Final answer:
The British Colonists declared independence based on Enlightenment principles, exercising their right to self-governance as affirmed by the Continental Congress without requiring external authority.
Step-by-step explanation:
The authority for the British Colonists to declare independence did not come from any external authority but rather from the universal principles of sovereignty and natural rights as articulated by Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke.
This view was solidified in the assertion that when a government becomes destructive of the people’s rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.
The final decision to declare independence was made by the Continental Congress, influenced by the failures of reconciliation with Britain, the encouragement of documents like Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and the increasing desire for self-governance as demonstrated in the creation of state governments.