Declaration of Independence

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Original title
Created	July 4, 1776
Presented
Ratified
Date effective
Repealed
Superseded
Location	National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
Commissioned by

The Declaration of Independence is a foundational document of the United States of America, adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as thirteen independent sovereign states, no longer under British rule. With the Declaration, these new states took a collective first step toward forming the United States.

Background

The push for independence from Great Britain was precipitated by a variety of factors including taxation without representation, restrictions on colonial trade and commerce, and the military occupation of the colonies. Tensions had been building for several years, as exemplified by events such as the Boston Tea Party and the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Content

The Declaration of Independence consists of a preamble, a list of grievances against King George III, and a conclusion. The preamble includes the famous phrase, "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."

Significance

The Declaration was a bold statement of the colonies' desire for freedom and set the philosophical foundation of a new nation based on democratic principles. It has since become a symbol of American freedom and has influenced numerous other countries during their own struggles for independence.

Legacy

The original document is housed at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. It is widely regarded as one of the seminal documents in the history of human rights.

See also

• United States Constitution
• American Revolutionary War
• Founding Fathers of the United States