Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence was intended for the British Crown, foreign powers, American colonists, and as a beacon of freedom principles globally. It justified separation from Britain and established core democratic principles based on Enlightenment ideas and natural rights, with the notion that government exists to protect citizens' rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the intended audience was multifaceted; it was designed to speak to the British Crown and Parliament to justify the break from British rule, to galvanize support from foreign governments, such as France and Spain, to rally the American colonists themselves by declaring their common grievances and to propel the colonists in a united front against British oppression.
The Declaration of Independence was a bold assertion of sovereignty and natural rights, heavily influenced by Enlightenment principles and philosophers like John Locke. It expressed the American colonists’ resolve to establish a government based on the Social Contract and the consent of the governed, opposing the perceived tyranny of King George III, and clarifying that the government’s purpose was to protect their unalienable rights to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
Jefferson’s writing served not only as a declaration but also as a beacon of freedom, with his assertion that “all men are created equal” becoming a hallmark for future civil rights movements. The document was intended to announce the creation of a new government that derived its power from the consent of the people it governed, a revolutionary concept at the time that had tremendous influences and impact on the fundamental structure of what would become American democracy.