Note: The source for this transcription is the first printing of the Declaration of Independence, the broadside produced by John Dunlap on the night of July 4, 1776. Nearly every printed or manuscript edition of the Declaration of Independence has slight differences in punctuation, capitalization, and even wording. The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence occurred at high noon on July 8, 1776, in the Old State House yard in Philadelphia (what is now Independence Hall). So begins the Declaration of Independence. But what was the Declaration? The Declaration of Independence is the foundational document of the United States of America. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, it explains why the Thirteen Colonies decided to separate from Great The U.S. Declaration of Independence, adopted July 4, 1776, was the first formal statement by a nation's people asser This is a comprehensive history of one of the greatest mysteries in American history--did Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, declare independence from Great Britain more than a year before anyone else? According to local legend, on May 20, 1775, in a log court house in the remote backcountry two dozen local militia leaders met to discuss the deteriorating state of affairs in the American The Declaration of Independence, adopted in 1776, is one of the most iconic documents in American history. Drafted during a time of war and uncertainty, it marked a turning point where the 13 American colonies formally rejected British rule and claimed their right to self-govern. The Revolutionary War (1775-83), also known as the American Revolution, arose from growing tensions between residents The Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, was the most significant landmark event in the history of the United States of America. To this day, the document continues to serve as a blueprint for democracies all around the world. Declaration of Independence, document approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, that announced the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain. On July 2 the Congress had resolved that ‘these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States.’ July 4, 1776: The day the American dream of independence was born and how it changed history The American Revolution was a turning point in modern history. It was one of the first successful Declarations of independence are the defining legal documents of the Age of Revolutions in the Americas. The very first declaration of independence in world history—the U.S. Declaration of Independence—appeared in British North America in July 1776. In the following decades, similar declarations were issued from Vermont to Chile and from Haïti to Paraguay as well as within the bounds of On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congressvoted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 coloniesadopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by 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. The Declaration of Independence is considered one of the four founding documents, along with the Articles of Association, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. Declaration of Independence Explained for APUSH This video from Heimler’s History explains the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776, the United States officially declared its independence from the British Empire when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was authored by a “Committee of Five”—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman—with Jefferson as the main drafter. But Jefferson himself later admitted These three documents, known collectively as the Charters of Freedom, have secured the rights of the American people for more than two and a quarter centuries and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States. Declaration of Independence Learn More The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for 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 He described the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as "these fragile objects which bear so great a weight of meaning to our people." The story of the Declaration of Independence as a document can only be a part of the larger history, a history still unfolding, a "weight of meaning" constantly, challenged, strengthened, and redefined. Jefferson drafts A Summary View of the Rights of British America, intended as guidance to Virginia's delegates to the first Continental Congress and advancing the principles of equality and self-government more fully realized in the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence appears in the Pennsylvania Evening Pos t, the first newspaper printing of the newly adopted document. July 8, 1776 Colonel John Nixon reads the Declaration of Independence to a crowd on the State House Yard (now known as Independence Square). This is the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
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