Final answer:
The Declaration of Independence asserts that colonists were entitled to inalienable rights such as Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, was a seminal document in American history that articulated the colonists' entitlement to inalienable rights. These rights were influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment and the writings of philosopher John Locke, affirming that all men are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, among these Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
Additionally, it was emphasized that governments are instituted to secure these rights, deriving their powers from the consent of the governed, and when a government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.
Furthermore, the Declaration drew on the foundational principles of British governance, such as those established in the Magna Carta and the British Bill of Rights of 1689, asserting that as British citizens, colonists were entitled to the same rights and privileges, including popular sovereignty, the right to be taxed only with their consent, and the right to a trial by jury.