Final answer:
The Declaration of Independence reflects the principles of the English Bill of Rights by advocating for natural rights and fair representation, influenced by the ideas of John Locke. It emphasizes the need for government approval in matters of taxation and law and what would become the foundation for the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, showed a clear ideological alignment with the English Bill of Rights of 1689. Both documents emphasize the principle that rulers cannot deny fundamental individual rights, which was heavily influenced by the philosophy of John Locke. The Declaration declared that the King had violated the colonists' liberties, drawing upon the British legal and political traditions that emphasized the rights to life, liberty, and property. It did not guarantee specific freedoms but its language influenced the ensuing state constitutions to adopt such protections.
Moreover, the notion that taxation and laws must be approved by the people's representatives, which is explicitly required by both the English Bill of Rights and indirectly by the Declaration's grievances against taxation without representation, illustrates the overlap. Finally, the belief that all men are created equal, central to the Declaration, underpins the requirement for fair representation and protection under the law as prescribed in the English Bill of Rights. This document was a leap towards popular sovereignty and democracy, manifesting in the American context as the foundation of the eventual U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.