British loyalists and American patriots held irreconcilable views on the source of political authority.

Evidence

For British traditionalists such as Serle, American independence defied both reason and the divine authority of monarchs, while patriots saw it as rooted in the sovereignty accorded to the people by the laws of nature and God. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 233

Categorization

• DEFINE: Capture: the clash between divine-right monarchy and popular sovereignty as the foundational framing difference that structures the Declaration’s claims.
• XREF: connects to: Elite patriots backed republican independence despite distrusting popular rule — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 136

Broader Connections

• Elite patriots backed republican independence despite distrusting popular rule #qualifies (0.75) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 136