Final answer:
The Declaration of Independence was significant because it justified the reasons for changing government, expressed Enlightenment ideals of sovereignty and natural rights, and proclaimed that when a government fails its people, they have the right to establish a new one. The correct option is D.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the options given regarding the significance of the Declaration of Independence, the correct answer is that it justified the reasons for changing government. The Declaration is a fundamental democratic document that articulated Enlightenment principles, such as the sovereignty and natural rights of individuals, and was particularly influenced by the social contract theory of philosopher John Locke. It asserted that all people were endowed with unalienable rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and that when any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it in favor of a new government that serves their needs and reflects their consent.
Ratified on July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence stated as "self-evident" that "all men are created equal" and successfully proclaimed the colonies' separation from Britain, setting an example for future movements of independence and revolution. It outlined the colonists' grievances against King George III, and set the foundation for an American government as a republic rooted in the consent of the governed. Despite its ideological assertion of equality, it did not assert that all races were equal, as racial inequality and slavery continued to exist in the newly formed United States after its adoption.