Governments are instituted by men. This means that governments are created by and for the people, and they should serve the interests of the people.
Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. This means that governments only have the power to rule because the people agree to let them. If a government starts to abuse its power, the people have the right to overthrow it.
The purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of the people. These rights include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Governments that try to take away the liberties of the people should be changed. The colonists wanted the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since British rule threatened all these rights, a change or revolution was imminent to the colonists.