Magnifying glass over the declaration of indepedence with an american flag detail

Reading Between the Lines: Close-Reading of the Declaration of Independence

Students will analyze the Declaration of Independence through a foreign policy lens to uncover its global message, tone, and strategic intent.

Download Activity

What if the Declaration of Independence wasn’t just a revolutionary cry for freedom, but also a calculated message to the world? Imagine you’re not an American colonist, but a foreign leader in 1776, reading this bold proclamation for the first time. What would you think the colonies wanted from you?

In this close-reading activity, students will dive into the Declaration of Independence—not only to understand its arguments for breaking from Britain, but to explore its strategic purpose. Was it designed to influence global audiences as much as domestic ones?

By viewing the Declaration through the lens of foreign policy, students will analyze its language, tone, and structure to determine its broader diplomatic goals. This approach challenges students to consider the essential question: Is the Declaration of Independence a foreign policy document? Through annotation and analysis, students will uncover how the Founders may have used this historic text to shape international perceptions and alliances.

Materials & Links

Activity Plan
Worksheet
Annotation Key for Students
Teacher’s presentation in Google Slides (This resource is set to “view only.” Please make a copy to modify the resource and use it with your students.)

Standards Alignment

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.5: Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis.
GOVT.1.c: The student will apply history and social science skills to understand the foundations of American constitutional government by evaluating the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation.
VUS.5.f: The student will apply history and social science skills to understand the issues and events leading to and during the revolutionary period by evaluating how key principles in the Declaration of Independence grew in importance to become unifying ideas of American political philosophy.