Question

Read the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence.

Nor have We been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity.
What is the author’s purpose in this excerpt?

a to inform readers about British immigration to the colonies
b to convince readers that Britain has treated the colonists unfairly
c to inform readers about specific acts of British military aggression
d to convince readers that American colonists should be tried in Britain

Answer 1

The answer is:

b to convince readers that Britain has treated the colonists unfairly.

In the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, the author mentions how Britain has has unjust methods. First, he acknowledges British "attempts by their legislature," usurpation, and the fact that the English government has has not listened to the colonies' claim for justice, even though Americans are their descendants.