Answer:
Declaration of Independence.
Explanation:
The Declaration of Independence provides a foundation for the concept of popular sovereignty, the idea that the government exists to serve the people, who elect representatives to express their will.
In 1776, the thirteen British colonies in North America were rebelling against British rule, after more than a decade of strife over taxation and government representation. As the Revolutionary War got underway, representatives from each of the colonies agreed it was time to put forward a statement expressing the colonies’ reasons for desiring independence.
This momentous task fell upon Thomas Jefferson, a 33-year-old Virginia lawyer. Jefferson was inspired by the English
Enlightenment
philosopher John Locke, whose writings on government put forward two ideas that would become quite important to Jefferson:
That all humans are born with “natural rights,” including the right to protect their lives, liberty, and property
That government is a “social contract” between people and their rulers, which can be dissolved if rulers fail to promote the people’s welfare.
