10.3 – Think and Apply Activity 1
Declaration of Independence Preamble Language Activity
In Module 4, you analyzed the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. What does ‘Preamble’ mean?
Next, you are going to read a NEW preamble to another important document in American history, the Declaration of Independence! Look at the Declaration of Independence Preamble Language Activity handout. As a class, read the preamble aloud in its original language:
“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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
2) Because the Declaration of Independence was written in the year 1776, it may have many unfamiliar words. Read the “Words from the Preamble” chart; some of the original language is listed in the left column, and the synonyms to those words are listed on the right.
| Words from the Preamble | Synonyms |
|---|---|
| Self-evident | Very clear |
| Endowed | Given |
| Unalienable | That can’t be taken away |
| Pursuit | Moving toward |
| Secure | Protect |
| Instituted | Organized |
| Deriving | Getting |
| Consent | Agreement |
| Governed | The People |
3) Next, write the simplified preamble words next to their original words. The first one is already done.
4) As a large group, read the UPDATED preamble as written above out loud.
5) Work in small groups. Have your teacher assign each group ONE of the questions below.
First, look at the Original Preamble Language and the question following that language. WRITE down your group’s thoughts to share with the class.
| Original Preamble Language | Think about… | Your Thoughts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” | Who is equal and are all people equal? | |
| 2. | “that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” | Give examples of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” | |
| 3. | “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.“ | Where does the government get its power from? |
What American ideals can be seen in this Preamble? What are some examples of these ideals in U.S. laws or society? How can the U.S. improve on practicing these ideals?
