Title: Gr00 Establishing Independence
Course: Civics Citizenship Class of 20##

Q: Who is the "Father of Our Country"?
- Thomas Jefferson
- Abraham Lincoln
- George Washington
- Patrick Henry
A: George Washington

Q: When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
- July 4, 1776
- March 4, 1789
- July 4, 1789
- December 7, 1787
A: July 4, 1776
Feedback: On July 4, 1776, the colonists adopted the Declaration of Independence. [Image: image] Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. It said the colonies were free from Great Britain. Representatives from the 13 colonies signed the Declaration. July 4, 1776, is a special date in American history. It is the day that the United States became an independent country, separate from Britain.

Q: What did the Declaration of Independence do?
- said that the United States is free
- started the first free libraries
- freed the slaves
- defined the government
A: said that the United States is free
Feedback: The Declaration of Independence contains important ideas about the American system of government. The Declaration of Independence states that all people are created equal and have “certain unalienable rights.” These are rights that no government can change or take away. The author of the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson, wrote that the American colonies should be independent because Great Britain did not respect the basic rights of people in the colonies. Jefferson believed that a government exists only if the people think it should. He believed in the idea that the people create their own government and consent, or agree, to follow laws their government makes. This idea is called “consent of the governed.” If the government creates laws that are fair and protect people, then people will agree to follow those laws. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote a list of complaints the colonists had against the King of England. Jefferson ended the Declaration with the statement that the colonies are, and should be, free and independent states. The Second Continental Congress voted to accept the Declaration on July 4, 1776. [Image: image]

Q: Who was the first President?
- George Washington
- Thomas Jefferson
- John Adams
- Abraham Lincoln
A: George Washington
Feedback: George Washington was the first president of the United States. [Image: George_Washington] He was president from 1789 to 1797. Before he became president, George Washington was the general of the American army. George Washington decided to stop being president after two 4-year terms. Today, we follow his example. No one can be president for more than two 4-year terms. George Washington was the first president of the United States.

Q: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
- James Madison
- Abraham Lincoln
- George Washington
- Thomas Jefferson
A: Thomas Jefferson
Feedback: Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was an important political leader and thinker. He wanted to create a government for the United States that protected individual rights. [Image: Thomas_Jefferson] Thomas Jefferson wrote that the United States was free from Britain. He wrote that all men are created equal. He wrote that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The ideas in the Declaration helped shape the American government. These ideas are still important today.

Q: Why did the colonists fight the British?
- because they didn't have self-government
- because of the Constitution
- because of the voting age
- because of states' rights
A: because they didn't have self-government
Feedback: The American colonists’ anger had been growing for years before the Revolutionary War began in 1775. The decision to separate from the British was not an easy choice for many colonists. However, Great Britain’s “repeated injuries” against the Americans, as noted in the Declaration of Independence, convinced many to join the rebellion. The British taxed the colonists without their consent, and the colonists had nobody to represent their needs and ideas to the British government. They were also angry because ordinary colonists were forced to let British soldiers sleep and eat in their homes. The colonists believed the British did not respect their basic rights. The British governed the colonists without their consent, denying them self-government.