Final answer:
To understand the real Declaration of Independence, Woodrow Wilson suggested focusing on its foundational principles rather than the grievances listed against the British Crown. It is a democratic document asserting equal rights and the power of the people to change their government, influenced by Enlightenment ideas and written by Thomas Jefferson.
Step-by-step explanation:
Woodrow Wilson stated that understanding the real Declaration of Independence requires ignoring the merely declaratory second part of it, which is an enumeration of grievances and focusing on its profound first part, which articulates the philosophical foundations of a new government. The Declaration of Independence is a seminal document that emerged from the Second Continental Congress, and it is divided into five parts: an introduction, a preamble or a statement of principles, the body (which itself consists of two parts), and the conclusion. The Declaration's introductions proclaim the need to explain the reasons for separation from Britain, while the second part of the body enumerates the specific grievances against King George III. It is a deeply democratic document asserting the right of the American colonies to separate from Britain and proclaims that all men are created equal with inviolable rights to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.' Written by Thomas Jefferson with influences from Enlightenment philosophers, it concludes that the people have the right to 'alter or abolish' repressive forms of government.