n which of the following ways was the Declaration of Independence a revolutionary document?

Question

It guaranteed equal rights to women as well as men.

It created self-governing structures at the local level including town meetings.

It abolished slavery.

It used the idea of social contract to justify declaring independence.

Answer 1

The Declaration of Independence was a revolutionary document primarily because it used the idea of social contract to justify declaring independence. This concept, derived from Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, posited that governments are instituted to protect the rights of the people and that when a government fails to do so, the people have the right to alter or abolish it. The Declaration articulated the idea that it was not only the right but the duty of the people to resist and overthrow oppressive government, a revolutionary concept at the time.

The other options provided—guaranteeing equal rights to women, creating self-governing structures at the local level, and abolishing slavery—were not reflected in the Declaration itself. While local governance and the recognition of individual rights would develop later, the Declaration did not explicitly address these issues.