Question

What led to the Declaration of Independence and what influenced it? (Use examples)

a) Economic factors and religious beliefs

b) British taxation and Enlightenment ideas

c) Native American cultures and European exploration

d) Industrial Revolution and French Revolution

Answer 1

The Declaration of Independence was primarily influenced by British taxation policies and Enlightenment ideals. Economic grievances of colonists and philosophical principles of natural rights and self-governance, championed by writers like John Locke, propelled the American colonies towards seeking independence, culminating in the adoption of the Declaration on July 4, 1776.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Declaration of Independence was influenced by a myriad of factors, including British taxation and the ideological wave of the Enlightenment. Economic factors played a significant role as colonists, especially merchants, sought liberation from restrictive British trade laws and taxes. Politically, the colonial elites desired the rights to self-governance and taxation without British intervention. Ideologically, Enlightenment ideas, put forth by philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, championed the concepts of natural rights and popular sovereignty, which were reflected in the Declaration of Independence.

Enlightenment ideals deeply influenced the Founding Fathers. In Thomas Paine's impactful pamphlet Common Sense, he argued that equality was a natural state for humans and critiqued the justification of a hereditary monarchy. Paine encapsulated both the economic grievances and the philosophical principles, which galvanized the support for independence among the colonists.

Ultimately, these diverse causes led to a unified desire for independence, and on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, authored by Thomas Jefferson, declaring their right to form an independent nation based on Enlightenment principles.

Answer 2

The Declaration of Independence was influenced by British taxation and Enlightenment ideas.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Declaration of Independence was influenced by various factors, including British taxation and Enlightenment ideas. British efforts to control the colonies and impose taxes incited resistance from colonists seeking autonomy. Additionally, Enlightenment philosophers like John Locke influenced the colonists' belief in natural rights and sovereignty.