Final answer:
The statement is false; the Declaration of Independence preceded the Constitution and was not a replacement for it. The Constitution was written to replace the Articles of Confederation and establish a federal government system reflecting Enlightenment principles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Because it was such an epic fail, the constitution was replaced by the Declaration of Independence as our plan for government' is false. The correct historical sequence is that the Declaration of Independence was created and signed first, in 1776, to declare the colonies' independence from Britain and to express the principles on which the new American government would be based. The Constitution, on the other hand, was written in 1787 to replace the Articles of Confederation, which was the first, but insufficient, governing document of the United States. The Constitution laid out an effective federal government system while incorporating Enlightenment ideals and principles such as Popular Sovereignty and Limited Government.
During the Revolutionary War, states began adopting their own constitutions and opted for republics rather than monarchies or pure democracies, which is true. The process of drafting these state constitutions varied, reflecting different levels of radicalism and experimentation. The central idea that the consent of the governed was fundamental to political authority is one that profoundly influenced the nation's foundational documents.
In essence, the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution both embody Enlightenment democratic ideals, despite the contradictions presented by the existence of slavery at the time. The Constitutional Convention met to create the Constitution, which was not a failure but an innovative blueprint for a new form of self-government—the Federal Republic.