Declaration of Independence: Did you mean...?

The Declaration of Independence is the foundational document of the United States of America. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, it explains why the Thirteen Colonies decided to separate from Great Britain during the American Revolution...

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (French: Declaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen) is a human rights document adopted in the early stages of the French Revolution (1789-1799). Inspired by Enlightenment Age principles...

The Declaration of Pillnitz was a joint statement issued on 27 August 1791 by Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (r. 1790-1792) and King Frederick William II of Prussia (r. 1786-1797). The declaration appealed to all European powers to unite...

An 1819 painting titled The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull. Various figures such as George Washington are shown presenting the Declaration of Independence of the 13 colonies from British rule to Congress. (United States Capitol...

A gouache on paper painting titled The Declaration of Independence 1776 by Nicha Sursock. This is part of a series of 43 works representing the history of the USA. John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Philip Livingston, John Adams, George Washington...

An 1823 copy of the US Declaration of Independence by William Stone; the original was written by Thomas Jefferson and other congressional delegates and passed on 4 July 1776.

A painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris showing Thomas Jefferson (right), Benjamin Franklin (left), and John Adams drafting the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776. (Virginia Historical Society, Library of Congress)

The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, July 4, 1776, oil on canvas by Charles Édouard Armand-Dumaresq, c. 1873. White House Cabinet Room, Washington, D.C.

The Second Continental Congress was the body of delegates that governed the Thirteen Colonies and, later, the United States during the American Revolutionary War. Between its first session in May 1775 and its disbandment in March 1781, the...

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was an American lawyer, statesman, philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. A prominent figure of the American Revolution, he wrote the Declaration of Independence and later served as the first...