Ancient history

Which enlightenment ideal were the colonists upholding when declared their independence?

The colonists were upholding the Enlightenment ideal of individual liberty when they declared their independence.

The Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal" and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

• Individual liberty is the idea that each person has the right to make choices about their own life, without being controlled or restricted by others.

• The colonists believed that they had the right to choose their own government and to live according to their own laws.

• They were inspired by the Enlightenment philosophers who argued that individual liberty was a natural right and that it should not be restricted by the state.