“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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…” --Declaration of Independence, 1776 According to the excerpt above, the Declaration of Independence influenced the development of American democracy by:

The declaration of independence influenced the development of American democracy by establishing some of the principles that American democracy holds to this day, and that were written down in the American Constitution.

The declaration of independence is establishing the principles of natural rights, civil liberties, equality before the law, and social contract. It is saying that the citizens of the United States have natural rights that were given to them by a divine power, and that the government exists to protect those rights.