He described the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as "these fragile objects which bear so great a weight of meaning to our people." The story of the Declaration of Independence as a document can only be a part of the larger history, a history still unfolding, a "weight of meaning" constantly, challenged, strengthened, and redefined. The American Revolution —also called the U.S. War of Independence—was the insurrection fought between 1775 and 1783 through which 13 of Great Britain ’s North American colonies threw off British rule to establish the sovereign United States of America, founded with the Declaration of Independence in 1776. British attempts to assert greater control over colonial affairs after a long The Declaration of Independence was the first formal, unanimous document that declared that the colonies no longer considered themselves under British rule. The principles outlined in the formal Declaration of Independence, whose final text was voted up on July 4, had thus already been begun to be put into effect, and the fight to establish a nation committed to the inalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness was underway. In 1776 many colonists made a great leap of faith: they united around the ideals that “all men are created equal” and entitled to the “unalienable rights” of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” They declared that all government arose from the people and depended on popular consent. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Why did the Declaration of Independence increase Americans' motivation to fight and win the war, For which group of Americans did the Declaration of Independence raise hopes as well as questions? Why?, What factors allowed the British to almost win the war in 1776? and more. Within the U.S., the women’s suffrage movement adapted the Declaration of Independence for their cause, asserting in the 1848 Declaration of Sentiments that “all men and women are created equal.” American Revolution: A Fight for Independence Explore collections and stories related to the founding of the United States of America from the passage of the Stamp Act in 1765 to the first shots of the Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775, to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and the signing of the Treaty of Paris The Declaration of Independence explains why the American people felt compelled to rebel against the British. Thomas Jefferson, with some edits from his fellow members of the Second Continental Congress, explains how governments must protect the rights we have from birth. On July 4, 1776, during the American Revolution, the Second Continental Congress adopted the famed document drafted by Thomas Jefferson that pronounced the independence of the thirteen states, previously the Thirteen Colonies. The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which American Patriot forces organized as the Continental Army and commanded by George Washington defeated the British Army. The conflict was fought in The Declaration of Independence Learn with flashcards, games, and more — for free. 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 The Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776. Two days later on July 4, a declaration explaining the reasons for independence, largely written by Thomas Jefferson, was adopted. American Revolution 4.8 (6 reviews) Why did the Declaration of Independence increase Americans' motivation to fight and win the war? List of some of the major causes and effects of the Declaration of Independence. Several years of armed conflict eventually secured international recognition of what the Declaration had proclaimed: the American colonies became independent of Great Britain and formed the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence, 1776 By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists’ motivations for seeking independence. The definition of the Declaration of Independence for APUSH is a foundational document adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, it announced the independence of the 13 Original Colonies from British rule. On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to declare independence. Two days later, it ratified the text of the Declaration. John Dunlap, official printer to Congress, worked through the night to set the Declaration in type and print approximately 200 copies.
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