Thomas Jefferson said that his purpose in writing the Declaration of Independence was to express a shared understanding of andquot;the American mind.andquot; Over the course of a few days in June 1776, Jefferson laid out the most fundamental principles and central political beliefs of the American Revolution and of the people the Revolution created. Center for Civic Education ..read more

Why did the writers of the Declaration of Independence andquot;hold these Truths to be self-evident?andquot; Among other things, these Americans were deeply influenced by the teachings of Christianity and English republicanism. Center for Civic Education ..read more

The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins like this: andquot;We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.andquot; But what does andquot;We hold these truths to be self-evidentandquot; mean? We explain more in today's episode! Center for Civic Education ..read more

Following the Boston Tea Party, the British government responded with what colonists called the Intolerable Acts, a series of Punitive Acts that, among other things, closed Boston Harbor to all trade.??Listen to today???s episode to learn more! Center for Civic Education ..read more

Elections in the colonial era and in the early American republic were rather uncivilized compared to today's standards. Explore the differences between then and now in today's episode! Center for Civic Education ..read more

In the American colonies, the right to vote followed the British model: only free adult males who owned a certain amount of property could vote, though there were limited exceptions to this rule. Listen to learn more! Center for Civic Education ..read more

Voting rights in colonial America depended on the ownership of property. In other words, a person had to own a certain amount of land, livestock, or other property in order to qualify to vote. Listen to learn more! Center for Civic Education ..read more

Each of the thirteen American colonies had some features of representative democracy that we still see today. For example, each of the colonies had a legislative, executive, and judicial branch. Learn more with today???s episode! Center for Civic Education ..read more

Americans have had a tradition of written guarantees of rights since the time of the thirteen colonies. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties of 1641 provides a good example. Center for Civic Education ..read more

Despite the presence of indentured servitude and slavery in colonial America, many Americans enjoyed written guarantees of their rights. Center for Civic Education ..read more