The Declaration of Independence

What happened

On 4 July 1776 the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted chiefly by Thomas Jefferson. It proclaimed the thirteen colonies to be free and independent states and asserted that all men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Why it matters

The Declaration announced the birth of the United States and set out an ideal of human equality and government by consent that would echo through American history — and inspire revolutionaries abroad.

Sources

• National Archives. Declaration of Independence (1776) · Primary source