Is Independence Day really July 2? Officially, the Continental Congress declared its freedom from Britain on July 2, 1776, when it approved a resolution and delegates from New York were permitted to make it a unanimous vote. A look at the events leading up to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and how news of it spread in the weeks, months, and years after. Welcome to ushistory.org's Declaration of Independence website, providing a wealth of information about the Declaration, biographies of all the signers, lesson plans for introducing students to the colonial and revolutionary eras of American history, and much more. Use this information for putting the Declaration of Independence in context. Read about the events that took place during the summer of 1776. Get familiar with the argument that built a nation. Explore the events leading up to the signing and publication of the Declaration of Independence. Each version tells part of the story. 13a. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that View the original text of history's most important documents, including the Declaration of Independence 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. Arguably the most famous document in U.S. history, the Declaration of Independence was intended as a universal document, its principles applicable at all times and in all places. The Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence—written largely by Jefferson—in Philadelphia on July 4, a date now celebrated as the birth of American independence. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. The history of the present King of Great Britain (George III) is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refuted his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. Declaration of Independence, 17761 IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the United States of America. Adopted by Congress on 4 July 1776, it explains why the United States decided to claim independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution. Welcome to ushistory.org's Declaration of Independence website, providing a wealth of information about the Declaration, biographies of all the signers, lesson plans for introducing students to the colonial and revolutionary eras of American history, and much more. Where is the original Declaration? The Declaration of Independence states the principles on which our government, and our identity as Americans, are based. Unlike the other founding documents, the Declaration of Independence is not legally binding, but it is powerful. The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continental Congress, who convened at Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in the colonial capital of Philadelphia. These delegates The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. Commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by learning the stories behind different printed and manuscript copies of the Declaration created in 1776 Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) The spelling and punctuation reflects the original.
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