GUIDE TO READING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

GUIDE TO READING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE:

1) Put most of your attention on the first two paragraphs of the Preamble and last three paragraphs of the Denunciation of the British people and Conclusion.

2) Skim over the specifics of the Indictment in middle section which is a list of complaints against the monarchy. There's a deep well of history in that section, but you can get the gist of what the complaints are about by a quick read-through.

3) Note your impressions. In what ways are the ideas antiquated for today's standards? Which ideas still apply to us today?

4) Finally, think about how these ideas can be useful to our culture as we progress into the future and try to have a conversation with others about it.

Text of Declaration of Independence at the National Archives