chapter 6 page 6

THE AMERICAN ENGLISH EXPRESS Chapter 6 page 6

The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America

The document continues:

· The next clause is: ‘it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government’

Here, ‘the people’ gain another right: whenever the government is not protecting their rights, the people have the right to alter or abolish the government.

What does ‘alter’ mean? It means to change.

What does ‘abolish’ mean? It means to ‘put an end to’ or ‘terminate’.

And the people have yet another right: ‘to institute new Government’!

Remember, ‘institute’ means to ‘establish’ or ‘create’. ‘To institute new government’ means to create a new government (after the old one is abolished)

· ‘laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.’

‘laying its foundation’: ‘its’ refers to the new government

‘foundation’ means the basis upon which the government is organized and operated

‘powers’ refers to the legal authority that the government will exercise

‘effect’ means to ‘result in’ or ‘to cause’ (try to distinguish this from ‘affect’ Look it up!)

When a new government is to be established by the people, then it should be formed in accordance with the people’s idea of safety and happiness.

The document continues:

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

· Let us tackle the clause: ‘Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes’

‘Prudence’ means ‘caution’ or ‘good sense’

‘indeed’ means ‘in truth’ or ‘truthfully’

‘dictate’ means ‘require’

‘governments long established’ means governments that have existed for a long time

‘transient’ means ‘temporary’ or ‘passing’

‘causes’ here means ‘reasons’

Paraphrased, this clause means: ‘Good sense demands that existing governments should not be changed for unimportant reasons.’ In other words, if you are going to change the government, make sure it is for a good reason!

· ‘and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed’

‘accordingly’ means ‘therefore’, ‘so’, or ‘for this reason’

‘hath shewn’ is old English for ‘has shown’

‘disposed’ means ‘willing’ or ‘inclined’ (as in, ‘leaning in that direction’)

‘abolish’ means to ‘eliminate’

‘accustomed’ means ‘familiar with’

Paraphrased: ‘and, so, all experience has shown that people will continue to suffer for a very long time (as long as they can put up with it) rather than help themselves by changing things they are familiar with.’

· ‘But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism,

This is another conditional sentence, beginning with the words ‘but when’. Once again, the colonists are referring to their own situation.

‘a‘long train’ does not refer to a railway train! It means ‘procession’ or ‘convoy’ or ‘line’ or ‘string’ or ‘series’.

‘abuse’ means ‘mistreatment’ or ‘neglect’ or ‘misuse’

to ‘usurp’ means to ‘seize’ or ‘steal’ or ‘grab’ or ‘take over’ or ‘appropriate’

‘usurpations’ are the results of these actions

‘pursuing’ means ‘following’ or ‘seeking’ or ‘aiming at’

‘invariably’ means ‘without varying’ or ‘without changing’

‘Object’ here means ‘end’ or ‘goal’

to ‘evince’ means to ‘prove’ or ‘show’ or demonstrate’

‘a design’ here means ‘a plan’

‘absolute’ means ‘total’ or ‘complete’

‘Despotism’ means ‘tyranny’ or ‘dictatorship’ or ‘repression’

Paraphrased: ‘However, when there have been many, many such offenses that all seem designed to produce the same end, that is, the complete subjugation of the people…”

· ‘it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.’

Once again, the people have additional rights. This time, however, the rights are ‘a ‘duty’ or ‘responsibility’ as well. Now the people have the responsibility to ‘throw off such government’. (In this case, clearly they mean the government of King George III.) What is more, they have the responsibility to set up a new government and laws (new guards) to protect their future.