Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia on July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence announced the separation of the original 13 states from the empire of Great Britain. The Preamble states that all men are created equal and therefore entitled to the unalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The document argues that the purpose of government is to safeguard these rights and if government fails to do so, then the people have a right to revolt. The document lists 27 “grievances” that justify the colonists’ right to revolt against King George III. Finally, the document declares that “these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.”
