Final answer:
The Declaration of Independence was justified through its use of the language of natural rights, Enlightenment principles, and the articulation of grievances against King George III, making a case for the American colonies to establish a new government based on the consent of the governed. It remains one of the most significant documents in establishing and perpetuating the foundational values of American society and government.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he provided a foundational text that laid out the philosophical and moral justification for American independence. Utilizing the language of natural rights, the document drew heavily upon the Enlightenment ideas of philosophers like John Locke, emphasizing that people possessed certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Moreover, it postulated that governments are instituted to protect these rights and derive their power from the consent of the governed.
The Declaration of Independence outlined a series of grievances against King George III, asserting that the monarch had established a tyranny over the states and violated the colonists' rights. Jefferson and the Continental Congress argued that such circumstances granted the American people the right to overthrow their government and establish a new one that would better safeguard their liberties; this resonated with the social contract theory. Therefore, the drafting and subsequent adoption of the Declaration by the Continental Congress, with support from twelve of the thirteen colonies, was a justified action for the colonists seeking to establish a republic based on these Enlightenment principles.
As an enduring symbol and a proclamation to the world, the Declaration of Independence also served as an inspiration for the principles of government and civil rights within the newly independent states, shaping the foundation of American governance and remaining a significant political and moral guide for the nation's evolution over the past two centuries.