Read the following excerpt from the Declaration of
Independence:
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.... That whenever
any Form of Government becomes destructive of these
ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government, 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.... The history of the present King of Great
Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations...
To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome
and necessary for the public good.
How do the authors of the Declaration best use deductive
reasoning to support the idea that the colonists have a right to
form a new government?
A. They list the colonists' grievances against the British monarchy,
starting with the king's refusal to "Assent to Laws."
B. They first establish the idea that safety and happiness are God-
given rights that should be protected.
C. They first establish the idea that declaring one's intentions is a
decent and expected measure.
D. They follow his initial statement by accusing the British king of
establishing an absolute tyranny.