In what year was the Declaration adopted, and what were its core purposes?

• A. 1789; to establish the federal government and constitution.
• B. 1776; to declare independence from Britain and articulate natural rights and grievances against the king.
• C. 1492; to explore the New World.
• D. 1800; to begin industrial reforms.

Answer: (B)

The question tests knowing when the Declaration of Independence was adopted and what its purpose was. It was adopted in 1776, and its main aims were to declare the American colonies’ independence from Britain and to explain the reasons for that break. It lays out the belief that people have certain rights—like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—that governments should protect, and it lists the king’s grievances to justify taking a stand. This isn’t about creating a new framework for the government—that role belongs to the later Constitution—so the year and purposes here specifically point to independence and the articulation of rights and complaints. The other dates and purposes refer to different events: 1492 is Columbus’s voyage, 1789 is the Constitution’s ratification, and 1800 relates to later reforms.