The U.S. Declaration of Independence explains the Thirteen Colonies’ decision to separate politically from Great Britain. It was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson and ratified on July 4, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress. The document served two purposes: to air grievances against King George III and to assert several natural rights, including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The text of the Declaration focuses primarily on individual rights and the right to revolution when a government is no longer responsive to the needs of its people. The document has inspired many others around the world, including the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen during the French Revolution.
U.S. Declaration of Independence (via Wikimedia Commons)