Thomas Jefferson: The Declaration of Independence (Draft and Final Version)

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This activity contains 3 questions.

Compare the original draft with the final version of the Declaration. What would you point to as the most significant changes made by Jefferson? Do any of these alter the meaning of the document?

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

Focusing on the final version of the Declaration, consider the list of “repeated injuries and usurpations” charged against the King of England (paragraphs 3–21). Explain these, to the extent that you can, in language that is clear for a contemporary audience.

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

The opening sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration in its final version (“We hold these truths to be self-evident. . . .”) is perhaps the most famous statement of the fundamental ideals of the United States as a nation. How do you respond to this statement? To what extent do you feel that the country has succeeded in embodying these ideals?

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

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