Writing Of The Declaration Of Independence

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noun

the public act by which the Second Continental Congress, on July 4, 1776, declared the Colonies to be free and independent of England.

the document embodying it.

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Words nearby Declaration of Independence

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

MORE ABOUT DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

What is the Declaration of Independence?

Declaration of Independence is the name given to the Second Continental Congress's public act of declaring the American colonies independent from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. The document that formally records this act is also known by this name.

The Declaration of Independence was the formal proclamation that the colonies would now be an independent country separate from Great Britain.

The Declaration of Independence did not start the American Revolution. That began in April 1775 with the Battle of Lexington and Concord. It also didn't end the revolution. The colonists had to keep fighting the British until 1883 before they won their independence. But the declaration helped the colonists get aid from other countries.

The Declaration of Independence is composed of five sections:

The introduction. This states that independence is both inevitable and necessary.
The preamble. This states the colonies are right to reject the power of Great Britain because it has not treated the colonies justly.
Section one of the body. This section presents evidence of Great Britain's abuses against the colonies.
Section two of the body. This section explains that the colonies shared their grievances to Great Britain and were ignored.
The conclusion. The document ends with the statement that the colonies have the right to be free and because Great Britain has taken their freedom, they are no longer part of Great Britain.

The Declaration of Independence was written and accepted by representatives of the 13 American colonies. Collectively these representatives were known as the Continental Congress. The assembly that ultimately approved the Declaration of Independence was the Second Continental Congress.

The Declaration of Independence was drafted by five members of Congress called the Committee of Five. They were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingstone. Jefferson, a delegate from Virginia, did most of the writing.

According to Jefferson, the other members unanimously decided that Jefferson alone would write the initial draft of the document. Franklin and Adams made some changes, and then the document received more alterations when reviewed by the Congress.

The Congress finished its revisions on the morning of July 4, 1776, and officially adopted it on that day. Americans still celebrate the document's adoption every year on July 4, known as Independence Day.

Why is theDeclaration of Independenceimportant?

While the exact phrase itself doesn't appear in the document, the term Declaration of Independence refers to what the document is and is the name the document is known by.

The 13 colonies had been trying to get changes in how Great Britain ruled them for many years. The Continental Congress was created in 1774 as an official body to represent the colonies to their home country. When Great Britain continued to ignore the colonists demands, the Declaration of Independence was their way of ending the relationship.

Since then, other colonies and similar entities have made their own declarations of independence with documents with the same or similar titles. These include the Haitian Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of Irish Independence, and the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire.

Did you know ... ?

It is widely believed that every member of the Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. In fact, two delegates who approved the document never signed it at all: John Dickinson and Robert Livingston.

What are real-life examples ofDeclaration of Independence?

Many Americans consider the Declaration of Independence one of the most important documents in American history, and many of them have memorized at least some portions of it.

In a unique coincidence of history, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4th, 1826, exactly 50 years to the day after the signing of the declaration of independence. Adams not knowing that Jefferson had died hours earlier, his words were, "Thomas Jefferson survives." pic.twitter.com/r9BzmdzCKO

— A Matter Of Fact (@FACTescence) September 29, 2020

Students participated in civics education lessons in honor of Sandra Day O'Connor Civics Celebration Day w/ the goal of increasing the knowledge of civics. Students studied citizenship & important documents including the Constitution & the Declaration of Independence #WeAreDysart pic.twitter.com/wApjlbxmI9

— Dysart School District (@DysartUSD) September 25, 2020

Declaration of Independence Scavanger Hunt for these 3rd grade @SHEsailors !! @ltisdschools #LearningIsCreative pic.twitter.com/E1BYzykFMM

— Irma Alvarado (@IrmaAlv7) September 24, 2020

Quiz yourself!

True or False?

The Declaration of Independence is a document that officially records the proclamation that the United States is an independent country from Great Britain.

How to use Declaration of Independence in a sentence

Apart from the video, the Saraya Al-Khorasani group has made no official declaration that it is linked to Taghavi.
Complete male reproductive independence would also hinge on artificial womb technology, which also made headlines in 2014.
A declaration of candidacy signed by Cuomo was in the trunk of his car.
Thanks to that meddling Franklin and the other editors, Jefferson thought his Declaration had been "mangled."

Yes, the gun: "While this gives a moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind."
So he bore down on the solemn declaration that she stood face to face with a prison term for perjury.
Huxley quotes with satirical gusto Dr. Wace's declaration as to the word "Infidel."
On the third day after the declaration of his recall, Ripperda took his official leave, and presented his son in his new office.
Through what ages has that declaration, not to be denied, ascended to cold and cruel skies?
You never know when you are going to stumble upon a jewel in the most out-of-the-way corner.

British Dictionary definitions for Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

noun

the proclamation made by the second American Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which asserted the freedom and independence of the 13 Colonies from Great Britain

the document formally recording this proclamation

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

The fundamental document establishing the United States as a nation, adopted on July 4, 1776. The declaration was ordered and approved by the Continental Congress and written largely by Thomas Jefferson. It declared the thirteen colonies represented in the Continental Congress independent from Britain, offered reasons for the separation, and laid out the principles for which the Revolutionary War was fought. The signers included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Jefferson. The declaration begins (capitalization and punctuation are modernized): "When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the Earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

notes for Declaration of Independence

The day of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence is now commemorated as the Fourth of July, or Independence Day.