Which document proclaimed independence and articulated universal rights in 1776?

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Multiple Choice

Which document proclaimed independence and articulated universal rights in 1776?

The main idea tested here is identifying the document that both proclaims independence and lays out universal rights in 1776. The Declaration of Independence does exactly that: adopted on July 4, 1776, it announces that the American colonies are breaking from Britain and argues that people possess unalienable rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—and that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed. It frames independence as a universal principle grounded in natural rights, not just a political separation. In contrast, the Constitution appears later and establishes how the new nation would be governed. The Bill of Rights, added shortly after, protects individual rights within that framework, while the Articles of Confederation created the initial loose alliance among states. So the document that both proclaims independence and articulates universal rights in 1776 is the Declaration of Independence.

The main idea tested here is identifying the document that both proclaims independence and lays out universal rights in 1776. The Declaration of Independence does exactly that: adopted on July 4, 1776, it announces that the American colonies are breaking from Britain and argues that people possess unalienable rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—and that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed. It frames independence as a universal principle grounded in natural rights, not just a political separation.

In contrast, the Constitution appears later and establishes how the new nation would be governed. The Bill of Rights, added shortly after, protects individual rights within that framework, while the Articles of Confederation created the initial loose alliance among states. So the document that both proclaims independence and articulates universal rights in 1776 is the Declaration of Independence.

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