Read the excerpt from the Virginia Declaration of Rights. "…all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights…” How does this statement reflect the beliefs and views prevalent at the time it was written?

The statement describes freedom and independence as natural, inherent rights that people possess by nature. This reflects Enlightenment ideas about human rights and individual liberty, rather than the idea that government grants rights or that people must earn them. The correct choice is C, “It aligns with the Enlightenment philosophy of inherent human rights and individual liberty.”

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