Final answer:
Colonial leaders held the belief that if their government did not protect their inalienable rights, citizens had the right to rebel and form a new government, as stated in the Declaration of Independence and demonstrated by actions such as the First Continental Congress.
Step-by-step explanation:
Colonial leaders believed that if a government failed to protect the inalienable rights of its citizens, those citizens had the right to rebel and establish a new government. This principle was at the heart of the American Revolution and was a fundamental concept expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
The First Continental Congress, for instance, was a response to the perception that British actions, such as the Intolerable Acts, were infringing on the colonists' rights as British citizens. Through the events leading up to the Revolution, it became clear that the Americans were seeking to protect their natural rights, and when diplomatic measures failed, they believed they had the justification to overthrow the existing government and form a government that would uphold those rights.