Question

.. 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 to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, 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, ...
— Thomas Jefferson

The purpose of this statement was to
(1) urge support for the Albany Plan of Union
(2) provide justification for declaring independence
(3) criticize the Articles of Confederation
(4) advocate obedience to Great Britain

Answer 1

The purpose of Thomas Jefferson's statement in the Declaration of Independence was to provide a justification for the American colonies declaring independence from Great Britain.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement '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' from the Declaration of Independence serves as a justification for declaring independence from Great Britain.

Thomas Jefferson laid out the Enlightenment principles that supported the right of the colonists to establish a government that ensured their unalienable Rights. The declaration signifies a break from Britain's governance due to its failure to protect those rights, underscoring the belief that governments should derive 'their just powers from the consent of the governed.'