Final answer:
Jefferson believed the colonists had the right to rebel because the British government was infringing on their natural rights, as stated in the Declaration of Independence that he authored. Enlightenment principles provided the moral justification for rebellion given that the colonists were being denied rights such as no taxation without representation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Jefferson, inspired by Enlightenment ideas, believed that the colonists had the right to rebel against Britain because they were being denied their natural rights. According to Jefferson, every individual has the inherent rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which governments are created to protect. The British government, however, had established policies and regulations that violated these rights, such as imposing taxes without representation, interfering with trade, and denying the right to trial by jury. The Declaration of Independence, which Jefferson penned, argues that when a government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and to institute a new government, hence justifying the colonial revolt.
The philosophical foundation for this belief was deeply rooted in the principles of the Enlightenment. Colonists viewed themselves as citizens entitled to natural rights, yet the British government was imposing a form of virtual representation that the colonists did not recognize, thereby nullifying their consent to be governed—especially in the matter of taxation. Jefferson and other revolutionary thinkers felt that the colonies had matured enough to require independence and to form a new government representing these Enlightenment ideals, signifying a break from Britain was both necessary and justified.