Final answer:
The Declaration of Independence was a document that declared the American colonies' intention to separate from Great Britain and establish an independent nation, asserting the equal rights of all people and the necessity of government deriving its power from the consent of the governed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Declaration of Independence, a document written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, declared the thirteen American colonies' intention to separate from Great Britain and establish an independent nation. It asserts that all men are created equal and have certain unalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It also states that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed and that it is the right and duty of the people to alter or abolish a government that becomes destructive to these ends.