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The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and that announced the separation of 13 North American British Colonies from Great Britain

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The independence was adopted and has always been celebrated in the United States as the great national day-The Fourth of July

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In 1775 there were conflicts between Great Britain and the 13 colonies (the nucleus of the future United States), the Americans claimed that they were only seeking their rights within the British Empire. At first few colonists consciously wished to separate from Britain, but as time went on this decision became stronger.

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On April 12, 1776, it was authorized to vote for Independence. The Virginia convention made the motion "That these United Colonies are, and by right ought to be, free and independent States." Since that time Congress had already taken great strides to break ties with Great Britain.

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A committee composed of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R, was chosen to prepare a declaration justifying the decision to assert independence.

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Dickson was one of those who opposed separation, but even so, on July 1, nine delegations voted in favor of separation.

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The New York convention gave its assent on July 9, and the New York delegates voted affirmatively on July 15. On July 19, Congress directed that the document be absorbed as "The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America." Accordingly, it was put on parchment ., probably by Timothy Matlack of Philadelphia. The congressmen present on August 2 affixed their signatures to this parchment on that day and later ones.

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Signers were as follows: John Hancock (president), Samuel Adams , John Adams, Robert Treat Paine and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts; Button Gwinnett , Lyman Hall and George Walton of Georgia; William Hooper, Joseph Hewes and John Penn of North Carolina; Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch , Jr. and Arthur Middleton of South Carolina; Samuel Chase , William Paca, William Paca, Thomas Stone and Charles Carroll of Maryland; George Wythe , Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr, Francis Lightfoot Lee and Carter Braxton of Virginia; Robert Morris , Benjamin Rush , Benjamin Franklin, John Morton , George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson and George Ross of Pennsylvania; Caesar Rodney and George Read of Delaware; William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis and Lewis Morris of New York; Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon , Francis Hopkinson , John Hart and Abraham Clark of New Jersey; Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple and Matthew Thornton of New Hampshire; Stephen Hopkins and William Ellery of Rhode Island; and Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington ,William Williams and Oliver Wolcott of Connecticut . The last signer was Thomas McKean of Delaware , whose name was not placed on the document before 1777.