Question 1 What political idea did Jefferson use to justify American independence in the preamble of the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 1

In the preamble of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson used the political idea of "natural rights" to justify American independence. He emphasized that all men are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights, which include "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Jefferson argued that governments are instituted to secure these rights, and when a government becomes destructive to these ends, the people have the right to alter or abolish it. This idea was rooted in Enlightenment thinking and reflected the belief in the social contract, asserting that legitimate government derives its authority from the consent of the governed.