Read the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." What is the purpose of the sentence?

The sentence states the foundational principle that people are equal and possess unalienable rights. The Declaration later uses this principle to argue that government must protect those rights and that people may change a government that fails to do so. It therefore establishes the major premise of the argument, rather than summarizing the primary claim of independence.

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