Instruction
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by representatives from all 13 colonies on August 2, 1776. In the document, the leaders outlined their reasons for declaring independence from England.
Historians have disagreed as to whether the colonial leaders were motivated by selfish or ideological reasons. Some examples of ideological reasons would be equality, freedom, liberty, etc. Examples of selfish reasons might include preserving the power and privilege of rich people or protecting the political and economic interests of slaveholders.
Before beginning your essay, please read the following attached primary and secondary sources:
The complete Declaration of Independence. The Declaration is divided into three parts: the Preamble, the list of grievances, and the Resolution of Independence. I've provided a copy with this assignment. Some of the language is difficult, so try reading the text first out loud, then silently, looking up any unclear vocabulary.
ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS:
Please write a short 1-2pp. (approximately 300-500 word) essay that answers the following question:
Do you think the Declaration of Independence was written for selfish or ideological reasons?
Produce a clear and well-developed thesis or argument. Your thesis is not the topic or a historical fact, but a persuasive argument.
In your response, please define what precisely were the selfish reasons or ideological reasons.
Anticipate counterarguments to your argument. In other words, explain why your argument is better than others.
Please support your interpretation with evidence from the 27 grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence. Use short quotation (approx. 4-5 words; no long block quotation) when using direct textual evidence.
Give your essay a unique title
Provide a concise conclusion.
You can also use your textbook and the documentary Liberty! The American Revolution, Episode 1 as references.
You do not need any additional research. If you do use other sources please provide proper citation.