📜 Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence (1776) formally announced the colonies' separation from Britain. It has FIVE distinct parts you must know for the exam.
Why It Was Written
The colonists believed King George III had repeatedly violated their rights. When a government fails its people, the people have the right to form a new one. The Declaration was their formal explanation to the world.
Quick Summary
Drafted mostly by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is the founding document that broke the 13 colonies away from Great Britain. It explains WHY a people may overthrow a government and WHY the colonies were doing it now.
Must-Know Facts
- •Adopted on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia.
- •Primary author: Thomas Jefferson (with edits from Franklin, Adams, and Congress).
- •Signed by 56 delegates — John Hancock signed first and largest.
- •Built on Enlightenment ideas, especially John Locke's natural rights (life, liberty, property).
- •Jefferson changed Locke's 'property' to 'the pursuit of Happiness.'
- •It is a DECLARATION, not a law or plan of government — it does NOT create a government.
Key Vocabulary
- •Unalienable Rights — rights that cannot be taken away or given up.
- •Consent of the Governed — government gets its power from the people it rules.
- •Grievance — a formal complaint of being wronged.
- •Tyranny — cruel and unfair use of power by a ruler.
Why It Matters
The Declaration established the American idea that people have rights BEFORE government exists, and that government's only legitimate job is to protect those rights. Every later document — the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the 14th Amendment — builds on this foundation.
Key Facts
| # | Part | What It Says |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preamble | Introduces the document and explains why it was written; people have natural rights and may alter or abolish a government that fails to protect them. |
| 2 | Declaration of Natural Rights | 'All men are created equal' with unalienable rights: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Government exists to protect these rights. |
| 3 | List of Grievances | 27 complaints against King George III — taxing without consent, quartering soldiers, dissolving legislatures, etc. |
| 4 | Response to the British | Colonists already tried peaceful petitions and were ignored. Separation is now necessary. |
| 5 | Resolution of Independence | Official declaration: the colonies are free and independent states. Delegates pledged their lives, fortunes, and honor. |