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The Declaration of Independence is one of our nation's most important founding documents, expressing the basic purposes of self-government, limited constitutionalism, and what it means to be an American. Below one can read the original text, as well as consult three annotated versions explaining the Declaration's basic principles, its historical context, and a glossary of terms.

In Congress, July 4 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

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.

W e 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. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.-Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

H e has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

H e has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

H e has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

H e has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

H e has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

H e has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

H e has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

H e has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

H e has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

H e has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

H e has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

H e has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

H e has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

F or Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

F or protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

F or cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

F or imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

F or depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

F or transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

F or abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

F or taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

F or suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

H e has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

H e has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the Lives of our people.

H e is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

H e has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

H e has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

I n every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free People.

N or have We been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.-

WE, THEREFORE, the REPRESENTATIVES of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.-And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Signed by ORDER and in BEHALF of the CONGRESS,
JOHN HANCOCK, PRESIDENT.
ATTEST.
CHARLES THOMSON, SECRETARY.

PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED BY JOHN DUNLAP.

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The Declaration of Independence is one of our nation's most important founding documents, expressing the basic purposes of self-government, limited constitutionalism, and what it means to be an American.

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The American people lived in colonies before the United States began. The colonies were controlled by England. The colonists had been having trouble with England.

King George III ruled over England and the colonies. Fighting was going on between England and the colonies. The American Revolution was beginning.

Leaders in the colonies decided to break free from England. They are known as the founding fathers. They wrote the Declaration of Independence to announce it.

The founding fathers picked Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson to choose the careful words. Two other people worked with them. It was an important paper. People in the group decided that Jefferson was the best writer. The others would help him.

Declaration is divided into three parts

The declaration has three main parts. The first part talks about what the leaders planned to do. Some people know sayings like "all men are created equal." It is in the first part that states the ideas of the leaders.

The next part has a list of reasons the colonies thought leaving was right. King George had acted unfairly in North America, it said. He had burned their towns and ruined people's lives.

The last part breaks off ties with Britain. It also shows the courage of each leader who signed. England could hang them for signing it.

The Continental Congress was the new government. People in the Congress talked about the declaration.

On July 4, 1776, the colonies voted for the declaration. The vote was 12-0. New York did not vote. As president of the Congress, John Hancock wrote his famous signature across the bottom. History was made.

Celebrated as America's birthday

Why was the Declaration of Independence so special? Why do Americans celebrate it as the birthday of the United States, July 4, 1776? July 4 might just mean fireworks to some today. What did the declaration mean back when it was written?

The declaration talks about all men being equal. That is why it is remembered today.

Being equal has been an important idea in American history. But the declaration didn't make all people equal when it was signed. Some groups of people were left out. People protested for women's rights in 1848. They wrote their own declaration. They used the same words as the Declaration of Independence, but added women.

Declaration did not help end slavery

David Walker was an African-American who fought slavery. Slavery was an awful part of U.S. history. Many black Americans were kept as slaves. They were forced to do whatever their masters wanted. In 1829, Walker wrote: "See your Declaration Americans!!! Do you understand your own language?" Walker dared America to live up to what was written in the declaration. If all men were equal, why was slavery allowed?

Although Jefferson was the main writer of the declaration, he owned slaves. Many of the founding fathers did.

The declaration did not make everyone free and equal. It was only a start. Still, it was important because it took power away from the king of England. It gave power to the people.

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The Declaration of Independence and its Legacy

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The American people lived in colonies before the United States began. The colonies were controlled by England. The colonists had been having trouble with England. King George III ruled over England and the colonies. Fighting was going on between England and the colonies. The American Revolution was beginning.

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Reading of the Declaration of Independence

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The  Declaration School House Rock   Copy

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What you might not know about the Declaration of Independence

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What you might not know about the Declaration of Independence

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What you might not know about the Declaration of Independence - Kenneth C. Davis