Question

What do the words absolute Despotism mean as they are used in paragraph 2? (Declaration of Independence)

Options:
utter arrogance and wickedness
total commitment and determination
complete and cruel domination
excessive hardship and suffering

Answer 1

The words 'absolute Despotism' in the Declaration of Independence refer to 'complete and cruel domination' in the context of King George III's tyrannical rule over the American colonies.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of the Declaration of Independence, the phrase "absolute Despotism" refers to a form of government where the ruler has complete and unchecked control over the people, often ruling with cruelty and oppression. This phrase is used to describe the kind of tyrannical power that King George III was perceived to have over the American colonies. The intent of the Declaration was to outline the reasons why the colonies felt compelled to break away from British rule and establish their own government, one based on the principles of democracy and the protection of unalienable rights.

The correct answer to what the words 'absolute Despotism' mean as they are used in paragraph 2 of the Declaration of Independence is complete and cruel domination. This option best captures the nature of the power wielded by an absolutist ruler such as King George III, against whom the American colonies were revolting.

Answer 2

The words absolute Depotism in paragraph 2 of the Declaration of Independence refer to complete and cruel domination. The word absolute Despotism describes leadership by a government that is completely free from constitutional or democratic controls on its power. In the 2nd paragraph of the Declaration of Independence the writer Thomas Jefferson first describes how a government should not be rejected for "light and transient causes"; he recognizes that small or temporary problems are not enough for a change of government. However, he continues to state that when there is "a long train of abuses and usurpations" then the people are right and even have a duty to declare their independence.