What best illustrates the colonial view on where government power should come from?

The colonial view on government power was largely influenced by Enlightenment ideals, emphasizing that legitimate authority should derive from the consent of the governed rather than divine right or hereditary rule. Colonists believed in the social contract, where the government's primary role was to protect individual rights and liberties. This perspective was illustrated by documents like the Mayflower Compact and later the Declaration of Independence, which asserted that governments are instituted to serve the people’s needs and can be altered or abolished if they fail to do so. Such views laid the groundwork for democratic governance and the notion of popular sovereignty.