs
a declaring clause that forces them to separate.
We hold these facts to be obvious, to be obvious about that all
men are made the same, and that they are given by their creator
with rights that cant be taken away from them, like there right for
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To get these rights,
governments are instituted among different men, getting their
power from an agreement that is governed. When any form of
government gets destructive, the people get the right to abolish
it, and get to create a new government.

Step Four: Evaluate the text of the Preamble

Based on the words in the Preamble, do you think the Declaration
of Independence was written for selfish or ideological reasons? (In
other words, do you agree with Bailyn or Zinn?) Why?
I think that the Declaration of Independence was written of
ideological reasons in my opinion because they have right for
everyone not just for one class or group, its a community
decision for different things, like abolishing the government and
creating a new one.

Step Five: Evaluate the Colonists Grievances

Most of the Declaration of Independence is a list of grievances
(complaints) against the King of England. Examine the list of
Grievances. (Consult the grievances background document for
more information about the complaints.)
If the grievance seems to be something that would affect
only the rich and powerful, write O (for ONLY rich and
powerful)
If the grievance seems to be something that would affect all
the colonists, write A (for ALL the colonists)
If you dont know who would be affected, write ?
A

(1 & 2) He has refused to pass, and forbidden his

governors to pass, important and necessary laws.

(5 & 6) He has broken up certain legislatures that

opposed him, and refused to let others be elected.

(8 & 9) He has refused to establish courts of justice, and

has made judges dependent on him for their jobs and
salaries.

(10) He has sent swarms of British officers to harass our

people and eat our food.

(11 & 12) He has kept among us, in times of peace,

standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures.

(16) For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world;

(17) For imposing taxes on us without our consent;

(18) For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of

trial by jury;

(23 & 24) He is waging war against us; He has plundered

our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and
destroyed the lives of our people.

(27) He has started fights among us and has also forced

us to live near merciless Indian savages.

Step Six: Debrief

1. Do these grievances seem to be things that upset rich
people or everyone?
Yes, because not all these grievances affect just the colonist
some of these affect the rich.

2. What information would you need to know to better answer

that question?
I would need to know what the rich think, maybe have a
quote from them about how they feel.

3. Do you think these complaints would give people reason to

go to war and possibly die? Why or why not?
I think it would if they really did not like these things that the
government was doing, and they wanted to change it.

4. Based on the grievances, which historian do you think has a

better argument (Bailyn or Zinn)? In other words, was the

Declaration of Independence written for selfish or ideological

reasons?
I think it fits better with Bailyn because it talks about
everyones anger toward the government and what they
want to change and what they would do to change it.

5. Grievances 23, 24, 27 have a different tone. How might that

support Zinns argument?
I think these Grievances support Zinns argument because it
talks about how there being enslaved and how the British
government is taking over. These things were mentioned by
Zinn