Assigned Readings:

• Study the Declaration of Independence – paying special attention to the list of grievances. (The list of grievances begins after the second paragraph, and the first grievance is, “He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.”) The Declaration of Independence is in textbook’s Appendix, and it can be accessed online at the National Archives.
• Study the Constitution of the United States with particular focus on the Bill of Rights. This document is also found in the textbook’s Appendix, and it can be accessed online at the National Archives.

• Question:In an organized essay with specific cited examples (but not necessarily direct quotes) from the Declaration of Independence, the original constitution (which may include the Bill of Rights) and the textbook, Out of Many, do the following:(1) Define the purpose of the Declaration of Independence as compared to that of the constitution.(2) Select one specific grievance to analyze from the over two dozen grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence and analyze how the grievance selected is grounded in a particular historical event mentioned in Out of Many. Be specific with your supporting information.(3) Analyze how the specific grievance selected is reflected in the constitution.(Here is a make-believe example, after discussing the differences between the Declaration of Independence and the constitution, one might focus on grievance 102 in the Declaration of Independence which states, “He has forbidden us from climbing mountains on Saturdays.” In Out of Many, one might analyze the section discussing how people in Vermont climbed a mountain on a Saturday in 1774, and fifty people were arrested by British soldiers for climbing the mountain. Moving to the constitution, one could then discuss the fact that the sixth amendment to the constitution states, “The government shall pass no law prohibiting the climbing of mountains or descent into canyons on weekends.” Of course, this is a silly factitious example, but, I hope, the idea is clear.)