Question 8 of 128 · American Government · Principles of American Government
Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
Accepted answers
- It says America is free from British control.
- It says all people are created equal.
- It identifies inherent rights.
- It identifies individual freedoms.
Any one of these is accepted, unless the question asks for more than one.
Why this is the answer
The Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, did two things. It announced that the American colonies were free from British control, which is the moment the United States came into being. And it stated the ideas the country is built on: that all people are created equal, and that everyone is born with rights that no government grants and no government may take away, among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Each of the four official answers points to one of those two jobs. Memory hook: one document, two jobs. A break from Britain, and a statement of rights.