The Declaration of Independence – adopted on July 4, 1776 – not only announced the birth of a new nation, it also lays down a philosophy of human freedom, then and there to be an active force in the entire western world. It rested not upon particular accusations but upon a wide base of individual liberty that could command general support throughout America.

It is fundamental to give details about the background that made the move to independence of colonies necessary, to begin any inquiry into the meaning of the Declaration. We need to go back to a time when Americans still kept a clear conception of themselves as a people composed of individuals capable of self-government. The American Revolution was the dramatic conclusion of just such a moment.

The reasons behind the urge for American independence form an essential part of the political identity of the United States of America, and the Declaration is a chief document in the continuing discussion about who Americans are as a nation and as a society, and what is the process of their looking after and finding their identity in the last three hundred years. The members of each generation strive to disco

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