The Declaration of Independence Vocabulary Study Chart

1
The Declaration of Independence Vocabulary Study
Chart

• Copy the vocabulary words and definitions into
  your notebooks.
• The next two pages is where the vocabulary words
  come from.

2
The Declaration of Independence

• When in the Course of human events, it becomes
  necessary for one people to dissolve the
  political bands which have connected them with
  another, and to assume among the powers of the
  earth, the separate and equal station to which
  the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle
  them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind
  requires that they should declare the causes
  which impel them to the separation.

3

• 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, --That whenever any Form of
  Government becomes destructive of these ends, it
  is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish
  it, and to institute new Government, laying its
  foundation on such principles and organizing its
  powers in such form, as to them shall seem most
  likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

4
declaration

• Statement, announcement
• A formal public statement
• The purpose of The Declaration of Independence
  was to announce to the world that the United
  States was now a free and independent nation.

5
evident

• Obvious, clear
• Easy or clear to understand
• It is evident that students will fail if they do
  not turn their work in.

6
endowed

• Gifted
• To give somebody something they want
• The father endowed to his son his entire fortune
  of 1,000,000.

7
unalienable

• Something that cannot be taken away from you
• You have the unalienable right to freedom in the
  United States.

8
Liberty

• Freedom, independence
• We have the liberty to vote for the candidate of
  our choice in the United States.

9
pursuit

• Search, hunt, quest
• We all have the right to the pursuit of happiness.

10
secure

• Protect
• Having no fear or doubt
• I am secure in the feeling that I do the best job
  I can.

11
instituted

• To start something
• The loaner policy was instituted at school
  because so many students were wearing
  inappropriate clothes.

12
consent

• Permission
• To give permission or approval for something to
  happen.
• My wife gave her consent to marry me 19 years ago.

13
just

• Fair
• In a just world everyone would be treated
  equally.

14
Governed

• Govern - To have control or regulate something
• To be officially responsible for conducting the
  business of a country, state, or city
• Governed - the people who live in the country,
  state or city

15
alter

• A change or adjustment to something
• Some students would like to alter the dress code
  policy so they could wear more of their clothes.

16
abolish

• To put an end to something, for example, a law
• Some students would like to abolish all of the
  school rules and not have any.

17
Foundation

• Base, as in the foundation of a house
• The basis of something
• The foundation of any school is the ability of
  the teachers to teach and the students to learn.

18
Principles

• Main beliefs, values, philosophy, ideology,
  morality, ethics
• I try to live by the principle of the Golden
  Rule Treat others as you would like to be
  treated.