| Term | Definition |
|---|
| July 4, 1776 | The day the Declaration was officially approved and signed. |
| Thomas Jefferson | wrote the rough draft of the Declaration |
| Common Sense | a pamphlet that challenged the rule of the American colonies by the King of England and spread support for independence |
| Thomas Paine | author of Common Sense |
| John Locke | Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas, more than any other's, influenced the American belief in self-government |
| natural rights | life, liberty and property |
| unalienable rights | life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness |
| social contract | the people form a government to protect their rights and promise to obey the laws and rules established by their government as long as it does its job |
| grievances | section of the Declaration detailing complaints of the colonists against the king |
| preamble | introduction to the Declaration, "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another..." |
| Declaration of natural rights | second section of the Declaration, ""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..." |
| resolution of independence | last section of the Declaration |
Combine with other sets
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