Declaration of Independence: Drafting, Adoption, Legacy

Purpose and founding role of the Declaration

The Declaration of Independence was founded to announce and explain the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. As the United States’ founding document, it served as the political, moral, and legal justification for why the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as independent sovereign states rather than subjects of British colonial rule. In its founding role, the Declaration articulated the principles and conditions under which a people may dissolve political ties and form new government. It did so by presenting a theory of natural rights and legitimate government based on consent, then detailing the grievances against King George III and concluding that the colonies were “of Right” free and independent states. By doing this, it provided a clear rationale for independence and helped legitimize the revolutionary break at the national level.

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Continental Congress convenes and independence momentum

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