Final answer:
Option C is incorrect; the Declaration of Independence did not lay out a government structure with divided powers but declared the colonies' separation from Britain and enunciated democratic principles and natural rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question presents a false statement concerning what the Declaration of Independence represents. The correct answer is that option C, 'It divided power between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the government,' is not true of the Declaration of Independence. This document was primarily focused on proclaiming the colonies' separation from Britain and did not establish a system of government, which came later with the Constitution.
Instead, the Declaration espoused the fundamental principles of democracy and natural rights, holding that governments derive 'their just powers from the consent of the governed' and proclaiming that people have the right to 'alter or to abolish' a government that violates these principles. Therefore, the declaration was pivotal in expressing the colonists' right to independence from Britain and in laying down the ideological foundation for the new nation.
The inaccuracies of the remaining statements can be refuted as follows: The Declaration was indeed an 'expression of the American mind,' confirming A to be true. Also correct, statement B marked the colonists' intent to form an independent nation. The document did articulate that people have a right to overthrow their government when their rights are violated, making D true and substantiating its role as a document of principles rather than governmental framework.