Final answer:
The colonies separated from Britain primarily due to the violation of natural rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Jefferson outlined the overall reason for the colonies to separate from Britain as violation of natural rights. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson argued that the British monarchy had deprived the colonists of their rights, including taxing without consent, interfering with trade, denying the right to trial by jury, and depriving them of self-government. He believed that it was the people's right to alter or abolish a government that became destructive of these natural rights.