HIS 102 and 112
Declaration Paragraph Assignment

 

 
 

 
 

Independence Hall on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, PA was built between 1732 and 1753 (it took over twenty years to build for those of you who are math-challenged) and was the site of most of the meetings of the Second Continental Congress that adopted and signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776 during the hot summer of '76.  Photo credit gamillos on Flickr
ps.  The "Liberty Bell" no longer hangs in the steeple, but rests across the street in a separate exhibit.

Independence Hall
 
Red Separator Bar
 
Read the American Declaration of Independence (along with the document background notes and the study questions).  Before you read the Declaration, please read the Sample Historical Document Analysis, if you have not already done so. Answer the following question in a paragraph:

Citing specific evidence from the American Declaration of Independence (not from the textbook), how was the American Declaration of Independence a product of Enlightenment thought? 

Some other relevant websites that might help you with this assignment:

Your paragraph must follow this format:

  • begin with a concise topic sentence (sentence 1) that directly responds to the assigned question (no need to define terms or cite a dictionary) and that identifies your analysis/thesis points.
  • font size 10 or 12 only
  • one-inch margins
  • double-spaced
  • direct, quoted material to support your points
  • name, and only your name, at the top left of the paper
  • about one-half page in length (not to exceed 3/4 page)
  • You may consider submitting a draft of your assignment to your instructor for feedback before submitting the assignment for the grade. At times, you may be asked to rewrite your work. This is done for your own benefit and will result in an improved grade.

Please take a moment to review Charlie's History Writing Center for specific information on the writing requirements for the assignments in the course. Please check this short explanation of what it means to cite historical evidence.

Your assignment should be submitted on Canvas.

 

 

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