Unit 2- Founding Documents
Compelling Question:
How do the founding documents impact your life?
SS.5.2. Use supporting questions to help answer the compelling question in an inquiry.
SS.5.4. Identify evidence that draws information from multiple perspectives and sources in response to a compelling question.
Primary Source #1
The Declaration of Independence:
On July 4th, 1776, the Thirteen Colonies declared themselves free of English rule in order to form the United States of America. In this document, they stated:
​
"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."
-Preamble to the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is stored at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.
Key Vocabulary:
Self-Evident- something that doesn't need to be explained
Endowed- to be given something
Unalienable- something that can't be given or taken away
Rights- privileges that are given to somebody
Liberty- the state of being free, the ability to act freely
Pursuit- to meaningfully go after something
Abolish- to end something, to stop a practice
Institute- to start something new, to organize
Usurpations- a wrongful or illegal act
Primary Source #3
The Bill of Rights:
After the US Constitution was signed, it was important to the founding fathers that individual rights be explicitly spelled out to ensure that people were protected from the government, this was especially important as the US had just fought for their freedom from English rule where the King had abused his power against the people:
​
"Let me add that a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, & what no just government should refuse or rest on inference. . . ."
​
-Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, December 20, 1787
The Bill of Rights was proposed in 1789 and ratified (accepted) in 1791 with 10 Amendments to the original constitution. Since then, several other amendments have been added that outline individual rights of all US citizens.
