Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that people have the right to alter or abolish their government when it fails to protect their rights, and they should declare the reasons for seeking change when doing so.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that when a government fails to protect the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, it is not only the right but also the duty of the people to alter or abolish it. In doing so, the people must also declare the reasons which compel them to seek change, laying out both philosophical justifications and enumerated grievances against the existing government. This concept is at the heart of the Declaration, both as a statement of democratic principles and as a practical step toward the American colonies' independence from Britain. Jefferson asserted the right of the colonists to create a new government based on the consent of the governed and reflective of their hopes for safety and happiness.