Thomas Jefferson | |
Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was born at Shadwell, in Albemarle County
into a prominent Virginia family. He graduated from the College of William
and Mary in 1762, and he studied law from 1762 until 1767, at which time
he was admitted to the Virginia bar. Jefferson served in both the Virginia
House of Burgesses and in the Continental Congress, where he drafted "The
Declaration of Independence" at the age of thirty-three. Jefferson
also would serve in the Virginia Legislature and as Governor there from
1779 to 1781. After an unsuccessful bid in 1796, Jefferson became the
third U.S. President in 1801 and served two terms. An extraordinarily
skilled writer, Jefferson wrote several books including Notes on the
State of Virginia (1781-1782), an Autobiography (1821), and
compiled many of his letters, papers, and addresses. He also founded the
Library of Congress and the University of Virginia. Jefferson died on
July 4th at his Virginia home, Monticello. | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION | CONTENT - Which truths are presented as self-evident here?
- What is the stated purpose of this document?
- Who was the King of England at the time of this writing?
- What role do Native Americans play in this document?
- Describe the things that Jefferson says that a free state ought
to have a right to do.
- Summarize the grievances the U.S. Representatives had against the
British government.
STRATEGY AND STYLE - What audience did Jefferson have in mind for this declaration?
Where in the document can you point to support your answer? How has
the nature of the audience changed over time?
- How would you describe this piece in terms of rhetorical mode?
Does the author structure it by means of showing cause and effect, by
providing examples, or by illustrating comparisons and contrasts? Support
your answer with specifics from your reading.
- As you know, "The Declaration of Independence" was written
in 1776. Review your reading to find some words, phrases, and references
that gave you trouble due to this time difference. If you already haven't
done so, look up the difficult ones. How might you bridge this gap in
time and learning in the future?
- "The Declaration of Independence" can be broken into
five clear parts: an introduction, a preamble, a body with two parts,
and a conclusion. Determine where each of these parts starts and ends,
noting structural signals and transitions along the way.
| ENGAGING THE TEXT | - Did any images of the founders of the U.S. run through your head
as you read this piece? If so, which ones? How did your answers here
affect your relationship with your reading?
- Think of a difficult, or intolerable, situation from which you
worked to free yourself. What was the situation and what did you do?
How can you link your experience to this reading?
| SUGGESTIONS FOR SUSTAINED WRITING | - A syllogism is a three-part argument that contains a major premise,
a minor premise, and a conclusion. Here's an example: major premise—All
living people need oxygen; minor premise—Sasha is a living person; conclusion—Sasha
needs oxygen. Find the syllogism in this piece and write it out as precisely
as you can.
- Read or review Machiavelli's "The Qualities of a Prince."
Compare and contrast Jefferson's and Machiavelli's ideas about the role
of government and their views of human nature.
| FOR FURTHER RESEARCH | Do some research to find a foreign country that made formal mention of
the American Declaration of Independence when declaring its own independence.
What country did you research? Under what circumstances did it declare
its independence? What use was made of the U.S. document? | WEB CONNECTION | This "Life
Portrait" of Jefferson offers links to multimedia presentations,
some other related links, and even a bit of Presidential trivia. | LINKS | Biographical Straight from the White House, here's
a biography and a portrait of Jefferson. How comfortable would you feel
using some of this material in a paper? What makes sources reliable? The Thomas Jefferson
Digital Archive from the University of Virginia Library contains
a host of biographical information about Jefferson. It's a great place
to start your online research of the third U.S. President. This is the homepage of
a site devoted to Monticello, Jefferson's longtime home. There, you'll
find a biography of Jefferson and lots of related links.
Bibliographical Want to peruse a searchable database of Jefferson's work? Try The
Thomas Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress. This magnificent
collection also includes about 83,000 images. How about a searchable, annotated Jefferson bibliography? Visit
this one,
covering the years 1826 to 1997. Here is The
Declaration of Independence in etext. Do you feel comfortable using
etext in your studies? Have you found mostly drawbacks or benefits when
using this format? Does it depend upon the nature of your research?
Cultural Interested in doing some research about Jefferson, but not sure
how to narrow your topic? This directory
from Google.com will give you plenty of ideas. Read this discussion
of Jefferson's views of copyright law. Why do you think he argued for
such limitations? Would you feel comfortable using this work in a paper?
Why or why not? Interested in a personal touch? Here's a close up of Jefferson's
signature
on The Bill of Rights.
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