5.

The Declaration of Independence

The early settlers rejected the idea that government was a traditional

institution inherited from the past, regarding it as something they had to

create for themselves. They were under British rule, but British law meant

little to them until they began to be enforced on the spot, and even then were

often ignored. This individualism and independence were eventually to lead them

to clash with the home country.

The Declaration of Independence is the most important document in American

history. It was passed by Congress on July 4, 1776. It cut all political ties with

Britain and declared the freedom and independence of the colonies which were

now called the United States of America. With the help of John Adams

(1735-1826) and Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) the Declaration of

Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), a landowner and

lawyer from Virginia. One of the first members of the Continental Congress who

signed the document was John Hancock of Massachusetts. He wrote his name in

large and clear letters so that King George could read it without his glasses.

The Declaration of Independence also contained important ideas like the fact

that all men were created equal and the right to life, liberty and happiness.

Besides it said that the government needs the consent of the governed to rule.

The Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental

Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies

then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer

a part of the British Empire.