The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the United States of America, adopted on July 4, 1776, by the Second Continental Congress. It formally announced that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as independent sovereign states, no longer under British colonial rule. The Declaration justified this decision based on a list of grievances against King George III and asserted certain unalienable rights, including Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. It also declared the colonies' full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all acts independent states have the right to do. The Declaration was a bold statement of principles that became profoundly influential in American and world history.
The most famous lines include, "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..." which expresses the philosophical foundation for the colonies' bid for independence and their vision of human rights.
The Declaration was the result of a committee led by Thomas Jefferson, and its adoption marked an official break from Britain during the American Revolutionary War. The document was publicly read and circulated widely soon after its ratification, marking the birth of the United States as an independent nation.
