Drafted by Thomas Jefferson in June of 1776, the Declaration of Independence is our nation’s most cherished and enduring symbol of liberty. The statement was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Britain, regarded themselves
as independent states, no longer a part of the British Empire.
Instead, they now formed a new nation — the United States of America.
The second sentence of the Declaration is a powerful statement on human rights and contains some of the best-known words in the English language:
“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.”
Happy 237th Birthday, America!