Final answer:
The 'Declaration of Sentiments used universal language similar to the Declaration of Independence, suggesting that the issues of women's rights and equality had broader implications beyond the United States, relevant to human rights worldwide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of the word "the" in the Declaration of Sentiments reflects the universality of the issues addressed by the document. The Declaration of Sentiments, emanating from the Seneca Falls Convention led by figures such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, served as a call for women's rights and was modeled on the Declaration of Independence to underscore the belief that the principles of democracy and equality applied to both men and women. This document highlighted the broader implications of the fight for equality, suggesting that the grievances and truths it contained were not only relevant to the United States but to human rights in general.
By drawing parallels between the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of Sentiments, the writers intended to communicate that their complaints were based on the universal principles of equality and natural rights, thus emphasizing that the struggle for women's suffrage and civil equality extended beyond national boundaries and were significant to the entire human race. The Declaration of Sentiments argued that the oppression of women was a symptom of a larger problem that affected all societies and ought to be corrected universally.