1. Writing Activity EXPLORING THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Why do people create, structure, and change governments?
In making the case for American independence from Great Britain, the
Declaration of Independence states that "governments long established
should not be changed for light [unimportant] and transient (temporary]
causes." By the time these words were written, the colonies had been under
British rule for more than 150 years. In your opinion, did the colonists who
called for independence have good reasons for doing so? Had you been a
colonist, would you have supported independence or remained loyal to
Great Britain? Think about these questions and answer them in an essay.
Support your position with facts you have learned about what was
happening in the colonies in the mid-1700s.
SS.7.C.1.3