Final answer:
The assertion is false; the Declaration of Independence was not an attempt at mediation but a definitive declaration of the American colonies' separation from Great Britain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the Declaration of Independence was an attempt to mediate the dispute between the colonies and the mother country is false. Rather, the Declaration was a proclamation that announced to the world the American colonies' intention to separate from Great Britain. The document was modeled on Enlightenment ideas such as sovereignty and natural rights, embodying the social contract theory of philosopher John Locke. It was not merely a list of grievances but a profound assertion of the right of the colonies to exist as independent states, cutting ties with Britain entirely.